XN000022-1977-03-09 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1977

+APART FROM THESE, SITES WILL ALSO BE FORMED FOR PRIVATE VILLAGE TYPE DEVELOPMENT SO THAT TAI O CAN EXPAND NATURALLY.

+HAND IN HAND WITH PROVISION OF RURAL HOUSING IS THE NEED TO PROVIDE RELATED COMMUNITY FACILITIES LIKE SCHOOLS, MARKETS, COMMUNITY CENTRES, MINI-SOCCER PITCHES. ALL THESE FACILITIES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE TAI O DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

CHEUNG CHAU DEVELOPMENT WILL CATER FOR A POPULATION OF 38,000 COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT FIGURE OF ABOUT 30,000.

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WILL PROVIDE :-

* AN EXTENSIVE RATIONALIZATION OF THE WATERFRONT THROUGH

RECLAMATION TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PROMENADE AND A COASTAL ROAD.

*

*

*

THE SETTING UP OF GREEN BELT AREAS TO PREVENT OVER-DEVELOPMENT.

RURAL PUBLIC HOUSING OF THREE TO FOUR STOREYS FOR 5,000 PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS ON THE ISLAND.

THE PROVISION OF WORK SHOPS AND VILLAGE TYPE HOUSING AREAS SO THAT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING PROVIDED FOR.

MR. TSUI SAID THE FIRST STAGE OF THE CHEUNG CHAU DEVELOPMENT PLAN WOULD START LATER THIS YEAR WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING RURAL PUBLIC HOUSING FOR 1,200 PEOPLE IN THE FIRST STAGE, RECLAMATION FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIES TO RE-ACCOMMODATE THE PRESENT BOAT-BUILDING AND REPAIRING YARDS, A CENTRAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN AND AN INCINERATOR FOR SOLID WASTE, A SECONDARY SCHOOL AND VILLAGE TYPE HOUSES.

HE SAID THE TOTAL COST OF THE SITE FORMATION WOULD BE AROUND $18.4 MILLION WITH THE SITES READY IN TWO YEARS TIME.

MR. TSUI SAID THAT WHILE PLANS AND FUNDS HAD NOT BEEN FINALLY APPROVED FOR PENG CHAU DEVELOPMENT, IT WOULD BE ALONG SIMILAR LINES TO THAT IN LANTAU AND CHEUNG CHAU,

MR. TSUI SAID : +WHILST THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE RURAL TOWNSHIPS CAN IN NO WAY BE COMPARED WITH THE NEW TOWNS OR MARKET TOWNS, THEY DO NEVERTHELESS OFFER A VERY ATTRACTIVE WAY OF LIFE WHICH CANNOT BE FOUND EASILY IN HIGHLY URBANISED DEVELOPMENT. THE RURAL TOWNSHIPS PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THOSE WHO WEARY OF LIVING IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS.+

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