XN000022-1977-09-25 — Page 2

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1977

$2,400 MILLION TO BE SPENT ON THREE NT TOWNS

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND NEARLY $2,400 MILLION DEVELOPING THE MARKET TOWNS OF TAI PO, FANLING AND SHEK WU HUI OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, AN ASSISTANT TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. THOMAS TSO, SAID TODAY.

TAI PO IS GETTING THE BIGGEST SLICE OF THE DEVELOPMENT FUND - ABOUT $1,077 MILLION - WHILE $900 MILLION IS EARMARKED FOR SHEK WUI HUT AND $412 MILLION FOR FANLING, HE SAID.

MR. TSO WAS SPEAKING OF THE GENERAL DEVELOPMENT OF TAI PO DISTRICT ON THE SECOND EDITION OF RTHK'S NEWS MAGAZINE PROGRAMME +NEW TERRITORIES WEEKLY+,

HE SAID THAT UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, THE POPULATION OF TAJ PO WOULD INCREASE ALMOST 10-FOLD, FROM THE PRESENT 28,000 TO 200,000, AND THAT OF FANLING FROM 50,000 TO 170,000.

+TO ENSURE THAT THE AREAS ARE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT BOTH PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENTS MOVE AT ABOUT THE SAME PACE, HE SAID.

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THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE FOR TAI PO TAI YUEN ESTATE IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY 1980. LAND FORMATION IS ALREADY COMPLETED AND PILING WORK IS ABOUT TO START, HE SAID.

FOR FANLING AND SHEUNG SHUI, MR. TSO SAID, IT IS PLANNED THAT THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE WILL BE FINISHED BY 1981.

+AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IN TAI PO EITHER THROUGH AUCTIONS OR EXCHANGES OF LAND, AND MANY PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, + HE SAID.

+OF COURSE, THERE ARE ALSO PLANS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR HOSPITALS, PLAYGROUNDS, COMMUNITY CENTRES AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES, HE SAID.

MR. TSO SAID THAT IN ORDER TO FACILITATE RAPID DEVELOPMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SMOOTH TRAFFIC BETWEEN URBAN KOWLOON AND TAI PO DISTRICT.

TO THIS END, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON A MAJOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT ́ SCHEME WHICH FEATURES A COASTAL ROAD BEING BUILT FROM SHA TIN TO TAI PO, WITH A DISTRIBUTORY ROAD LEAD ING FROM TAL PC TO FANLING.

ON THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, MR. TSO SAID THE FIRST PHASE RECLAMATION WAS COMPLETED AND THE SECOND PHASE HAS JUST STARTED.

THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, IS EXPECTED TO CREATE JOBS FOR 8,000 TO 10,000 PEOPLE ON FULL DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

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