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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1979
LANDSCAPING PROGRAMME TO CHANGE FACE OF HONG KONG
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THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO EMBARK ON AN AMBITIOUS 10-YEAR LANDSCAPING PROGRAMME THAT WILL RADICALLY CHANGE AND BRIGHTEN THE FACE OF HONG KONG.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE TASK CALLED FOR LARGE SCALE PARTICIPATION BY LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS.
*THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS CONSIDERABLE POTENTIAL TO HELP US WITH OUR PROGRAMME,+ SAID THE SPOKESMAN.
SINGLED OUT FOR SPECIFIC ATTENTION WERE THE NEW TOWNS RAPIDLY RISING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE FACILITIES ON WHICH THEY DEPEND, SUCH AS NEW HIGHWAYS.
THE PROJECTS, ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN, WOULD GENERATE A HUGE DEMAND FOR TREES, SHRUBS AND GARDEN PLANTS +FAR IN EXCESS OF PRESENT RESOURCES+.
THE SENIOR ARCHITECT (LANDSCAPING) OF THE PWD'S NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MR. MICHAEL KIRKBRIDE, SAID: +THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLANS TO EXPAND ITS OWN PLANT NURSERIES RUN BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
+IT ALSO EXPECTS TO IMPORT PLANTS EXTENSIVELY FROM CHINA, BUT IT RECOGNISES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A GREAT HELP. +
BROAD ESTIMATES PREPARED LAST YEAR INDICATE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT OF SOME 1.5 MILLION PLANTS COMPRISING 120 000 FOUR-YEAR-OLD TREES, 710 000 SEEDLING TREES AND 770 000 SHRUBS AND OTHER SMALL PLANTS.
MR. KIRKBRIDE SAID THESE WILL BE REQUIRED IN LANDSCAPE SCHEMES ON A WIDE RANGE, FROM SITTING AREAS TO TOWN_PARKS, ROADSIDES AND HILLSIDES AS WELL AS BORROW AREA PLANTING,
+THESE ESTIMATES HAVE TO BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, BUT THE GENERAL ORDER OF MAGNITUDE WILL BE LIKELY TO REMAIN THE SAME OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD.+
THE PWD SPOKESMAN SAID THAT LANDSCAPE CONTRACTS WOULD RANGE IN VALUE FROM A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $20-$30 MILLION AT CURRENT PRICES.
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+THEY WOULD INVOLVE BOTH HARDWORK' PAVING, STEPS, SMALL BUILDINGS AND SO ON AND 'SOFTWORK' IN THE FORM OF TOPSOIL AND PLANTING, HE SAID.
THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTLY PREPARING A GAZETTE NOTICE WITH A VIEW TO COMPILING A LIST OF APPROVED LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS FROM PREDOMINANTLY SOFT LANDSCAPE WORK FOR JOBS WITH A VALUE REACHING $200 000.
/+IN THE