XN000022-1978-02-04 — Page 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1978

SAI KUNG COUNTRY (EAST AND WEST) PARKS DESIGNATED

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MOST OF THE SAI KUNG PENINSULA - A LAND AREA OF ALMOST 7,500 HECTARES (ABOUT 30 SQUARE MILES) HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS

A COUNTRY PARK.

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THE PENINSULA WILL BE PRESERVED FOR THE PROTECTION OF FLORA AND FAUNA AS WELL AS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC SEEKING RECREATIONAL PURSUITS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARKS, WHICH WERE INSPECTED LAST WEEK BY LADY MACLEHOSE, CONSISTS OF TWO ADJACENT AREAS: SAI KUNG EAST AND WEST.

SAI KUNG EAST (AN AREA OF 4,470 HECTARES) IS IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE PAK TAM CHUNG-KO TONG ROAD AND STRETCHES FROM LONG HARBOUR SOUTHWARDS TO HIGH ISLAND. IT CONSISTS MOSTLY OF WOODS AND GRASSLAND HILLS AND INCLUDES THE AREA OF THE HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR.

SAI KUNG WEST STARTS AT THE WONG CHUK WAN ROUNDABOUT, WHERE THE ROAD LEADS NORTH TO NAI CHUNG AND STRETCHES EASTWARDS TO PAK TAM CHUNG. THIS AREA CONSISTS OF ABOUT 3,000 HECTARES OF WOODLANDS, GRASSLANDS AND THE HIGH ISLAND CATCHMENT AREA AND

INCLUDES 850 HECTARES OF FOREST PLANTATIONS.

THE HIGH ISLAND BARRIER GATE AT TAI MONG TSAI WILL BE MOVED ABOUT ONE KILOMETER EASTWARDS TO PAK TAM CHUNG WHERE A PARKING AREA IS BEING CONSTRUCTED FOR PRIVATE CARS.

IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE REMOTENESS OF THE AREA, ROADWAYS TO THE EAST OF PAK TAM CHUNG WILL ONLY BE USED BY SERVICE VEHICLES AND COUNTRY PARK AUTHORITY PASSENGER VEHICLES.

ALTHOUGH NO PRIVATE VEHICLES WOULD BE ALLOWED BEYOND PAK TAM CHUNG THE AUTHORITY WOULD BE MAKING SPECIAL TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PICNICKERS GOING TO THE LESS ACCESSIBLE AREAS OF THE PARK.

BARBECUE PITS AND PLAY AREAS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ALONG THE ROADS IDE TO PAK TAM CHUNG FOR EASY ACCESS TO VISITORS. MORE PICNIC AREAS AND CAMPSITES ARE TO BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE PARK AREA INCLUDING HIGH ISLAND, WHEN THE RESERVOIR HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

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A COUNTRY PARKS MANAGEMENT CENTRE IS IN OPERATION AT PAK TAM THE CENTRE OF THE TWO PARKS - AND OTHERS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT HOI HA, KEI LING HA AND PAK TAM CHUNG.

AU

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AUTHORITY SAID TODAY THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF WALKS WITHIN THE AREA WHICH PRESENTED COMMANDING VIEWS OF LONG HARBOUR, HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR AND TAI LONG WAN. AND THERE ARE FERRY SERVICES WHICH CAN TAKE VISITORS TO WONG SHEK AND CHEK KENG WITHIN THE LONG HARBOUR AREA.

/NO NEW DEVELOPMENT