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THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1978
COMPLEX PLANNING FOR COUNTRY PARKS
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HONG KONG'S 19 COUNTRY PARKS ARE BEING PLANNED AND LANDSCAPED TO SUIT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF SACH AREA, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. TED NICHOLS SAID THIS EVENING.
+CONSIDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY PARKS OVER SUCH AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF MORE THAN 50 PER CENT OF OUR TOTAL LAND MASS, THERE IS A VERY REAL NEED TO IDENTIFY THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH COUNTRY PARK AND EVEN SUB AREAS WITHIN EACH PARK, OTHERWISE A VERY MONO- TONOUS STANDARDISED PATTERN COULD DEVELOP WHICH WOULD MAKE
THEM LOSE MUCH OF THEIR ATTRACTIVENESS, + MR. NICHOLS SAID AT A LIONS CLUB OF CASTLE PEAK DINNER AT THE PARK HOTEL.
AND, HE ADDED THAT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF A COUNTRY PARK COULD ONLY EE BROUGHT OUT BY A DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHARACTER AND RESCURCES OF EACH PARK -- THE WORK OF A TRAINED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT- CUM-ECOLOGIST.
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SUCH AS PICNIC AND BARBECUE SITES, CAMPING AREAS AND NATURE TRAILS WHICH APPEAR IN THE COUNTRY PARKS WERE THE END PRODUCT OF A VERY COMPLEX PLANNING PROCEDURE AND NOT THE RESULT OF HAPHAZARD SELECTION.
MR. NICHOLS SAID THERE MERE 3.6 MILLION VISITORS TO COUNTRY PARK MANAGED AREAS LAST YEAR AND THAT HALF OF THE POPULATION OF 4.7 MILLION WAS UNDER 25 YEARS OF AGE, ACTIVE AND KEEN TO BROADEN THE IR EXPERIENCE OF OUTDOOR LIFE AND IN A VERY REAL MEED FOR SPACE IN WHICH TO LET OFF STEAM+.
+WE MUST THEREFORE ATTEMPT TO ANTICIPATE AND BUDGET FOR MEETING FUTURE NEEDS OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE VISITORS IF THEY ARE NOT TO DESTROY, BY SHEER WEIGHT OF NUMBERS THE VERY NATURAL RESOURCES AND FACILITIES WHICH THEY HAVE SET OUT TO ENJOY, HE SAID.
BESIDES LEGAL PROTECTION TO PARK AREAS, MANAGEMENT CENTRES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED SO THAT CONSERVATION, PROTECTION, CLEANSING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COULD LECOME EFFECTIVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WITH MINOR MODIFICATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS, 14 FORESTRY PROTECTION POSTS HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO MANAGEMENT CENTRES. AND WITH AN AMBITIOUS FOUR-YEAR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME INITIATED RECENTLY, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MANAGEMENT CENTRES AND SUB-CENTRES, COMPLETE WITH STAFF, NOW TOTAL 18. TWO MORE WILL BE COMPLETED LATER IN THE YEAR.
MR. NICHOLS SAID THERE WERE THREE AIMS IN THE COUNTRY PARKS PROGRAMME :
* CONSERVATION TO SAFEGUARD THE SCENIC, SCIENTIFIC AND
CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRYSIDE=
* RECREATION TO PROVIDE FOR INFORYAL OUTDOOR RECREATION FOR
THE ORDINARY CITIZEN= AND
*
EDUCATION TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING AND THEREBY THE IR ENJOYMENT OF THEIR COUNTRY-
SIDE.
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+EACH COUNTRY PARK PLAN IN ITSELF MUST REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND NOT 'STATUTORY' IN NATURE AND EACH IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMME MUST LIKEWISE BE AN ESSENTIALLY PRACTICAL WORKING GUIDELINE, CAPABLE OF ADAPTATION TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF CHANGING GENERATIONS, SAID MR. NICHOLS.
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