TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1985
+SO I SHOULD BE INTERESTED TOO TO SEE WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS FOR ME THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE BACK TO MY CONSTITUENCY IN SUSSEX TO SEE HOW YOU TACKLE THIS PROBLEM IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AND INDUSTRIALISED ZONE OF HONG KONG.+
LATER, FROM THE ROOFTOP OF A BUILDING AT TSUI PING ROAD ESTATE, MR RENTON HAD A PANORAMIC VIEW OF KWUN TONG AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR Y.L. PANG.
MR RENTON WAS TOLD THAT MARK I AND II ESTATES, BUILT BETWEEN 1958 AND 1964, WERE EXTREMELY BASIC AND OVERCROWDED. IN 1970, REDEVELOPMENT WORK STARTED AND 1990 HAD BEEN SET AS THE TARGET FOR THE CLEARANCE OF ALL UNIMPROVED MARK AND II BLOCKS.
TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF REDEVELOPMENT, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT BEGAN THINNING OUT THE POPULATION IN ESTATES BY TRANSFERRING MARK I BLOCK TENANTS TO OTHER NEW ESTATES AND BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO BUY HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS.
HE WAS TOLD THAT AT THE TSUI PING ROAD ESTATE, THIS RESULTED IN A REDUCTION IN THE POPULATION FROM 58 000 IN 1977 TO THE PRESENT 29 000.
LATER, MR RENTON WENT TO THE SAI TSO WAN CONTROLLED TIP, WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED BY A SENIOR ENGINEER OF THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MR K.G. FUTCHER, AND KWUN TONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR KEVIN MAK, ON THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING PROJECT.
REMINDER:
FOLLOWING ARE THE PRESS ARRANGEMENTS FOR COVERING MR RENTON'S ACTIVITIES TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY):
(1) VISIT TO TAI PO
THOSE
PRESS TRANSPORT WILL LEAVE CGO CARPARK AT 8.30 AM. TRAVELLING ON THEIR OWN SHOULD ASSEMBLE AT THE ENTRANCE OF WANG YAN HOUSE, WANG FUK COURT IN TAI PO AT 9.45 AM.
(2) UMELCO DINNER
THERE WILL BE FIXED POSITIONS OUTSIDE THE NEW LEGCO BUILDING FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC COVERAGE OF MR RENTON'S ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE. MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES COVERING THE EVENT SHOULD ASSEMBLE OUTSIDE THE NEW LEGCO BUILDING AT 8.30 PM.