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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1992
IN SITU EMPLOYMENT IN NEW TOWNS PURSUED
ONE OF THE MAIN CONCEPTS IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS IS TO ACHIEVE A LARGE MEASURE OF "SELF-CONTAINMENT" INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE WORKING POPULATION, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.
AND
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT LANDS, MR A.G. EASON, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON GILLERT LEUNG KAM-HO IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
WITH
MR EASON SAID THIS WAS NORMALLY DONE IN THE PLAN-MAKING PROCESS THROUGH THE RESERVATION OF INDUSTRIAL LAND IN ACCORDANCE DESIGN POPULATION.
"HOWEVER, DUE TO A NUMBER OF REASONS NOT RELATED ΤΟ TOWN PLANNING, THE NEW TOWNS ARE TO SOME EXTENT STILL DEPENDENT ON THE OLDER URBAN AREAS FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES," HE SAID.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE RATE OF "IN SITU EMPLOYMENT" IS ROUGHLY 50 PER CENT AND THE PERCENTAGE CAN BE EXPECTED ΤΟ INCREASE AS NEW TOWNS MATURE.
TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF COMMUTING WORKERS, MR EASON SAID THE ADMINISTRATION AIMED TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT TRANSPORT NETWORK FOR THE NEW TOWNS.
THE
THIS INCLUDES THE ELECTRIFICATION AND DOUBLE TRACKING OF KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY (KCR), SEVERAL HIGH CAPACITY HIGHWAYS AND TUNNELS, TO LINK THE NEW TOWNS WITH THE OLDER URBAN AREAS.
A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, INCLUDING BUSES, MINI- BUSES, HOVERCRAFT AND FERRY SERVICES, THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY BETWEEN TSUEN WAN AND URBAN AREAS AND THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG HAVE ALSO BEEN PROVIDED.
HE ADDED THAT FURTHER EXTENSIONS TO TIN SHUI WAI WERE PROPOSED.
"THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR THE NEW TOWNS HAVE ALSO BEEN DEVELOPED IN A MANNER SENSITIVE TO THE DEMAND FOR COMMUTING ΤΟ EMPLOYMENT CENTRES IN THE OLDER URBAN AREAS.
"THERE IS A WELL ESTABLISHED
PLANNING MECHANISM UNDER WHICH THE FIVE-YEAR PLANS OF MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS ARE ROLLED FORWARD ANNUALLY AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE RELEVANT DISTRICT BOARDS, HE SAID.
"I
SINCE
ALSO, THE CAPACITY OF THE KCR HAS EXPANDED SUBSTANTIALLY THE EARLY 80'S TO MEET THE TRAVELLING NEEDS FROM SHA TIN, TAI PO, NORTH DISTRICT AND MORE RECENTLY MA ON SHAN.
/FURTHERMORE, THERE