MONDAY, JULY 13, 1981
ON
6
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NT DEVELOPMENT COMPRESSED INTO 12 YEARS
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DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAVE BEEN COMPRESSED INTO 12 YEARS, BUT COULD OFTEN HAVE TAKEN 50 OR 100 YEARS TO ACHIEVE ELSEWHERE, SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
MR AKERS-JONES, WHO WAS OFFICIATING AT THE INAUGURATION OF NEW TERRITORIES ROTARY CLUB OFFICERS, SAID 12 YEARS AGO DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS TAKING PLACE ON A PIECEMEAL BASIS, AND A COHERENT INTEGRATED PLAN HAD YET TO EMERGE.
THERE WAS NO DETERMINED AND FIXED EFFORT TO OVERCOME THE SHORTAGE OF HOUSING AND TO DEVELOP FURTHER LAND FOR INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION.
+ IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT 12 YEARS AGO THE CONTAINER PORT AT KWAI CHUNG WAS NOT YET OPEN- THERE WAS NO BRIDGE TO TSING YI- NO RACECOURSE AT SHA TIN- ONLY A HANDFUL OF MODERN BUILDINGS AT TAI PO NO TUEN MUN HIGHWAY- THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY IN AN EARLY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT AND OF COURSE NO NEW TOWNS,+ HE SAID.
THERE HAD BEEN CHANGES IN THE PAST 12 YEARS OF SIMILAR MAGNITUDE WHICH WERE PERHAPS NOT SO EASILY DISCERNED.
THE HEUNG YEE KUK HAD MOVED ITS OFFICE TO KOWLOON, AND WELCOMED THE INCLUSION OF OTHER REPRESENTATIVES IN THE DISCUSSION OF DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD WERE FORMED.
LAND INCREASED ENORMOUSLY IN VALUE AND WHILE UNDOUBTEDLY THE PHYSICAL CHANGES TO THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT HAD NOT BEEN ACHIEVED WITHOUT UPHEAVAL, DISTURBANCE AND REGRET, NEVERTHELESS THE SPREAD OF RESTAURANTS, SUPERMARKETS, MOTOR CAR SHOW ROOMS, AND BANKS TO THE NEW TERRITORIES INDICATED A CHANGING LEVEL OF PROSPERITY.
ALL THIS HAD HAPPENED IN 12 YEARS, COMPRESSING WHAT HAD OFTEN TAKEN 50 OR 100 YEARS ELSEWHERE AND SETTING A PACE OF CHANGE, AND REQUIRING A QUICK RESPONSE AND REACTION, IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
+NOW THE CONTAINER PORT IS TOO SMALL, THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM IS UNDER GREAT STRAIN, THE HOUSING PROBLEM IS VERY LITTLE NEARER TO SOLUTION THAN IT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND MORE NEW TOWNS MUST BE BUILT. AND THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR TOWNS NEEDS AN OVERHAUL, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
THERE WERE ALSO HUMAN AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF PRESS ING
IMPORTANCE.
AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF A STABLE POPULATION, STABLE COMMUNITIES AND A LOW LEVEL OF CRIME, THE GROWTH IN POPULATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD BROUCHT AN EQUALLY RAPID GROWTH IN CRIME.
THE PREDOMINANTLY