XN000022-1978-06-08 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1978

GOVERNOR VISITS COUNTRY PARKS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE TODAY VISITED THE SAI KUNG, SHING MUN AND SOUTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARKS.

+MY OBJECT TODAY. HE TOLD STAFF OF THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK, +IS TO SATISFY MYSELF THAT THIS NEW AND IMPORTANT SERVICE IS DEVELOPING FAST ENOUGH IN MEN, EQUIPMENT AND BUILDINGS TO DO THE JOB.+

HE SAID: +WITH MORE PEOPLE VISITING THE COUNTRYSIDE YOU WILL NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY ALERT TO THE PROBLEMS OF FIRE, LITTER AND UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT.

+ IF YOU CAN MAINTAIN LAST SEASON'S EXULTANT FIREFIGHTING RECORD YOU WILL DO VERY WELL.+

SIR MURRAY AND THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES MR. TED NICHOLS, LATER PLANTED TWO AMBER MAPLE TREES AT THE NEW KEI LING HA MANAGEMENT CENTRE TO COMMEMORATE THE VISIT.

EARLIER MR. NICHOLS TOLD SIR MURRAY: +1 AM PLEASED TO REPORT TO YOU THAT WE ARE NOW WELL AHEAD OF OUR TARGET DATE FOR DESIGNATION AND ALREADY 11 OF THE 19 COUNTRY PARKS ENVISAGED HAVE BEEN GAZETTED.

+OUR TARGET DATE FOR DESIGNATING ALL 19 COUNTRY PARKS WAS ORIGINALLY 1981 BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT UNFORESEEN OBSTACLES ACCEPTED WE SHOULD ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES SOME TIME NEXT YEAR,+ SAID MR. NICHOLS.

THE GOVERNOR FLEW TO KEI LING HA FOR THE TREE PLANTING CEREMONY AND TRAVELLED BY LANDROVER TO PAK TAM CHUNG, PAK TAM AU AND HOI HA IN THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK.

HE THEN FLEW TO LEADMINE PASS IN THE SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK AND THEN FLEW TO NAM SHAN IN THE LANTAU SOUTH COUNTRY PARK.

AT EACH OF THE STATIONS HE MET DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING OFFICERS AS WELL AS FIRE CREWS, FOREST GUARDS AND ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

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