XN000022-1977-03-01 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1977

GOVT. SPENDING $348M. ON DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

IN NEW TOWNS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING A STAGGERING $348 MILLION THIS YEAR FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN THE THREE NEW TOWNS OF SHA TIN, TSUEN WAN AND TUEN MUN.

THIS COMPARES WITH $328 MILLION SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

I

THE FIGURES WERE GIVEN TODAY BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES (DEVELOPMENT), MR. JOHN TODD, DURING A TOUR OF THE NEW TOWNS BY 18 COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MR. TODD SAID HE WOULD EXPECT A LOT MORE TO BE SPENT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREE NEW TOWNS.

+A BIG SLICE OF NEXT YEAR'S SPENDING WOULD BE SPENT ON PUBLIC HOUSING, BUT A LOT WOULD ALSO GO INTO DEVELOPING THE NEW TOWNS INTO BALANCED AND SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITIES.

+NEW SCHOOLS WILL BE BUILT, LAND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR NEW FACTOR IES TO GO UP TO CREATE MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED AND ROAD NETWORKS WILL BE IMPROVED TO CATER FOR THE FAST-EXPANDING POPULATION IN THE THREE NEW TOWN AREAS WHICH IS FORECAST TO RISE TO A COMBINED TOTAL OF SOME 780,000 PEOPLE NEXT YEAR, + HE SAID.

MR. TODD ALSO TOLD THE VISITING GROUP THAT LARGE AREAS OF LAND WOULD BE OPENED UP FOR INDUSTRIES IN THE NEW TOWNS SOME 60 HECTARES FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

+THERE WILL BE 12.2 HECTARES AT TUEN MUN, 27.68 HECTARES AT SHA TIN AND 16.10 HECTARES AT TSUEN WAN, EXCLUDING THE TSING YI DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

HEADED BY THE CHAMBER CHAIRMAN, MR. L.W. GORDON, THE GROUP REPRESENTED A WIDE SECTION OF COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL UNDERTAKINGS IN HONG KONG.

ACCOMPANIED BY MR. TODD, THEY SPENT THE WHOLE DAY TOURING TSUEN WAN, SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN AND SEEING FOR THEMSELVES THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS IN THE AREAS.

ON THEIR WAY TO TUEN MUN FROM TSUEN WAN, THEY SAW THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY PROJECT CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WAS WELL UNDERWAY.

DURING THE TOUR, THE GROUP HAD A WORKING LUNCH WITH THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, AT

ISLAND HOUSE, TAI PO, AND WERE LATER BRIEFED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATES.

/+AFTER THE