WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1979
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HE SAID THAT NONE OF THE HOUSING AMENITIES, SCHOOLS AND LANDSCAPED SURROUNDINGS WOULD BE OF ANY VALUE WITHOUT EMPLOYMENT AND THAT THE NEW TOWNS WERE NOT INTENDED AS DORMITORIES.
+SO THE PROGRESS OF INDUSTRY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IS VITAL. UP TO SEPTEMBER 30, 748 000 SQUARE METRES OF FACTORY ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED THIS YEAR AND ABOUT 50 000 SQUARE METRES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND HAVE BEEN SOLD, HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THESE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREAS, STAGE OF THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE, 20 FACTORY SITES HAD BEEN LET AND FOUR MORE EXPECTED TO BE LET SOON, AND THE FIRST FACTORY WOULD OPEN IN THE SPRING.
+STAGE | OF THE ESTATE SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR. IN THE WEST, AT YUEN LONG, A SECOND INDUSTRIAL ESTATE WILL PROVIDE 72 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL SITES BY MID-1982, WITH THE FIRST PHASE DUE FOR COMPLETION EARLY IN 1980.
+THESE SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL AREAS ARE BOUND TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL EFFECT ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY OF THE NORTHERN NEW TERRITORIES,+ HE SAID.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO SPOKE ON THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
HE SAID THE LOCAL FOCUS FOR ADMINISTRATION AND CONSULTATION WAS BECOMING WELL ESTABLISHED.
+THE TOWN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES BRING TOGETHER ALL DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A TOWN AND SO ACHIEVE A LOCAL APPROACH. THIS SEEMS TO ME ENTIRELY RIGHT.
+HONG KONG NOW INCLUDES TOO MANY TOWNS AND DISTINCTIVE AREAS OF TOO GREAT A SIZE AND OF TOO MUCH INDIVIDUALITY FOR LOCAL NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS TO BE MET ENTIRELY FROM CENTRALISED DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT STRONG LOCAL REPRESENTATION, HE SAID.
THE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS, WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDING THE COMMITTEES WITH A FORUM FOR LOCAL CONSULTATION SINCE 1977, HAD ESTABLISHED FOR THEMSELVES A FULL AND INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, SIR MURRAY SAID.
THEY WERE ALSO BRINGING TOGETHER THE TRADITIONAL INHABITANTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF NEWCOMERS, HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY SAID NEW MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES HAD BEEN SET UP IN SHA TAU KOK, LAMMA ISLAND AND CHEUNG CHAU TO EXTEND THE CONCEPT OF LOCAL CO-ORDINATION TO OTHER AREAS WHICH HE HOPED WILL SOON COVER ALL THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.
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