XN000022-1976-05-21 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1976

+THE NEW TOWNS ARE BOUND TO INHERIT MANY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF THE URBAN AREA, SUCH AS THE PROLIFERATION OF UNLICENSED HAWKERS, DUMPING OF REFUSE, ILLEGAL PARKING.

+THE AIM, HOWEVER, IS TO ATTEMPT WHERE POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THESE ACTIVITIES FROM THE OUTSET AND IN THE 'NEWER' NEW TOWNS OF SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN A PARTICULAR EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO PREVENT ABUSES OF LEASE CONDITIONS IN NEW MULTI-STOREY COMMERCIAL/ RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.+

THEREFORE, HE SAID THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES STRONGLY FELT THAT UNLESS SUCH MEASURES WERE TAKEN FROM THE OUTSET, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE SITUATION LATER WHEN THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT HAS INCREASED.

IN CONCLUSION, MR. WIGGHAM SAID THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW TOWN PROJECTS SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED - IN THE SPACE OF A FEW SHORT YEARS, SMALL RURAL COMMUNITIES WERE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO SELF-SUFFICIENT SATELLITE TOWNS WITH POPULATIONS OF HALF A MILLION OR MORE.

+BUT I BELIEVE GOVERNMENT IS NOW, ORGANISATIONALLY SPEAKING, BETTER EQUIPPED TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES THAN HITHERTO AND WE ARE STILL EVOLVING. WE NEED BODIES OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT ALSO TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING TOWNSHIPS SO THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER IN TANDEM, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE BUILDING UP OF THESE NEW COMMUNITIES WILL BE SOMETHING OF WHICH HONG KONG WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL PROUD, HE SAID.

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