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FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1986
THE COMMITMENT FOR FORMING AND BUILDING THE NEW TOWN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPLYING ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS AND THE HOSPITAL WAS ABOUT $5.8 BILLION AND THE INVESTMENT THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR RENTAL HOUSING AND HOME OWNERSHIP ESTATES WAS ABOUT $2.3 BILLION, HE SAID.
AS REGARDS THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SIR JOHN SAID A LARGE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL UNITS HAD BEEN BUILT OR WAS BEING BUILT BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.
SIR JOHN NOTED THAT 1986 WOULD BE A LANDMARK YEAR FOR TUEN MUN.
+THE NEW TOWN HALL WILL OPEN, THERE WILL BE A SHARP INCREASE IN POPULATION INTAKE WITH THE OPENING OF SHAN KING ESTATE AND THREE NEW ROAD INTERCHANGES WILL OPEN TO ALLOW THE AREAS TO THE EAST AND WEST OF THE TUEN MUN RIVER TO BECOME A SINGLE ENTITY FOR THE FIRST TIME,+ SIR JOHN SAID.
+THE KCRC HAS STARTED WORK ON THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM, WHICH, IN 1989, WILL MAKE TUEN MUN THE ONLY AREA IN HONG KONG WITH AN INTERNAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY PLANNED AROUND THE USE OF TRAMS,+ HE ADDED.
SIR JOHN SAID THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT WAS ONE THING, OVERCOMING PEOPLE'S LONG-HELD PREJUDICES ABOUT LIVING AND WORKING OUTSIDE THE URBAN AREA WAS ANOTHER.
+TUEN MUN STILL HAS SOME WAY TO GO IN WOOING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR FONDLY-HELD BELIEF THAT IT IS ABOUT AS ACCESSIBLE AS SHENZHEN, HE SAID.
SIR JOHN SAID MANY WHO LIVED IN TUEN MUN WOULD ALSO LIKE IT TO BE THE PLACE THEY WORKED IN.
→IT IS IMPORTANT AT THIS STAGE IN THE TOWN'S DEVELOPMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT TO KEEP PACE, HE SAID.
+AT THE MOMENT IT IS LAGGING BEHIND WITH THE RESULT THAT TOO MANY OF THE WORKFORCE HAVE TO SPEND TIME AND MONEY REACHING JOBS IN TSUEN WAN AND KOWLOON, SIR JOHN SAID.
HE ENCOURAGED INDUSTRIAL OPERATORS TO LOOK AT THE EXHIBITION WITH AN OPEN MIND AND WEIGH UP THE ADVANTAGES IN TERMS OF LOWER COSTS OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AND THE RELATIVELY YOUNG, EDUCATED WORKFORCE THAT TUEN MUN HAD TO OFFER WHEN PLANNING THE IR NEW INVESTMENT.
FOLLOWING THE OPENING, SIR JOHN TOURED THE EXHIBITION WHICH HIGHLIGHTED VARIOUS MAJOR ASPECTS OF TUEN MUN, INCLUDING HOUSING, INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT, AND ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS,
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