MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1984
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FURTHER RECLAMATIONS WERE RECOMMENDED ALONG THE EXISTING SHORELINE WHICH WOULD HAVE A CAPACITY FOR ACCOMMODATING AN ADDITIONAL POPULATION OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION.
*THE TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FORMULATION PROCESS WAS BASED ON FINDINGS OF THOROUGH STUDIES WHICH SHOW, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT SUCH RECLAMATIONS FOR FURTHER URBAN GROWTH WOULD NOT ONLY BE PHYSICALLY PRACTICABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE BUT WILL ALSO GENERATE FEWER TRANSPORT PROBLEMS THAN CONTINUOUS DECENTRALISATION INTO THE COUNTRY AREAS.
+THE HONG KONG EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT WE MUST ACCEPT THE REALITY WHICH WE FACE AND TAKE POSITIVE ACTION TO FIND SOLUTIONS.+
DR CHAN SAID ONE REASON FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENT WAS ITS FLEXIBLE APPROACH, WHICH PROMOTED EFFICIENCY AND ENCOURAGED MEMBERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CONTRIBUTE THE MOST TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT.
+ALMOST HALF OF THE HONG KONG POPULATION LIVE IN GOVERNMENT- BUILT SUBSIDISED HOUSING AND ENJOY ALL THE ADVANTAGES OFFERED BY WELL-PLANNED ESTATE LAYOUT IN A GOOD ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING NECESSARY RECREATIONAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES,
*THESE HOUSING ESTATES ARE MANAGED BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED HOUSING MANAGERS. IN THIS WAY, ABOUT HALF OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION LIVE UNDER PROPERLY MANAGED CONDITIONS.+
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, MANAGEMENT WAS ALSO PROVIDED IN MANY PRIVATE HOUSING AREAS.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG COULD THEREFORE BE SAID TO BE LIVING IN PROPERLY MANAGED HOUSING BLOCKS.
ON RAPID URBANISATION, DR CHAN SAID THIS NEEDED GOOD ADMINISTRATION. ONE APPROACH WAS TO DECENTRALISE PARTS OF THE DECISION-MAKING MACHINERY.
+HONG KONG, FOR ONE, IS ALREADY MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION. EIGHTEEN DISTRICT BOARDS WITH ELECTED LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON MATTERS OF INTEREST CONCERNING THE IR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT AND TO MAKE DECISIONS AND TAKE ACTION ON LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES, DR CHAN SAID.
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