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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1986
ALSO OFFICIATING AT TODAY'S CEREMONY WERE THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR ROBERT HOLMES, AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER MOSS.
+EACH YEAR, THERE ARE ABOUT 500 HILL FIRES. LAST YEAR WAS EVEN WORSE THAN USUAL, WITH A TOTAL OF OVER 1 000 FIRES, MAINLY DURING WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. OVER 500 000 TREES WERE DESTROYED AND IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO REPLACE THEM,+ SIR DAVID SAID.
IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, HE ADDED, THE WORST HILL FIRE SINCE 1979 OCCURRED IN THE SHING MUN AND TAI MO SHAN COUNTRY PARKS, DAMAGING MORE THAN 850 HECTARES OF PLANTATION. THREE COUNTRY PARKS AND A NATURE RESERVE WERE CLOSED FOR OVER A MONTH AS A RESULT.
ON LITTER IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, HE SAID MORE THAN 4 000 TONNES WERE COLLECTED LAST YEAR, INVOLVING AN ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE OF EFFORT AND MONEY.
+THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR THIS IF COUNTRY PARK VISITORS WOULD MAKE MORE USE OF RUBBISH BINS OR TAKE THEIR RUBBISH HOME.+
AT THE CEREMONY, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, THE ARMY, AND THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WERE PRESENTED WITH SOUVENIRS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN FIRE PREVENTION IN 1985-86.
TODAY'S EVENT WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 100 DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND POPULAR TELEVISION ARTISTES AND 300 COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB AND JUNIOR POLICE CALL MEMBERS.
DR LEE SAID THAT THE ENTHUSIASTIC TURNOUT AT THE CEREMONY REFLECTED THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERN FOR CONSERVING THE COUNTRYSIDE.
HE CALLED ON ALL PRESENT TO SPREAD THE CONSERVATION MESSAGE AND TO MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THE NEED TO KEEP THE COUNTRYSIDE CLEAN AND GREEN.
SIR DAVID THEN LED PARTICIPANTS TO COLLECT LITTER IN THE NEIGHBOURING ROTARY PARK TO SYMBOLISE THE START OF THIS YEAR'S CLEAN AND GREEN SCHEME.
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