5.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1979
MR. JONES ALSO AGREED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE LESS URBANISED AREAS, SUCH AS THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES AND THE SIZEABLE PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN IN THE SAI KUNG AREA.
COMMENTING ON THE HON. WONG PO-YAN'S SUGGESTION FOR CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, MR. JONES NOTED THAT SOME FLATTED FACTORY DEVELOPERS HAD ALREADY SHOWN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF UNITS SUITABLE FOR SMALLER FACTORIES.
HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO RECENTLY BEEN SELL H SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF INDUSTRIAL LAND WITH A CONDITION THAT 20 PER CENT OF THE FLOOR SPACE MUST BE CONSTRUCTED IN UNITS OF LESS THAN 75 SQUARE METRES.
+THIS HAS GENERALLY BEEN WELL ACCEPTED BY DEVELOPERS AND IT SHOULD CERTAINLY RESULT IN CONSIDERABLY BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SMALL INDUSTRIALIST WHEN THESE UNITS COME ON THE MARKET,+ MR. JONES SAID.
ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MR. JONES AGREED WITH THE HON. DAVID NEWBIGGING THAT UNLESS REMEDIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN AT A RELATIVELY EARLY STAGE, THE DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT FROM COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT COULD BUILD UP TO A POINT WHERE +WE EITHER HAVE TO ACCEPT SERIOUS DETERIORATION OR TAKE REALLY DRASTIC ACTIONS TO COUNTER IT.+
+ALL MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS NOW ARE REQUIRED TO AGREE DETAILED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT (EPU) AND DETAILS CAN BE WRITTEN INTO LEASE AND OTHER CONDITIONS, HE SAID,
MR. JONES POINTED OUT THAT FIVE NEW PIECES OF LEGISLATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARE BEING PREPARED. THE WASTE DISPOSAL BILL HAD ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE THE COUNCIL WHILE THE OTHER FOUR - THE WATER AND AIR POLLUTION BILLS, THE NOISE AND VIBRATION BILL AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BILLS WERE EXPECTED TO BE PRESENTED THIS SESSION.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE BILLS, BEFORE PRESENTATION, WOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED NOT ONLY BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EPCOM) BUT ALSO THE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS.
+THE BILLS ARE LARGELY ENABLING BILLS AND THE DETAILED REGULATIONS TO BE MADE UNDER THEM, WHICH WILL LAY DOWN STANDARDS, WILL NOT BE DRAFTED UNTIL DETAILED MONITORING AND MEASURING WORK ON THE STATE OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN ALL PARTS OF HONG KONG HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN, MR. JONES SAID.
+THIS WILL BE THE JOB OF THE EPU WHICH WILL BE GRADUALLY EXPANDED OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO UNDERTAKE THIS TASK. DEPARTMENTAL CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT UNITS WILL ALSO BE STRENGTHENED,+ HE SAID.
+AS A RESULT OF THIS WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO FINE TUNE OUR CONTROLS SO AS TO HAVE THE LEAST DAMAGING EFFECT UPON INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC LIFE GENERALLY, HE ADDED,
MR. JONES SAID
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