THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1987
3
DEVELOPMENT
"GOING FROM THE MAN SHEK TONG RIGHT UP TO THE NEW YOU SEE SOMETHING OF THE WHOLE HISTORY OF HONG KONG, MOVING FROM THE AGRICULTURAL VILLAGES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS.
SIR DAVID SAID PEOPLE USED TO THINK THAT THE DISTRICT WAS RATHER REMOTE, BUT THINGS HAD CHANGED NOW.
"WITH THE TRANSPORT NOW
-
KCR AND OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT IT IS NOT REALLY REMOTE AT ALL, AND WHICH IS GOING TO DEVELOP EVEN MORE, I WOULD GUESS, AS ONE GETS AN INCREASE IN CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC BETWEEN HERE AND SHENZHEN."
REFERRING TO THE QUEUEING UP OF TRANSPORT GOING TO MAN KAM TO, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WAS A PROGRAMME OF WIDENING THE ROAD GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.
"IT WILL BE OF HELP TOO WHEN THE NEW BRIDGE IS BUILT FURTHER TO THE WEST AND PROBABLY WHEN THE TUNNEL ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER COMES INTO OPERATION AT THE EASTERN CROSSING.
"AT THE MOMENT, IT IS QUITE A CONSIDERABLE PROBLEM. IT IS A PROBLEM RESULTING FROM SUCCESS IN A WAY. THERE WERE 9.000 VEHICLES CROSSING THAT BORDER POINT THE OTHER DAY. WHICH IS FAR MORE THAN THERE WERE A FEW MONTHS AGO, OR A YEAR AGO. SO IT IS A PROBLEM OF SUCCESS," HE SAID.
IMPORTANCE OF COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION EMPHASISED
THE CHIEF
SECRETARY,
EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE
MR DAVID FORD, TODAY (THURSDAY) OF INCREASED PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS TO CONSERVE HONG KONG'S COUNTRYSIDE AND TO KEEP THE COUNTRY PARKS CLEAN AND ATTRACTIVE AT ALL TIMES.
MR FORD APPEALED FOR PUBLIC CO-OPERATION IN CONSERVING THE LOCAL COUNTRYSIDE WHEN HE OPENED THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT'S NEW SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK VISITOR CENTRE.
THE THIRD PURPOSE-BUILT VISITOR CENTRE, THE NEW CENTRE WAS BUILT AT A COST OF $2.3 MILLION ON A 200 SQUARE-METRE SITE AT PINE APPLE DAM IN SHING MUN. THE FIRST TWO ARE LOCATED AT PAK TAM CHUNG IN SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK AND AT TAI HANG TUN IN CLEAR WATER BAY COUNTRY PARK.
TOGETHER WITH TWO SMALLER ONES AT ABERDEEN AND ΤΑΙ MEI TUK, THE SHING MUN VISITOR CENTRE BRINGS TO FIVE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUCH CENTRES IN THE LOCAL COUNTRY PARKS SYSTEM.
IN HIS ADDRESS, MR FORD RECALLED THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY PARKS IN HONG KONG HAD ORIGINATED FROM A PILOT SCHEME OF COUNTRYSIDE RECREATION FUNDED BY THE SIR DAVID TRENCH FUND FOR RECREATION, WHICH STARTED IN SHING MUN 15 YEARS AGO WITH ONLY NUMBER OF PICNIC TABLES, BENCHES AND BARBECUE PITS.
A
"TODAY,
THERE