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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1935
INTERNAL MIGRATION SHOULD BE WELL-PLANNED
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THE ECONOMIC COST TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE HARDSHIP THAT FOLLOWS MUST BE ENORMOUS IF THE PROGRESS OF INTERNAL MIGRATION TO THE NEW TERRITORIES IS NOT WELL-PLANNED, THE HON MARIA TAM SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SHE SAID THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY+ CONCEPT OF NEW TOWNS DEVELOPMENT HAD NOT REALLY MATERIALISED.
FIRSTLY, SHE SAID, THERE WAS PLENTY OF OFFICE SPACE IN THE URBAN AREA AND PROBABLY DECENTRALISATION OF OFFICE WORK IN HONG KONG COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED.
IN ADDITION, FACTORY WORKERS MUST CONTINUE TO TRAVEL TO THE FACTOR IES IN THE URBAN AREA UNLESS AND UNTIL A NEW GENERATION OF LIGHT INDUSTRY COULD BE DEVELOPED IN THE NEW TOWNS, SHE SAID.
SHE SAID THERE WAS A GREAT WASTAGE OF MANPOWER CREATED BY INTERNAL MIGRATION AS THERE WAS LITTLE PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE NEW TOWNS FOR YOUNG HOUSEWIVES.
MISS TAM SAID TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT ALSO VITAL IN MAKING A SUCCESS OF INTERNAL MIGRATION TO THE NEW TOWNS.
SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE CLEAR WHAT TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR TIN SHUI WAI AND HOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND RAILS WOULD BE COORDINATED WITH THE GROWTH OF POPULATION IN TUEN MUN.
ON URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS, MISS TAM SAID THERE WAS BOUND TO BE STRONG RESISTANCE IF CITY-DWELLERS WERE ASKED TO MOVE INTO THE NEW TERRITORIES AND AWAY FROM THEIR JOBS.
+THE AIM OF URBAN REDEVELOPMENT MUST BE TO REDUCE INCIDENTS
OF INTERNAL MIGRATION, SHE SAID.
TO IMPROVE THE CONTROL OF LAND USE IN RURAL AREAS, MISS TAM SAID AMENDMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SECTION 3 OF THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE.
SHE SAID THE SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE APPLIED NOW TO URBAN AND POTENTIAL URBAN AREAS, BUT DEFINITELY NOT RURAL AREAS AND THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION FOR DEVELOPMENTS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
FURTHERMORE, IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHANGING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG, THERE SHOULD BE A MORE COHESIVE PLANNING FOR LAND USE OVER THE WHOLE TERRITORY, SHE SAID, ADDING THAT THE AREAS OUTSIDE OF HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, NEW KOWLOON AND THE NEW TOWNS ALSO SHOULD BE COVERED BY STATUTORY PLANS WITH PROPER AREA ZONING.
/HOWEVER, IN