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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1981
EIGHT ELECTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS FOR TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD
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TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD WILL HAVE EIGHT ELECTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS IN MARCH 1982, AND REGISTRATION OF VOTERS WILL BE HELD IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR.
THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BILLY LAM, SAID THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) AT A CEREMONY TO OPEN TUEN MUN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WEEK.
THE ELECTION IS TO ACHIEVE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY RESIDENTS IN BUILDING THE NEW TOWN, AND TO IMPROVE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION THROUGH COLLECTIVE VIEWS FROM ELECTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, HE SAID.
IN 1966, GOVERNMENT APPROVED PLANS TO BUILD TUEN MUN INTO A BALANCED NEW TOWN, PROVIDING SELF-CONTAINED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES, MR LAM SAID.
SINCE THEN POPULATION AND FACILITIES HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
+AT PRESENT, TUEN MUN HAS A POPULATION OF 130 000 AND IT WILL RISE TO 500 000 BY THE END OF THE DECADE WITH MORE THAN 70 PER CENT LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING, HE SAID.
ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF TUEN MUN RESIDENTS WERE NEWCOMERS WHO KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE NEW TOWN.
TO HELP LOCAL RESIDENTS GAIN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLACE IN WHICH THEY LIVE AND TO PROMOTE A SENSE OF BELONGING AS WELL AS CO-OPERATION AMONG OLD AND NEW RESIDENTS, GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGED THE FORMATION OF ASSOCIATIONS, MR LAM SAID.
THERE WERE 39 MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND 13 OWNERS' INCORPORATIONS ALREADY IN THE NEW TOWN.
A BIG STEP FORWARD WOULD BE TAKEN WITH THE SETTING UP OF A DISTRICT BOARD, WHICH WOULD CONSIST OF APPOINTED AND ELECTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS.
THE PROPOSALS WERE CONTAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION PUBLISHED IN JANUARY.
ONE OF THE MAJOR EVENTS OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WEEK IS A FUN FAIR WHICH OPENED AT TUEN MUN PLAYGROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY.
ALSO OPENED TODAY WAS AN EXHIBITION ON TUEN MUN DEVELOPMENTS AND A DISPLAY OF FIGHT CRIME EQUIPMENT AT TAI HING COMMUNITY HALL.
OTHER ACTIVITIES DURING THE WEEK INCLUDE A CHILDREN'S GAMES DAY NEXT SATURDAY (FEBRUARY 28) AND A CULTURAL NIGHT ON MARCH 1.
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