+
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1984
1
DISTRICT BOARDS MAKING REAL IMPACT
***
THE DISTRICT BOARDS WERE CONTRIBUTING TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE CITIZENS, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY.
IN A LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON, MR WIGGHAM SAID HE HAD BEEN MOST IMPRESSED, BOTH BY INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE BOARDS AS A WHOLE.
THEY HAD MADE A REAL IMPACT IN AREAS RANGING FROM CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, THE PLANNING AND PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES AS WELL AS COURTESY AND ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS, HE SAID.
THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXPERIENCE GAINED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
LAST MONTH, ABOUT 300 UNOFFICIAL DB MEMBERS IN A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH MR WIGGHAM AND THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR NEW TERRITORIES, MR MACPHERSON, EXPRESSED VIEWS ON HOW THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM SHOULD DEVELOP.
+DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION REPRESENTS THE MARRYING OF TWO PARALLEL DEVELOPMENTS FIRST, THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE AT THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVEL, TO PROVIDE FOR GREATER CO-OPERATION AND CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AND SECOND, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TRADITIONAL CONSULTATIVE SYSTEM TO ALLOW GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS.
+ IT IS THESE TWO THEMES THAT WE SEE BEING TAKEN A STEP FURTHER FORWARD IN THE NEW PROPOSALS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, AS PART OF A CONTINUING PROCESS OF STRENGTHENING OUR SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE REGIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, TO PARALLEL THE PRESENT URBAN COUNCIL COVERING HONG KONG AND KOWLOON.
+AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL WE SHALL BE GIVING URGENT CONSIDERATION TO THE ORGANISATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, IN TERMS OF THE DIVISION OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT.+
AT THE DISTRICT BOARD LEVEL, THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS COVERED BY EACH DISTRICT BOARD WOULD BE EXAMINED.
+1 DO NOT EXPECT TOO MANY CHANGES HERE, THOUGH WE ARE AWARE, FOR INSTANCE, OF THE PROBLEMS OF HAVING ONE BOARD RESPONSIBLE IN THE NT FOR THE LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL EXPANSE OF TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI.
/+IN THE
+