XN000022-1975-10-22 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1975

DEVELOPMENT OF N.T. APPLAUDED

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THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG WELCOMED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AS PART OF A LARGER METROPOLIS INTEGRATING THE URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, BUT EMPHASISED THE NEED TO MAINTAIN GOOD COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH ALL PARTS OF IT.

HE ENVISAGED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWNS WOULD MEAN THAT THE HERITAGE OF NATURAL BEAUTY WOULD BE SHARED BY ALL, AS PART AND PARCEL OF A GREAT METROPOLIS.

+SOON THERE WON'T BE ANY DIVISION OF THE PEOPLE INTO THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND OTHERS, THEY ARE BEING INTEGRATED INTO ONE, HE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

EACH OF THE NEW TOWNS, WITH THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE OF ROADS, DRAINS, INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, HE SAID, WOULD CONTRIBUTE IN SOME UNIQUE WAYS TO THE WELLBEING OF THE METROPOLIS

LAND FOR HOUSING TO MAKE CONDITIONS OF LIVING LESS INTOLERABLE, INDUSTRIAL ESTATES, CONTAINER PORTS, A SECOND UNIVERSITY, EACH SURROUNDED BY COUNTRY PARKS.

+A VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THIS CONCEPT,+ HE SAID, +IS THAT THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO CIRCULATE FREELY AND AMPLY THROUGH ALL PARTS OF IT.+

HE WAS GRATIFIED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHARED THE CONCEPT OF GOOD COMMUNICATIONS AND CITED AS EXAMPLES THE NETWORK OF HIGHWAYS AND FLYOVERS LINKING KWUN TONG AND KWAI CHUNG, THE SECOND LION ROCK TUNNEL, AND THE DOUBLE TRACKING OF THE RAILWAY TO SHA TIN.

HE WAS ALSO PLEASED WITH THE RAPID EXPANSION OF TELEPHONE AND POSTAL SERVICES AND THE RAPID FERRY SERVICES BETWEEN TSUEN WAN AND CENTRAL AND BETWEEN KWUN TONG AND CENTRAL.

+TOMORROW I SEE THE SECOND BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL, THE HIGHWAY TO CONNECT SHATIN WITH TSUEN WAN, THE COASTAL HIGHWAY FROM THE NEW RACE COURSE TO THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IN TAI PO, THE TUNNEL TO ABERDEEN, THE BRIDGE TO LEI YUE MUN, THE CUT OUT OF THE BOTTLENECK IN TSUEN WAN WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LINK BETWEEN KWAI CHUNG ROAD AND TUEN MUN ROAD.+

NONE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, MR. CHEUNG SAID, WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE VERY CLOSE COLLABORATION EXISTING BETWEEN THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE FINANCE BRANCH, AND THE SPECIAL DUTIES DIVISION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.

MR. CHEUNG WELCOMED THE RECENT DECISION TO GIVE FAIR COMPENSATION TO OWNERS OF LAND REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPMENT AND OBSERVED THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAD BEEN FORTUNATE IN THE COMMISSIONERS AND NOW SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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