WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1982
34
FUTURE OF HONG KONG IS BRIGHT, SAYS AKERS-JONES
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A POSITIVE AND CONFIDENT FUTURE FOR HONG KONG WAS INDICATED TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES.
HE WAS SPEAKING ON THE SUBJECT, THE FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES+ AT A LUNCHEON MEETING TO MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
IT WAS AN OFT-REPEATED TRUISM THAT THE FUTURE OF THE
NEW TERRITORIES WAS INDIVISIBLE FROM THE FUTURE OF THE REST OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
+SIMILARLY ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS INSEPARABLY LINKED WITH THAT OF HONG KONG AND INDEED, THE REGION AS A WHOLE,+ HE SAID.
MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE WERE NOW BEING LAID, AND OUTLINED SOME OF THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
EACH NEW TOWN, HE SAID, HAD INDUSTRIAL LAND TO SUPPORT ITS OWN WORKFORCE, AND ON BOTH THE EAST AND WEST OF THE NEW TERRITORIES THERE WERE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES TO ATTRACT OVERSEAS INVESTMENT AND NEW INDUSTRIES TO HONG KONG.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HOUSING POLICY AIMED AT PROVIDING EVERY FAMILY IN HONG KONG WITH SELF-CONTAINED ACCOMMODATION.
BY THIS RECKONING, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO BUILD HOMES FOR 2,6 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, AND THIS SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TASK COULD BE DONE IF THE PRESENT MOMENTUM CONTINUED.
+ IF WE CAN PRODUCE AN ANNUAL JOINT OUTPUT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING OF ABOUT 65 000 FLATS EACH YEAR, WHICH IS THE CASE AT PRESENT, WE WOULD MORE THAN MEET THIS TARGET,+ HE SAID.
MR AKERS-JONES CONTINUED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN OTHER DECISIONS WHICH POINTED THE WAY TO THE MORE DISTANT FUTURE.
AT SHA TIN, THE NEW TOWN WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 350 000 BY THE END OF 1985, AND IT WAS
BEING EXTENDED TO THE NORTH AND EAST TO CREATE A CITY OF 750 000 IN ABOUT 10 YEARS.
AND AT JUNK BAY, WORK ON DEVELOPMENT COULD LEAD TO A TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 300 000,
HE SAID THAT SO FAR AS PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WAS CONCERNED, IT WAS NO LONGER APPROPRIATE TO THINK IN TERMS OF SEPARATE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS,
/COUPLED