XN000022-1977-03-05 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1977

POPULATION BOOM IN TAI PO

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PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS IN TAI PO WOULD SWELL THE TOWN'S PRESENT POPULATION OF 40,000 TO 100,000 IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.

LOOKING EVEN FURTHER AHEAD, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE PLANNED EVENTUAL POPULATION OF TAI PO WAS 220,000 PEOPLE - FIVE AND A HALF TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN THE TOWN.

IN FACT, HE SAID, THE PROGRESS WAS ALREADY BEING REFLECTED IN PROPERTY VALUES IN TAI PO, WHICH HAVE RISEN 25 PER CENT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

+THE FACT THAT TAI PO IS RELATIVELY FREE OF CRIME AND HAS A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IS ALSO ATTRACTING MORE AND MORE YOUNG FAMILIES TO THE TOWN, HE SAID.

MR. AKERS-JONES WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY IN WHICH HE UNVEILED A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE TO MARK THE OPENING OF THE TAJ PO RURAL COMMITTEE'S NEW $500,000 TWO-STOREY OFFICE.

HE SAID THE FURTHER LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENTS PLANNED FOR TAI PO WOULD BRING GREATER PROSPERITY AND AMENITIES, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BRING DIFFICULTY AND DISRUPTION.

+BUT I AM SURE THAT THIS CAN BE KEPT TO THE MINIMUM AND RESOLVED THROUGH MUTUAL CO-OPERATION AND WE RELY VERY MUCH ON THE RURAL COMMITTEE TO ACHIEVE THIS,+ HE SAID.

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE TAI PO RURAL COMMITTEE, SINCE IT WAS FORMED IN 1959, HAD MADE SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS

IMPROVING THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF TAI PO.

+NOW BECAUSE OF THE VAST DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN TAI PO, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE AN OFFICE OF ITS OWN.

+I BELIEVE THAT WITH THE OPENING OF THIS OFFICE, THE RURAL COMMITTEE WILL PROVIDE AN EVEN GREATER SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS, HE SAID.

WATER CUT ***

WATER SUPPLY TO CERTAIN PREMISES IN ABERDEEN WILL BE TURNED OFF FOR EIGHT HOURS FROM 10 P.M. FROM MONDAY (MARCH 7) TO ENABLE STAFF OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A FRESH WATER TEE AT TIN WAN STREET AT THE JUNCTION OF SHEK PAI WAN ROAD.

THE AFFECTED AREA IS BOUNDED BY TIN WAN HILL ROAD, KA WO STREET, TIN WAN CLOSE, TANG FUNG STREET, NOS. 43-103 SHEK PAI WAN ROAD, NOS. 1-20 TIN WAN STREET AND NO. 25 HING WO STREET.

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