MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1982
2
+PROPER OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INTERESTS THROUGH DISTRICT BOARDS, PROPER BUILDINGS FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, AND PROPER GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR BOTH, ARE THE LEGS ON WHICH THESE NEW COMMUNITIES ARE BEING BUILT, HE SAID.
+THEY CAN ONLY SUCCEED THROUGH THE SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION OF ALL RESIDENTS, THE SINCERITY AND RESPONSIVENESS OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE WORKING PARTNERSHIP SO FORMED.+
HE SAID THE BUILDING OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AND TOWN HALL WAS AN IMPRESSIVE EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RESIDENTS OF SHEUNG SHUI.
+1 AM CONFIDENT THIS SAME SPIRIT WILL ENSURE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR THE DISTRICT,+ HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY WENT FIRST TO TUEN MUN BY SCHEDULED HOVERFERRY SERVICE FROM HONG KONG ISLAND. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE JOURNEY BY THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES- THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR BRIAN WILSON- THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR DAVID MCDONALD- THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR IAN MACPHERSON- AND THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR JOHN DON.
MEETING HIM ON ARRIVAL AT TUEN MUN FERRY PIER WERE THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BILLY LAM, AND THE PROJECT MANAGER, MR S.K. KWEI. AT THE TOWN HALL SITE HE WAS MET BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE KUK, MR LAU WONG-FAT FORMER KUK CHAIRMAN, MR CHAN YAT-SUN- AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD.
MR WILSON SAID WHEN THE CITY HALL IN HONG KONG WAS FIRST OPENED IN 1962 THERE WAS SOME DOUBT WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH PUBLIC INTEREST IN CULTURAL MATTERS TO FILL ITS CONCERT HALL AND THEATRE REGULARLY. HAPPILY THIS HAD BEEN PROVED WRONG.
+THERE ARE NOW ROUGHLY TWICE AS MANY APPLICATIONS FOR USE OF THE CITY HALL FACILITIES AS THERE ARE SPACE AND TIME AVAILABLE,+ HE SAID.
THE SAME SORT OF DOUBTS WERE EXPRESSED BEFORE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL WAS OPENED IN 1980, BUT WERE LIKEWISE PROVED WRONG, HE SAID.
+I AM DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT IN THE CASE OF THIS NEW TUEN MUN TOWN HALL NO SUCH DOUBTS HAVE BEEN RAISED.+
PEOPLE SEEMED TO HAVE AT LAST REALISED THAT IN BOTH THE URBAN AREAS AND THE NEW TERRITORIES THERE WAS INCREASING INTEREST IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, MR WILSON SAID.
THIS DID NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLIC'S ONLY INTEREST WAS TO ATTEND PLAYS, CONCERTS, DANCE AND CHINESE OPERA PUT ON BY OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES.
THERE WAS AN EQUAL DEMAND FOR SUITABLE VENUES FOR LOCAL AMATEUR CULTURAL GROUPS TO PRACTISE AND PERFORM, OF TEN TO PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
/HE SAID