XN000022-1976-04-07 — Page 14

Wednesday, April 7, 1976

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DEVELOPMENT OF N.T. GATHERING MOMENTUM

Vast sums of public and private money are being spent in the New

Territories and expenditure on the New Towns is gathering momentum, Mr. David

Akers-Jones, Secretary for the New Territories, said today.

Speaking during the resumed Budget Debate in the Legislative Council,

Mr. Akers-Jones said that #100 million was spent on the New Towns in 1973, $260 mil

million in 1974, $450 million last year and $600 million would be spent this

year.

"But it is important," he said, "that areas other than the New Towns

are not left behind. Engineering reports on these other towns and large

villages are now coming in and a programme of development for Tai Po, Yuen

Long, Lantau and Sai Kung is being drawn up which will lead to individual

projects being submitted for public works expenditure."

Indeed, he went on, some proposals for a reclamation at Tai Po and

roads and other works at Sai Kung would be put forward for urgent consideration

during the next few months. At Tai Po, it was important to proceed quickly

with urban development to match the growth of the industrial estate, to clear

up the "shameful conditions" of the boat squatters at Yuen Chau Tsai and to

provide land for private development in which there was very keen interest.

"In 1974, we were worried about the slow rate of industrial development

at Tuen Mun," Mr. Akers-Jones said. "Now, it is tending to get ahead of the

housing. There are at present ten factories being built and more than 30

applications for the 200,000 square feet of land not yet in the hands of

industrial developers."

/At Sha Tin