XN000022-1975-01-29 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1975

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HOUSING AUTHORITY MAY PROVIDE HOMES

FOR WORKERS OF NEW FACTORIES IN TUEN MUN

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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO ASSIST NEW INDUSTRIALISTS IN TUEN MUN BY PROVIDING ACCOMMODATION FOR THEIR WORKERS DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID.AKERS-JONES, WHEN HE OFFICIALLY OPENED THE NEW PREMISES OF THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT OFFICE.

HE SAID THE PROPOSED SCHEME HAD BEEN AGREED ONLY IN PRINCIPLE AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO GIVE DETAILS AT THIS STAGE.

ON THE OPENING OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID IT MARKED THE GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION OF TUEN MUN AS A SEPARATE ENTITY, AND PUT THE DEVELOPMENT FORMALLY ON COURSE TOWARDS THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING A TOWNSHIP OF HALF A MILLION PEOPLE IN THE YEARS TO COME.

ON THE QUESTION OF LAND SALE IN THE AREA, HE SAID SOME OF THE LAND WOULD BE SOLD BY TENDER AND THE POTENTIAL APPLICANT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GIVE DETAILS OF HIS INDUSTRIAL PROCESS AND FINANCIAL BACKING SO THAT WORTHWHILE DEVELOPMENT AFTER PURCHASE COULD BE ASSURED.

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THAT OVER ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF LAND HAD BEEN SOLD TO INDUSTRIALISTS, AND A NUMBER OF FACTORIES HAD ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED OR WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IT WAS EXPECTED THAT A FURTHER 350,000 SQ. FT. OF LAND WOULD BE DISPOSED OF THIS YEAR.

*THE AIM ALL ALONG HAS BEEN TO DEVELOP TUEN MUN AS A SELF- CONTAINED INDUSTRIAL TOWN,+ MR. AKERS-JONES SAID, AND STEADY PROGRESS IS BEING MADE TOWARDS THIS.+

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