SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1982
CONFIDENCE IN DISTRICT BOARD CONTRIBUTION
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THE SECRETARY FOR THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES TODAY (SATURDAY) EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT BY WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD AND ITS COMMITTEES WILL MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIVES OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.
PRESIDING AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD, MR AKERS-JONES SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BOARD HAD A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TASK.
HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THAT THE WAN CHAI OF TODAY WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE WAN CHAI PLANNED VERY MANY YEARS AGO FOR LOW RISE BUILDING AND A SMALL POPULATION.
+NOW WITH ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF THE OLD BUILDINGS DEVELOPED TO OVER 15 STOREYS AND WITH ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE CONCENTRATED IN A SMALL AREA, STRESSES ON RESIDENTS AND DEMANDS FOR FACILITIES ARE EXTREMELY SEVERE, HE SAID.
IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE SAID, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH THE PART WHICH THE BOARD SHOULD PLAY.
MR AKERS-JONES THEN WENT ON TO SUGGEST SOME PRACTICAL STEPS FOR THE BOARD TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY BUILDING, TOWN PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT, TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT AND OTHER FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT,
ON COMMUNITY BUILDING, HE SAID THE BOARD SHOULD EXAMINE THE WHOLE REALM OF THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT AND THEN TO RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS SINCE SOME ORGANISATIONS MIGHT HAVE OUTLIVED THEIR USEFULNESS, SOME MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE AND EXPAND THEIR ACTIVITIES AND THERE MIGHT BE A NEED FOR NEW ORGANISATIONS.
AS REGARDS TOWN PLANNING, HE ADVISED THE MEMBERS TO INVITE GOVERNMENT PLANNERS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW THE PRESENT PLAN WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED AND TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR OWN IDEAS TO THE PROCESS OF MAKING GOOD DEFICIENCIES.
IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THE MANY EXISTING FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT ARE USED TO CAPACITY BY DAY AND NIGHT HE SAID. THIS REQUIRES A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CLOSE LINKS WITH EXISTING BODIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, HE ADDED.
THE 12 UNOFFICIALS APPOINTED ARE ✰ MR CHAM SIU-LEUN, MR CHENG HOK-YIN, MR CHU WING-KEE, MR HO FOOK-CHU, MR HOYUK-WING, MR LEE KON, MR LÉE WAN-YUEN, MR LÓ WAI-MAN, MR NG SAI-YING, MISS NG SUI-HING, MRS WAN LEE TSZ-HUEN AND MR YAN KOW. TWO URBAN COUNCILLORS, MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN AND MR F.K. HU ALSO SIT ON THE BOARD.
THEY WILL SERVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 1982.