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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1978
SELECTION OF AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN NT
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IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO PRESERVE VILLAGES WHEREVER POSSIBLE WITHIN AREAS SELECTED FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.
MR. AKERS-JONES STRESSED IN HIS REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THAT THE SELECTION OF AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT WAS MADE VERY CAREFULLY.
VILLAGERS ARE CLOSELY AND INDIVIDUALLY CONSULTED WHERE THEIR OWN VILLAGE IS INVOLVED, AND RURAL COMMITTEES ARE CONSULTED WHERE GENERAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS ARE CONCERNED, HE ADDED.
+IF WE COULD, WE WOULD CHOOSE AREAS WHICH DID NOT DISTURB PRIVATE RIGHTS AND ANCIENT VILLAGES, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE,+ MR. AKERS-JONES SAID.
GENERALLY, HE EXPLAINED, MOST AREAS SELECTED FOR DEVELOPMENT CONSIST OF RECLAMATION OF THE SEA COUPLED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADJOINING LAND, AND DEVELOPMENTS AT SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN ARE TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF THIS.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED, MANY VILLAGES ARE WELL BELOW DEVELOPMENT LEVELS AND WOULD BE SUBJECT TO FLOODING, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER PRACTICAL REASONS FOR THE IR REMOVAL.
WITH REGARD TO VILLAGERS' REPRESENTATIONS, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID SOME TOWNS WERE COVERED BY STATUTORY PLANS UNDER THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE WHICH PRESCRIBED THE PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND REPRESENTATION, WHILE OTHERS WERE COVERED BY LAYOUT PLANS WHICH WERE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
+BUT WHATEVER THE CASE, THERE WOULD BE CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL LEADERS AND AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION DURING THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A PARTICULAR AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT.+
THEREAFTER, HE SAID, DRAFT LAYOUT PLANS ARE DISCUSSED IN GENERAL TERMS WITH RURAL COMMITTEES AND COMMENTS FORWARDED TO THE PLANNING OFF ICERS FOR CONSIDERATION.
+WHERE INDIVIDUAL VILLAGES ARE INVOLVED, WHICH MAY HAVE TO BE MOVED, VILLAGERS AND VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE INFORMED, PROPOSALS FOR REMOVAL DISCUSSED, AND, SO FAR AS IT IS POSSIBLE, LOCAL VIEWS ON A SITE FOR RE-LOCATION TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, HE SAID.
MR. AKERS-JONES ADDED THAT THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE FORMAL AND EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION ABOUT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
+DISTRICT OFFICERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO DISCUSS LOCAL PLANS WITH THE IR ADVISORY BOARDS AND TO SEEK THE IR ADVICE, HE SAID.
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