11
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1980
NORTH WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES TO BEAR BRUNT OF
DEVELOPMENT ****
IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE NORTH WEST AREA OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF FUTURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR TWO AND WILL ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ROLE TO THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE BORDER IN SHEKOU AND SHENZHEN.
THE REGIONAL COMMISSIONER NORTHWESTERN NEW TERRITORIES,
SPEECH AT A MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
MR JAMES SWEETMAN, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) DURING A
MR SWEETMAN SAID: +HOWEVER, THE PRESSURE IS ALREADY ON AND WILL INCREASE DURING THE COMING YEAR OR TWO AS MORE TEMPORARY INDUSTRIES AND URBAN OPEN STORAGE FACILITIES WILL BE DISPLACED FROM KOWLOON, TSUEN WAN AND SHA TIN TO MAKE ROOM FOR INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT THERE.
+THERE WAS ALSO A DEMAND FOR SITES FOR SMALL INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAK INGS THAT COULD NOT ADAPT TO MULTI-STOREY FACTORY BUILDINGS.
+ONE MAY ASK WHY WE STILL NEED THESE, BUT IN SOME CASES THEY OFFER A VALUABLE HOME FACTORY FOR ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE ALREADY OPENED BRANCHES OVERSEAS BUT WHO NEED A BASE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND TO INSURE AGAINST ECONOMIC VICISSITUDES IN THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH THEIR OVERSEAS FACTORIES ARE SITUATED.+
MR SWEETMAN SAID THIS RAPID URBAN DEVELOPMENT WAS SURE TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE, BUT THE SPECULATIVE NATURE OF MANY LAND HOLDINGS LEAD THE OWNERS TO LEAVE THEM LYING FALLOW WITHOUT TENANTS, THUS RESTRICTING THE GROWTH OF MARKET GARDENING IN AREAS WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE SUITABLE FOR SUCH ACTIVITY.
+ IT IS NECESSARY THEREFORE TO PROVIDE SOME FORM OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO BRING FALLOW LAND UNDER CULTIVATION WITHOUT PREJUDICING THE ULTIMATE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THAT LAND, HE SAID.
+ IT IS ALSO MOST DESIRABLE TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF LARGER PIG AND POULTRY FARMS CONCENTRATED INTO PARTICULAR AREAS, RATHER THAN SCATTERED AS THEY ARE NOW ALL OVER. THE COUNTRYSIDE, IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND MORE EFFECTIVE ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES.+
ALL THESE PRESSURES AND REQUIREMENTS CALLED FOR THE NEED FOR A POSITIVE POLICY, EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY THE PUBLIC, UNDER WHICH WE COULD MEET THESE PRESSURES IN AN ORDERLY MANNER, THUS REVERSING THE PRESENT TREND TOWARDS RURAL SQUALOR, MR SWEETMAN SAID.
HE SAID