WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979
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STANDARD OF CLEANLINESS IN N.T. IMPROVING
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ABOUT 1,200 MORE LABOURERS WILL BE RECRUITED AND 335 VEHICLES ORDERED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO LOOK AFTER THE CLEANLINESS IN THE TOWNS, VILLAGES, POPULATED AREAS, ROADS AND COUNTRY LANES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID AKERS-JONES SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG, MR. AKERS- JONES REVEALED THAT VILLAGES AND COUNTRY AREAS WERE UNDER VERY HEAVY PRESSURE FROM URBAN OVERSPILL OF VARIOUS KINDS AND SERVICING THEM WAS OFTEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BUT SOME IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN RECENT YEARS.
AS FOR ROADS AND THE URBAN AREAS, HE POINTED OUT THE PROBLEM WAS ONE OF MATCHING MEN AND MACHINES TO COPE WITH THE RAPID CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY DEVELOPMENT.
+OUR PLANS HERE ARE, TO SOME EXTENT, BEING FRUSTRATED BY DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING LABOURERS, AND IN QUICKLY OBTAINING THE VEHICLES WE REQUIRED.
+AT PRESENT WE HAVE 533 VACANT POSTS OUT OF 3,323, AND WE ARE AWAITING DELIVERY OF 40 VEHICLES OUT OF A TOTAL OF 213,+ MR. AKERS- JONES SAID.
HE SAID THE QUESTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE PRESENT STAFF AND EQUIPMENT TO BEST EFFECT AND HOW MANY MORE WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE LONG RUN WERE BEING EXAMINED.
+OUR PROPOSALS ARE FOR ABOUT 1,200 MORE STAFF AND 335 MORE VEHICLES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.+
HOWEVER, MR. AKERS-JONES BELIEVED THE NEW TERRITORIES WOULD BE MUCH CLEANER AND TIDIER IF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOW A GREATER SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY.
HE CALLED ON THE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS TO TAKE GREATER INTEREST IN THE PROBLEMS OF KEEPING THE N.T. CLEAN IN THE COMING YEAR.
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