XN000022-1978-03-03 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1978

REFERRING TO SOUTH LANTAU, PR. AKERS-JONES DESCRIBED IT AS CKE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AREAS IN HONG KONG AND SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ENDEAVOURING TO ENSURE THAT IT REMAINED SO.

+BEHIND THE CCAST, A COUNTRY PARK IS TO EE CREATED, WHICH WILL INCLUDE ALL THE MOUNTAIN AREAS. AT CHEUNG SHA, WITH ITS LONG AND SA. DY BEACH, FACILITIES FOR BATHERS AND CAMPERS ARE BEING PROVIDED.«

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID LANTAU HAD CHANGED VERY LITTLE FOR PERHAPS HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND IT WAS ONLY IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS THAT A MOMENTUM HAD DEVELOPED.

NOW THE ROAD ALONG THE SOUTH LANTAU COAST WAS BEING STEADILY IMPROVED, AT A COST OF $35 MILLION, TO PROVIDE A TWO-LANE, SAFE HIGHWAY BETWEEN ONE END OF THE ISLAND AND THE OTHER," HE SAID.

+A REGULAR BUS SERVICE NOW RUNS ON THE ISLAND FROM THE FERRY AT MUI WO TO THE MONASTERY AT NGONG PING AND TO THE SMALL TOM OF TAI C.+

ON PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES, 1R. AKERS-JONES SAID PREL IMINARY WORK HAD BEGU!! ON BUILDING THE LANDING PIERS AT DISCOVERY BAY AS A PRECEDENT TO FULL SCALE DEVELOPMENT.

HE DESCRIBED DISCOVERY BAY AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PRIVATE PROJECTS EVER UNDERTAKEN IN HONG KONG AND SAID THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING THE SURROUNDING HILLS COVERED AN AREA OF ABOUT 900 ACRES.

+PLANS INCLUDE A GOLF COURSE, A HOTEL, RECREATIONAL ACCOMMODATION FOR UP TO 20,000 PEOPLE, AND A FULL RANGE OF RESORT AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES,+ HE SAID.

TO THE SOUTH OF THE ISLAND, FACING CHEUNG CHAU, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE RESORT AREA KNOWN AS THE SEA RANCH WAS ALREADY WELL ABOVE THE GROUND. IT WOULD CONSIST OF 152 APARTMENTS, OF WHICH HALF HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD.

HE SAID PRISONERS OF THE VARIOUS PRISONS DEPARTMENT INSTITUTIONS ON LANTAU HAD ALSO DONE MUCH OVER THE YEARS TO PLANT TREES AND TO COMPLETE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ISLAND.

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