XN000022-1978-06-02 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1978

THERE IS MORE CONCERN WITH ENVIRONMENT NOW,

SAYS ENVIRONMENT BRANCH OFFICIAL

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WE HAVE NOW PROGRESSED TO THE POINT IN HONG KONG WHERE WE ARE MUCH MORE CONCERNED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH WE ARE SHAPING, PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. TONY BENNETT, SAID TODAY.

MR. BENNETT, DELIVERING A PAPER ON GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT TO THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY. SYMPOSIUM, SAID NOT A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT WAS GIVEN TO THE EFFECTS OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT DURING THE EARLY POSTWAR YEARS OF RECOVERY AND INDUSTRIALISATION AND, DURING THE MORE INTENSE RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDING OF THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES LITTLE THOUGHT COULD BE SPARED FOR WHAT AT THAT TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED THE +LUXURY+ OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING.

+WHEN THE EMPHASIS THEN SHIFTED TO THE PROVISION OF MORE AND BETTER HOUSING, SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES, THE PREDOMINANT NEED WAS THAT OF PROVIDING THESE QUICKLY IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY, + MR. BENNETT SAID.

+WE HAVE NOW PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE - WHILE STILL VERY MUCH CONCERNED WITH PROVIDING THESE FACILITIES IN GREAT QUANTITY - NOW MUCH MORE CONCERNED ALSO WITH THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH WE ARE SHAPING,+

THIS CONCERN WAS BEST ILLUSTRATED IN THE NEW TOWNS WHERE WE NOW AIMED TO BUILD BALANCED COMMUNITIES HAVING THE RIGHT MIX OF HOUSING, INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES, AND PROVIDED WITH GOOD TRANSPORT, MORE PLEASANT SURROUNDINGS AND A LITTLE MORE SPACE FOR THE LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL LIVE THERE..

MR. BENNETT CONTINUED: THE MATTER OF SPACE IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. SHORTAGE OF SPACE, DENSITY OF POPULATION, AND EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH LEVELS OF ACTIVITY - PARTICULARLY IN COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE - SEEM TO BE THE FACTORS HAVING THE GREATEST BEARING UPON THE DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG.+

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HE SAID THE COMBINATION OF FACTORS HAVING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BEARING UPON THE DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG THOSE OF A LARGE POPULATION INDULGING IN A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMERCIAL-AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY IN A TERRITORY HAVING EXTREME LIMITATIONS ON SPACE - MUST SURELY LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WAS ALL THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS TO DEVELOP VERY QUICKLY UNLESS WE SET OUT PROPERLY TC MANAGE OUR USE OF THIS SMALL, CROWDED AND BUSY ENVIRONMENT AT A PACE TO MATCH THAT AT WHICH WE WERE EXPLOITING IT.

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MR. BENNETT SPOKE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS WHICH HAD OCCURRED IN THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND EUROPE AND SAID: IT IS FOR THIS KIND OF REASON THAT UST HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE MONITORING SYSTEM IN HONG KONG. APART FACE BEING A MOST EFFECTIVE

FROU MANAGEMENT TOOL TOWARDS FORMING SENSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, IT IS ALSO AN EXTREMELY USEFUL EARLY ARNING SYSTEM. +

/AS TO THE