MONDAY, MAY 4, 1981
BUILDING NEW TOWNS NEEDS CONTROL AND USE OF RESOURCES
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IN BUILDING THE NEW TOWNS, GOVERNMENT HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG'S LABOUR FORCE, PRODUCTIVITY, FINANCIAL POTENTIAL AND ECONOMIC RESOURCES ARE PROPERLY CONTROLLED AND USED.
DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) DURING A SPEECH TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF TSUEN WAN.
MR CHUI SAID OVER-DEVELOPMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE NEW TOWN PROGRAMME WOULD RESULT IN ECONOMIC IMBALANCE, WHILE UNDER- DEVELOPMENT WOULD LEAD TO A SITUATION IN WHICH NEEDS COULD NOT BE
MET.
+THIS WOULD CAUSE GREAT DAMAGE,+ HE SAID.
IN OVERALL PLANNING, CLOSE ATTENTION HAD TO BE GIVEN TO ECONOMIC TRENDS.
THERE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION STAGE BY STAGE WHICH WOULD BE ADJUSTED WHEN NECESSARY TO MEET CHANG ING CIRCUMSTANCES.
+THIS IS A MOST CHALLENGING JOB,+ MR CHUI SAID.
HE SAID DETAILED RESEARCH AND DESIGN WORK WAS REQUIRED IN PLANNING THE BUILDING OF A NEW TOWN.
WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE NEW TOWNS, PLANNING OF EMPLOYMENT, COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION MUST BE WELL CO-ORDINATED TO ENSURE THAT NEEDS ARE MET, HE SAID.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION IS NEEDED TO PROVIDE THE LABOUR FORCE REQUIRED IN THE NEW TOWNS.+
ADEQUATE FACILITIES SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS TO ENSURE THAT THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS FLOWED SMOOTHLY.
IN EACH NEW TOWN, APART FROM PUBLIC HOUSING, VARIOUS TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, SHOPPING FACILITIES AND OFFICES HAD TO BE BUILT IN ORDER TO HAVE A COMPLETE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE.
IN PRINCIPLE, THE PLANNERS' OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLETELY SELF-SUPPORTING COMMUNITY.
THIS SAVES RESIDENTS THE TROUBLE OF TRAVELLING TO AND FROM THE TOWN SO THEY WILL HAVE MORE LEISURE TIME TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES, MR CHUI SAID.