TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1982
LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS SCHEME PROVES VALUABLE
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THE LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS SCHEME HAS PROVED TO BE ONE OF GOVERNMENT'S MOST VALUABLE MEASURES TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS.
SPEAKING AT THE DINNER MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING, THE ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICER, MR RICKY FUNG, SAID THE SCHEME DID NOT ONLY IMPROVE THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO ENABLED EMERGENCY REPAIR WORKS TO BE CARRIED OUT IN RESPECT OF INSECURE STRUCTURES.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, A TOTAL OF $1.25 MILLION HAD BEEN ALLOCATED TO THE ISLANDS DISTRICT FOR LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS.
+SO FAR, ABOUT $400 000 HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO SOME 40 LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE REPROVISIONING OF A BRIDGE IN SHA LO WAN, THE IMPROVEMENT TO CHI MA WAN ROAD IN SOUTH LANTAU, THE IMPROVEMENT TO NGONG PING ROAD IN TAI O AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MINI-SOCCER PITCH ON PENG CHAU,+ MR FUNG SAID.
IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR, ABOUT $1,22 MILLION WAS SPENT ON 70 PROJECTS IN THE ISLANDS DISTRICT, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENT WORKS TO FOOTPATH, DEFECTIVE CHANNEL AND WATER SUPPLY, MAINTENANCE OF VILLAGE LIGHTING AND CONSTRUCTION OF PIERS.
AMONG THE MORE IMPORTANT PROJECTS WERE THE RENOVATION OF A COMMUNITY CENTRE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MINI-SOCCER PITCH AT SOK KWU WAN ON LAMMA, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PIER AT MONG TUNG WAN IN SOUTH LANTAU AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MINI-SOCCER PITCH AT TUNG CHUNG.
MR FUNG SAID APART FROM LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS FUNDS, DISTRICT BOARD FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, THE ISLANDS DISTRICT BOARD WAS PREPARED TO PROVIDE ABOUT $1 MILLION FOR MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS. AMONG THOSE PROJECTS APPROVED WERE IMPROVEMENT TO ACCESS AT CHUNG HAU STREET IN MUI WO, IMPROVEMENT TO THE NGONG PING VILLAGE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND AND IMPROVEMENT TO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN TAI 0.
+LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS ARE USUALLY INITIATED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS, NORMALLY THROUGH THEIR VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES OR RURAL COMMITTEES OR BY DISTRICT OFFICE STAFF IN THE COURSE OF THE IR CONTACTS WITH THE RURAL COMMUNITY, HE ADDED.
MR FUNG RECALLED THAT THE LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS SCHEME STARTED AS EARLY AS 1919 AND OVER THE YEARS, WITH DRASTIC INCREASE OF FUNDS, A LOT OF PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, BRINGING ABOUT A MUCH BETTER ENVIRONMENT TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.
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