THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1978
10
MASSIVE NT DEVELOPMENT CLEARS DOUBTS
ABOUT GOVERNMENT INTENTIONS AND ABILITY
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DOUBTS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY AND INTENTION TO CARRY OUT MASSIVE BUILDING PROGRAMME IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD NOW BEEN DISPELLED BY ACHIEVEMENT OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID AKERS-JONĖS SAID TODAY.
THE CENTRAL CORE OF THE DEVELOPMENT HAD NOW BEEN COMPLETED, HE SAID, WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE PROVISION OF HOMES FOR ONE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE.
SPEAKING IN THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID: +THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME PEOPLE IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS WHO WILL HAVE DOUBTED WHETHER WE REALLY MEANT WHAT WE SAID WHEN THE PLANS FOR THE NEW TOWNS, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO, WERE SPELT OUT. THERE WERE SOME WHO DOUBTED THE WISDOM OF TRYING TO DO SO MUCH AT ONE AND THE SAME TIME.
+TODAY THERE CAN BE NO MORE DOUBTING, WE HAVE NOT COLLAPSED UNDER THE STRAIN AND THE ESSENTIAL NUCLEUS OF DEVELOPMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED,
+NOW, ROUND THIS CENTRAL CORE IN EVERY PLACE RECLAMATION, ENGINEERING WORKS AND PILE DRIVING IS ALREADY UNDERWAY, WHICH WILL TAKE US WELL INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AND TOWARDS THE TARGET OF PROVIDING NEW HOMES FOR ONE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE.+
ANSWERING A NUMBER OF POINTS RAISED BY THE UNOFFICIAL COUNCILLOR MR. CHARLES YEUNG, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD CLIMBED FROM AN ACTUAL 1976-77 FIGURES OF $347 MILLION TO ALMOST DOUBLE THAT IN THE FORE- CAST FOR 1978-79 OF $675 MILLION.
HE ADDED THE FIGURES REPRESENTED AN INCREASE FROM 30 TO 42 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
MR. AKERS-JONES POINTED OUT THAT ACTUAL ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE SHOWED PROOF OF THE INCREASINGLY HIGH STANDARDS OF DEVELOPMENT BEING APPLIED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.
+STANDARDS BEING APPLIED WILL BE FAR HIGHER THAN ANYTHING YET SEEN IN HONG KONG EMPHASIS IS BEING PLACED ON BALANCED DEVELOPMENT, AND, ON RESTORING THE BALANCE WHERE FACILITIES ARE LACKING AND ATTENTION IS BEING PAID, AS NEVER BEFORE IN HONG KONG, TO THE ENVIRONMENT, LANDSCAPING AND MANAGEMENT OF THESE COMMUNITIES +
THE SUBJECT