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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1984
+ FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SOME CHANGE TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IS BOTH UNAVOIDABLE AND JUSTIFIABLE WHEN CONSIDERED AGAINST THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM,+
HE SAID HONG KONG WAS ACHIEVING A HIGH STANDARD OF REGARD FOR THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS. DUE CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THIS IN PLANNING, AND THERE HAD BEEN AN OVERALL BETTERMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
MR CHAN SAID, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYED EXTENSIVE IN-HOUSE TEAMS OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, TOWN PLANNERS, SURVEYORS AND, MORE RECENTLY, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.
ADDITIONALLY, GOVERNMENT MADE CONSIDERABLE USE OF HONG KONG- BASED CONSULTANT FIRMS OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, LANDSCAPE PLANNERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNERS WITH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE OR SPECIALIST EXPERTISE FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
THE CHALLENGE IMPOSED BY URBAN EXPLOSION IN ASIA WAS GREAT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSION IN THIS CONTEXT WAS CONSIDERABLE.
MR CHAN SAID THE THEME CHOSEN FOR THE CONFERENCE RAISED FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES RELATING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
IT WAS ALSO HIGHLY TOPICAL, COMING AT A TIME WHEN THE REGION HAD BECOME A WORLD FOCUS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
+THE PRESSURE FOR CHANGE IS INDEED INTENSE AND ACCOMMODATING THIS PRESENTS FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS - AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE POLITICIANS, ADMINISTRATORS AND PROFESSIONS CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DECISION MAKING, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT IN ALL ITS FORMS, HE SAID.
MR CHAN SAID REPRESENTATION AT THE CONFERENCE INCORPORATED A WIDE RANGE OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL, POLITICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS BROUGHT TOGETHER BY A DEEPLY-FELT CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
THIS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CROSS-FERTILISE EXPERIENCE AND IDEAS,
IT ALSO PROVIDED A MEANS OF IMPROVING UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT IMPLIED BY URBAN EXPLOSION IN ASIA,
MR CHAN SAID THE HONG KONG EXPERIENCE WOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF PARTICULAR ATTENTION.
+WE ARE, I HOPE, JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF OUR SUCCESSES.
+BUT HONG KONG WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE NEED TO FIND EVEN BETTER WAYS OF SATISFYING THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHICH WOULD AT THE SAME TIME RESULT IN THE BEST OVERALL ENHANCEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
I HAVE
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