WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1985
8
TIN SHUI WAI CLEARANCE TO GO AHEAD
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THE NEXT STAGE OF THE TIN SHUI WAI LAND CLEARANCE WILL GO AHEAD AS SCHEDULED TOMORROW (THURSDAY), IT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LANDS DEPARTMENT SAID THAT ANY DELAY IN THE CLEARANCE WOULD HAVE A FLOW-ON EFFECT WHICH WOULD DELAY THE WHOLE TIN SHUI WAI NEW TOWN PROJECT.
THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IN THE NEW TOWN IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 1990 AND WILL ACCOMMODATE 35 000 PEOPLE.
THE CLEARANCE TOMORROW WILL AFFECT 60 PEOPLE IN 19 FAMILIES OCCUPYING 12 HECTARES. THE LAND IS NEEDED FOR SITE INVESTIGATION WHICH CANNOT BE CONDUCTED WHILE THE AREA IS OCCUPIED.
OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS FURTHER PLOTS OF LAND IN THE AREA WILL HAVE TO BE CLEARED AT THE RATE OF ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. THERE WILL BE FURTHER CLEARANCES EXTENDING WELL INTO 1986.
THE GOVERNMENT IS OFFERING THE 19 FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE LATEST OPERATION ALMOST $3 MILLION IN COMPENSATION. OF THIS SUM ABOUT $2.5 MILLION IS FOR THE 18 FISHPONDS OPERATED BY 12 PEOPLE. THE REST IS COMPENSATION FOR CROPS, POULTRY AND PIGGER IES.
LAST AUGUST A SIMILAR CLEARANCE WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE AREA AT CHIU KAR YUEN AFTER PROTRACTED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE 140 FAMILIES INVOLVED. AT THAT TIME MOST OF THE FAMILIES WERE PAID EITHER $1.82 OR $1.96 PER SQUARE FOOT AS COMPENSATION FOR THEIR FISPONDS.
THE 19 FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE LATEST CLEARANCE HAVE BEEN OFFERED THE SAME RATES OF COMPENSATION WHERE THEIR FISHPONDS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE AT CHIU KAR YUEN,
FOOT.
HOWEVER, SOME OF THEM HAVE ASKED FOR A RATE OF $2.5 A SQUARE
BESIDES ASKING FOR EXTRA COMPENSATION SOME VILLAGERS HAVE ASKED THAT CLEARANCE BE DELAYED TO ALLOW FISH FRY IN THE PONDS TO MATURE AND TO BE HARVESTED. A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, HOWEVER POINTED OUT THAT THE SUM OFFERED CONTAINED AN ELEMENT IN RESPECT OF LOSS OF EXISTING FISH STOCKS.
THERE HAD ALSO BEEN A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION FOR ROADS
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT BRIDGES AND STREET LIGHTING IN THE AREA. COMPENSATION FOR SUCH INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NEVER PAID AS THESE WERE CONSIDERED COMMON FIXTURES.
ANOTHER REQUEST BY THE VILLAGERS, TO BE RESITED AS A GROUP ON GOVERNMENT LAND, COULD NOT BE ENTERTAINED, HE SAID.
EVEN IF