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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1980
HE SAID: +WE HAVE RECENTLY INSTITUTED A PILOT SCHEME TO LIBERALISE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH FACTORIES UNSUITABLE FOR MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS AND OPEN STORAGE FACILITIES CAN BE ESTABLISHED ON AGRICULTURAL LAND UNDER SHORT TERM WAIVERS BUT ON THE OTHER HAND WE ARE INSISTING ON HIGHER STANDARDS OF ACCESS ROADS, FIRE-FIGHTING PRECAUTIONS, A LOWER SITE COVERAGE AND THE LANDSCAPING OF THESE AREAS TO CONVERT THEM INTO INDUSTRIAL PARKS RATHER THAN UNSIGHTLY RURAL SQUATTER SLUMS.+
IN FUTURE THE MAIN GOVERNMENT EFFORT IN DEVELOPMENT MUST, AS IN THE PAST, BE CONCENTRATED ON THE INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS PROVIDING A BALANCE OF HOUSING, INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
OUR RESOURCES FOR SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY WERE LIMITED, BUT WE WERE HAPPY TO ENCOURAGE, OUTSIDE THE NEW TOWNS, MORE COMPREHENSIVE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, USING PRIVATE CAPITAL AND INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE AN INTERIM FORM OF BALANCED DEVELOPMENT WHILE RETAINING SUFFICIENT OPEN AREAS IN ORDER NOT TO PREJUDICE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO TO BRING ABOUT A LONG OVERDUE CONSOLIDATION OF THE EXTREMELY FRAGMENTED LAND HOLDINGS WHICH CAME ABOUT AFTER CENTURIES OF RURAL OCCUPATION FOR CULTIVATION OF PADDY LAND.
+WE HAVE SO FAR BEEN HANDICAPPED IN RURAL RE-DEVELOPMENT IN THAT WE HAVE TOWN PLANNING LEGISLATION BUT NO GUIDELINES UNDER WHICH COMPREHENSIVE INTERIM DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE PLACE OUTS IDE THE TOWNS.
+THE EXPERIENCE NOW BEING GAINED IN NAM WAI IN SAI KUNG AND SAN TIN IN YUEN LONG IS THEREFORE INVALUABLE IN BRINGING ABOUT A NEW CONCEPT OF RURAL RE-DEVELOPMENT AND I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS WITH ANYONE CONSIDERING SETTING UP SIMILAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE NEW TERRRITORIES FOR I BELIEVE THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND WE MUST PROVIDE A PRACTICAL AND HYGIENIC ALTERNATIVE TO THE INDISCRIMINATE RASH OF SMALL HOUSES BEING BUILT ALL OVER THE NEW TERRITORIES AND A SPREAD OF RURAL SQUATTER SQUALORS.+
BUT EVEN WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, MR SWEETMAN SAID, A CONSIDERABLE INPUT OF GOVERNMENT STAFF TIME AND OTHER RESOURCES WAS REQUIRED AND SUCH PROJECTS PUT AN INCREASING STRAIN ON OUR ROAD SYSTEM.
+THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE DELAYED AND EVEN JEOPARDISED UNLESS SUFFICIENT GOVERNMENT RESOURCES IN MANPOWER AND FINANCE ARE MADE AVAILABLE NOT ONLY STEADILY TO CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NEW TOWNS BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE THE BASIC SUPPORT FOR WHAT I HAVE HOPED WILL BE AN INCREASING STREAM OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES THROUGHOUT THE REGION.+
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