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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1984
15 INDOOR GAMES HALLS PLANNED FOR HOUSING ESTATES
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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PLANS TO BUILD 15 INDOOR GAMES HALLS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR DONALD LIAO, SAID TODAY.
ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A $18.8 MILLION ESTATE PARK NEAR BUTTERFLY ESTATE IN TUEN MUN, HE SAID THE SIZE AND FACILITIES OF THE GAMES HALLS WOULD DEPEND ON THE POPULATION IN THE ESTATE.
+GENERALLY SMALLER GAMES HALLS WILL HAVE ROOMS FOR SQUASH, GYMNASTICS, DANCING, TABLE-TENNIS AND BADMINTON, WHILE BIGGER ONES WILL EVEN HAVE BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL PITCHES.+
MR LIAO SAID THAT IN DEVELOPING PUBLIC HOUSING, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO BOTH QUANTITY AND QUALITY.
+SPEAKING OF QUANTITY, THIS YEAR WILL BE THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN WHICH PUBLIC HOUSING PRODUCTION EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL TARGET OF 35 000 FLATS.
+AS REGARDS QUALITY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS BEEN IMPROVING FACILITIES AND LIVING ENVIRONMENT IN ESTATES, APART FROM BUILDING DESIGNS AND STANDARDS.+
MR LIAO SAID THE ESTATE PARK WAS BUILT BY THE AUTHORITY SPECIFICALLY FOR RESIDENTS IN THE BUTTERFLY BEACH AREA.
+OF COURSE NOT EVERY ESTATE CAN HAVE SUCH A LARGE PARK, BUT NEW ESTATES WILL DEFINITELY HAVE BETTER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
+IN LINE WITH HIGHER ASPIRATIONS RESULTED FROM SOCIAL PROGRESS, WE MUST HAVE REGARD TO THE MANY VARIOUS NEEDS WHILST PLANNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.+
COVERING 2.5 HECTARES, THE PARK IS BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED WITH BALL GAMES PITCHES, CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS, AN AMPHITHEATRE, A FITNESS TRAIL AND THREE GARDENS, EACH HAVING ITS OWN FEATURES.
ONE IS A WATER GARDEN FEATURING A PERGOLA AND WATERFALLS
OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS. THE OTHER TWO FEATURE VARIOUS SPECIES OF PLANTS.
HOUSING AUTHORITY MEMBER, MR GERALD FORSGATE, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND TUEN MUN RURAL COMMITTEE, MR LAU WONG-FAT, ALSO OFFICIATED AT THE OPENING CEREMONY.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR DAVID FORD, THEY CUT THE RIBBON TO HERALD A SERIES OF PROGRAMMES COMMEMORATING THE OPENING OF THE PARK.
THE PROGRAMMES INCLUDED A FIVE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL EXHIBITION WATCH BETWEEN T.V. ARTISTES AND DISCJOCKEYS FOLLOWING A KICK-OFF CE-EMONY, AS WELL AS A SHOW BY THE TVB VITALITY TEAM.
SOUVENIRS WERE PRESENTED BY MR LAU, MP FORSGATE AND MR FORD TO PARTICIPATING TEAMS AND GROUPS WHO HAD HELPED IN THE CEREMONY.
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