TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1982
GOVERNOR VISITS KWUN TONG DISTRICT - IMPRESSED WITH
EMERGENCY SERVICES PROVIDED FOR LANDSLIP VICTIMS
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TODAY VISITED THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT AND LOOKED AT THE TEMPORARY SHELTER AND EMERGENCY RELIEF ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR PEOPLE DISPLACED BY FLOODING AND LANDSLIPS.
SIR EDWARD ACCOMPANIED BY LADY YOUDE, WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON THE VARIOUS IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES WHICH HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR OR WHICH WERE PLANNED FOR SAU MAU PING AND OTHER LARGER SQUATTER AREAS.
HE LATER TOURED A RENTAL PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE INSPECTING ITS COMMERCIAL AND OTHER FACILITIES, AND VISITED A HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME ESTATE FAMILY.
IN HIS HALF-DAY VISIT TO ONE OF THE DISTRICTS WORST HIT BY THE RAINSTORM, THE GOVERNOR, IN CASUAL DRESS, FIRST CALLED AT THE KWUN TONG COMMUNITY CENTRE WHICH WAS AMONG THE MANY EMERGENCY SHELTERS OPENED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG TO TEMPORARILY ACCOMMODATE DISPLACED PEOPLE.
AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE WHERE ABOUT 120 PEOPLE HAD STAYED OVERNIGHT AND WERE PROVIDED WITH HOT MEALS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF ARTICLES, HE TALKED TO SOME OF THE FAMILIES AND CONVEYED HIS SYMPATHY AND WORDS OF COMFORT.
+1 AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE EMERGENCY SERVICES PROVIDED WHICH I THINK ARE REMARKABLE WORK, HE SAID AFTERWARDS.
SIR EDWARD AND LADY YOUDE, WERE ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR DONALD LIAO, AND THE REGIONAL SECRETARY (HONG KONG AND KOWLOON), MR GRAHAM BARNES.
THE PARTY THEN PROCEEDED TO SAU MAU PING ESTATE WHERE THE GOVERNOR WAS MET BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR BERNARD WILLIAMS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS), MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, AS WELL AS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD.
BEFORE GOING UP TO THE ROOFTOP OF AN ESTATE BLOCK TO LOOK AT THE SAU MAU PING SQUATTER AREA, SIR EDWARD VIEWED FROM A VANTAGE POINT NEAR THE ESTATE BUS TERMINAL THE SQUATTER AREAS AT LAM TIN AND THE SITE OF A LANDSLIP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF JUNK BAY ROAD.
LATER AT THE ROOFTOP OF BLOCK 42, THE GOVERNOR TOOK A LOOK AT THE SAU MAU PING SQUATTER AREA WHICH WAS AMONG THE WORST AFFECTED BY FIRES LAST WINTER, WITH SOME 6 000 PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM RECENT ARRIVALS TO HONG KONG, MADE HOMELESS IN 11 SEPARATE FIRES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
HE WAS BRIEFED IN DETAIL ON SQUATTER FIRES WHICH HAD PUT A HEAVY STRAIN ON REHOUSING RESOURCES, AND GIVEN AN INSIGHT INTO THE VARIOUS IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES PLANNED FOR SQUATTER AREAS.
THESE INCLUDE THE CREATION OF FIRE-BREAKS AND THE PROVISION OF BETTER ACCESS, WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, DRAINAGE AND SANITATION.
/SIR EDWARD