MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1980
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+SUCH A NEW TOWN MUST HAVE A TOWN CENTRE WHICH CONTAINS ALL NECESSARY GOVERNMENT OFFICES TO SERVE THE TOWN, SUFFICIENT LUXURY SHOPS TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF THE TOWN, AND SUFFICIENT ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES TO CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE OF A TOWN CENTRE,+ HE SAID.
A PROPERLY BALANCED TOWN WOULD HAVE BOTH PUBLIC HOUSING AND PRIVATE HOUSING, BOTH RENTED AND PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY, DR HASE SAID.
HE SAID SHA TIN NEW TOWN WAS PLANNED TO HAVE 270 380 PERSONS IN PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY, 86 240 IN HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEMES, AND 365 480 IN GOVERNMENT RENTED HOUSING ESTATES, RESPECTIVELY, 37.5, 11.9 AND 50.6 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION.
THIS BREAKDOWN WAS CLOSE TO THAT WHICH GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THE IDEAL +MIX+ FOR A CITY SUCH AS HONG KONG.
OF THE PRIVATELY OWNED ESTATES, SOME WOULD BE DENSELY BUILT AND DESIGNED FOR ORDINARY WORKING CLASS OR MIDDLE CLASS TENANTS.
OF THESE ESTATES THE BEST EXAMPLE WAS THE PARAMATTA DEVELOPMENT THE FIRST PHASE OF WHICH WAS SOLD ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO.
THIS ESTATE, WHEN COMPLETED, WOULD HOUSE OVER 40 000 PERSONS, AND WOULD BE BUILT TO A DESIGN SIMILAR TO, FOR INSTANCE, MEI FOO SUN TSUEN, WITH RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS AND SCHOOLS BUILT AROUND A SUBSTANTIAL COMMERCIAL CENTRE INCLUDING A MARKET.
OTHER PRIVATE ESTATES, SUCH AS WORLDWIDE GARDENS, WOULD ATTRACT THE UPPER, LUXURY END OF THE MARKET,
MOST OF THESE UPPER CLASS AREAS WERE ON THE SLOPES OF THE HILLS SURROUNDING THE TOWN, ON PLATFORMS ORIGINALLY CUT TO PROVIDE SOIL FOR THE VARIOUS RECLAMATION PROJECTS OF
THE NEW TOWN. AS SUCH, MOST OF THESE LOTS WOULD ENJOY VERY FINE VIEWS.
MAJOR AREAS OF SUCH UPPER CLASS HOUSING WOULD BE SOLD ABOVE THE RACE COURSE, ABOVE LOK LO HA VILLAGE, ABOVE THE SUI WO HOME OWNERSHIP AREA, AND ABOVE SHA TIN WAI VILLAGE: SOME OF THESE LOTS WOULD BE SOLD FOR TWO-STOREY INDIVIDUAL LUXURY HOMES WITH GARDENS.
ON JOB OPPORTUNITIES, DR HASE SAID THESE WOULD BE PROVIDED BASICALLY IN FOUR MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS, FO TAN, TAI SHEK KWU, PAK SHEK AND TAI SHUI HANG.
OF THESE, THE FIRST AREA, FO TAN, WAS ONE-THIRD COMPLETED, WITH ONE-THIRD UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND ONE-THIRD EITHER ABOUT TO START CONSTRUCTION OR ELSE SCHEDULED FOR SALE OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THIS AREA WOULD PROBABLY BE FULLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS BY THE END OF 1982.
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