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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
HE ALSO SAID A REALLY GOOD LOOK NEEDED TO BE TAKEN AT THE RURAL AREAS BETWEEN THE NEW TOWNS AND THE COUNTRY PARKS.
LAND USE HAD FOR VARIOUS REASONS BEEN VIRTUALLY UNCONTROLLED AND MANY OF THESE AREAS WERE NOW A MIXTURE OF DUMPS AND PIGSTIES AND SQUATTER STRUCTURES CAUSED BY PROSPEROUS FARMING COMMUNITIES IN THE EARLY SIXTIES.
THERE WAS NO SEWERAGE AND FEW ROADS AND THE NATURAL STREAMS WERE CHOKED WITH PIG AND HUMAN MANURE WHICH IN TURN AFFECTED THE SEA WATER AND BEACHES AROUND THE COAST.
+ I THINK THE TURNING POINT IN THESE AREAS WILL BE THE BANNING AND LICENSING OF PIG FARMS WHICH WILL BE PUT INTO OPERATION IN THE COMING YEAR, MR BARNES SAID.
THE LOAD OF MANURE IN THE STREAMS HAD HITHERTO MADE ANY REAL ATTEMPTS AT SEWERAGE SYSTEMS QUITE POINTLESS, BUT WITH A REDUCTION OF ANIMAL WASTES, SEWERAGE AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS SHOULD BECOME A PRACTICAL, IF EXPENSIVE, PROPOSITION AND MUST BE CONSIDERED.
+BUT IF THIS IS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SYSTEM OF PLANNING CONTROL TO ENSURE THE SEWERAGE SYSTEMS ARE NOT OVERLOADED AND THAT REAL IMPROVEMENT IS ACHIEVED IN THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.
+ THE EXPENDITURE IMPLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERABLE THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS STILL MORE FORMIDABLE, AND I SHALL BE PROPOSING THAT A SUBSTANTIAL WORKING PARTY COMPRISING BOTH OFFICIALS AND UNOFFICIALS SHOULD BE SET UP TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR SYSTEMATIC IMPLEMENTATION, MR BARNES SAID.
HE SAID HE SINCERELY BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG MUST ATTEMPT AND SUCCEED IN URBAN SURGERY, HOWEVER PAINFUL, AND THAT THE TIME WAS RIGHT TO START IT NOW BECAUSE THE BASIC HOUSING PROBLEM WAS WELL ON THE WAY TO A TOLERABLE SOLUTION AND HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE THE PUBLIC RESOURCES TO DEVOTE TO A STEADY PROGRAMME OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS, PROVIDED THEY WERE GIVEN PRIORITY.
HE ALSO SAID THE RELATIVE AND INCREASING INFERIORITY OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL MISMATCHES WERE BEGINNING TO OBTRUDE TO THE EXTENT WHICH PEOPLE WOULD FIND INTOLERABLE AND THAT HONG KONG STILL HAD SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF LAND TO SORT OUT THE GREATER PART OF THE PROBLEMS,
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