WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1980
13
SHA TIN NEW TOWN TO BE BUILT TO HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
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SHA TIN IS TO BE A MAJOR NEW TOWN FOR THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION PEOPLE BUILT TO THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.
THIS HOPE WAS EXPRESSED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, DR PATRICK HASE, WHEN HE SPOKE TO MEMBERS OF KOWLOON WEST ROTARY CLUB.
HE SAID THE NEW TOWN WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL AND WELL WOODED, FULL OF RECREATIONAL AND OTHER FACILITIES, WITH MASSIVE COMMERCIAL FACILITIES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE IT THE NATURAL +CAPITAL+ AND SHOPPING CENTRE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
+ IT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 19 YEARS FROM THE FIRST SPADE CEREMONY AND THIS, WHILE BRINGING US INTERNATIONAL INTEREST, BRINGS ALSO MANY PROBLEMS, SOME AT LEAST OF WHICH WE CANNOT SOLVE AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE, AND SOME OF WHICH, THE HUMAN PROBLEMS, WILL REQUIRE A MASSIVE EFFORT EXTENDING OVER MANY YEARS TO OVERCOME. +
DR HASE SAID NONETHELESS BY 1990 HE WAS SURE SHA TIN WOULD BE
A CITY KNOWN FAR AND WIDE, A CITY TO BE PROUD OF.
BY 1989, SHA TIN WOULD HAVE A POPULATION OF 750 000- AND THE BUILT-OVER URBAN AREA WOULD EXTEND FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LION ROCK TUNNEL ALMOST WITHOUT INTERRUPTION DOWN TO WU KAI SHA.
THE AREA WOULD INCLUDE 16 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, SIX OR SEVEN MAJOR PRIVATE HOUSING ESTATES AND LARGE AREAS OF HIGH CLASS RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION. THERE WOULD ALSO BE FOUR MAJOR AREAS OF
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL SERVICE FACILITIES A MAJOR CITY REQUIRED SUCH AS SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, ROADS, AND SPORTS FACILITIES.
DR HASE SAID THESE DEVELOPMENTS WERE TO FIND SPACE FOR THE GREAT INCREASE IN POPULATION IN HONG KONG, THE EXISTING URBAN AREA CANNOT TAKE THE INCREASES IN POPULATION THAT WE HAVE TO FACE NOW AS A RESULT OF BOTH NATURAL INCREASE AND THE CONTINUING HEAVY FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS, +
HE SAID THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY REASON FOR DEVELOPMENT. THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT IN EXISTING URBAN AREAS WAS IN MANY WAYS BELOW WHAT COULD BE CLASSED AS INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE.
IN THE NEW TOWN IT IS OUR HOPE TO BUILD A LIVING ENVIRONMENT SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER THAN IN THE EXISTING URBAN AREA. HENCE THE HOUSING ESTATES, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, ARE BEING PLANNED TO A MUCH MORE SPACIOUS AND OPEN PLAN THAN IN THE PAST AND SERVICE FACILITIES PROVIDED FOR THEM WILL BE, WE HOPE, ON A MUCH MORE GENEROUS SCALE.
+ IT IS THEREFORE NOT MERELY TO PROVIDE MORE LIVING ACCOMMODATION, BUT BETTER ACCOMMODATION WHICH IS THE REASON FOR OUR PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP THIS NEW TOWN.