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SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1978
ANOTHER AREA FOR PUBLIC HOUSING IN SHA TIN
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THE GOVERNMENT IS TO CARRY OUT A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN MAINLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, IN THE AREA WEST OF THE LION ROCK TUNNEL ROAD IN SHA TIN.
WORK IS EXPECTED TO START LATER THIS YEAR ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PART OF THE AREA ABOVE KAK TIN TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC HOUS ING ESTATE SITE FOR ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION, A SITE NEAR THE SHING MUN RIVER IS EARMARKED FOR A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA TO ACCOMMODATE OVER 3,000 PEOPLE, AS WELL AS FOR THE ASSOCIATED ROAD AND DRAINAGE WORKS.
THE SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. GERRRY HIGGINSON, SAID TODAY DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN HAD BEEN PROGRESSING RAPIDLY.
+THE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE AND TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA PLANNED FOR THESE AREAS WILL MAKE AVAILABLE MORE ACCOMMODATION FOR AFFECTED PEOPLE AS DEVELOPMENT GOES ON, AND WILL BE A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR THE NEW TOWN,+ HE SAID.
TO FACILITATE THE SITE FORMATION WORK, WHICH WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S CONTRACTORS, THE GOVERNMENT IS TO RESUME ABOUT 42,874 SQUARE METRES OF PRIVATE LAND, MOSTLY AGRICULTURAL LAND, AND NOTICE OF THE LAND RESUMPTION WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE ON FRIDAY.
MR. HIGGINSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY COMPENSATION FOR CROPS, PINE TREES, FRUIT TREES, GRAVES AND BONE URNS, AS WELL AS EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE FOR CULTIVATORS, PIG-BREEDERS AND POULTRY FARMERS.
HE SAID THE LAND RESUMPTION WOULD INVOLVE THE CLEARANCE OF ABOUT 500 TEMPORARY DOMESTIC STRUCTURES AND 1,000 OTHER ANCILLARY TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, MOST OF THEM ON CROWN LAND,
+FAMILIES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE WILL BE OFFERED PUBLIC HOUSING IN SHA TIN AND WILL RECEIVE EX-GRATIA DOMESTIC REMOVAL ALLOWANCE OF UP TO $1,000 EACH.
+THOSE WHO ARE FOUND NOT ELIGIBLE WILL BE OFFERED SPACE IN A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA IN THE DISTRICT,+ HE SAID.
MR. HIGGINSON SAID LAND OWNERS INVOLVED IN THE RESUMPTION WOULD BE OFFERED THE ALTERNATIVE OF CASH COMPENSATION OR LAND EXCHANGE DOCUMENTS.