WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1988
SIR DAVID LATER FLEW TO PAR TAM CHUNG, SAT KUNG COUNTRY PARK FOR A VISIT TO A POPULAR BARBROUE/PICNIC SITE WITH FACILITIES FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, AND THE NEARBY SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK VISITOR CENTRE.
THE LATTER, THE FIRST PURPOSE- BULLT VISITOR CENTRE IN HONG KONG, IS THE SPEARHEAD OF A MAJOR PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE MORE VISITOR INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO MEET THE GROWING NERDS OF PARK VISITORS. THE CENTRE ATTRACTS AN AVERAGE OF 15,000 VISITORS A MONTH.
AND
IN ADDITION TO THE TWO SMALLER VISITOR CENTRES AT ABERDEEN TAI MEI TOK WHICH WERE CONVERTED FROM OLD OFFICE BUILDINGS, THERE ARE AT PRESENT TWO OTHER PURPOSE-BUILT VISITOR CENTRES IN THE CLEAR WATER BAY AND SHING MUN COUNTRY PARKS.
PLANS ARE BEING FINALISED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FOURTH CENTRE AT TAI MO SHAN AT A COST OF $4.5 MILLION.
THIS FORMS ANI INTEGRAL PART OF A FIVE-YEAR PLAN то FURTHER DEVELOP HONG KONG'S COUNTRY PARKS.
OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF MORE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN COUNTRY PARKS NEAR NEW TOWNS, AND THE PROVISION OF MORE FACILITIES FOR THE OLDER AGE AND FAMILY GROUPS.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS VISIT, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTRY PARKS SHOULD BE PRESERVED AS A RECREATIONAL FACILITY FOR THE GROWING POPULATION,
MANY VISITORS WHO CAME TO HONG KONG DID NOT REALISE THAT THE TERRITORY HAD SO MUCH OPEN COUNTRYSIDE, HE SAID, ADDING THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF HONG KONG WAS COUNTRY PARK.
TIME DURING WEEKENDS
NOTING THAT HE SPENT QUITE A LOT OF HIS IN COUNTRY PARKS, SIR DAVID SAID THE WAY IN WHICH THE PARKS WERR MANAGED WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION THAT MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTRY PARKS MIGHT NOT BE DISCUSSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AS THE HRUNG YEE KUK WAS NOT GIVEN A SEAT IN THE COUNCIL, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WERE ALREADY A NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WHO CAME FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES AND WHO DID SPEAK UP ON NT ISSUES.
"THEY WILL I'M SURE, SPEAK UP ON ISSUES CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTRY PARKS, HE ADDED.
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