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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1978

THIS NEW SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX WHICH CONSISTS OF A 50 X 25 METRE MAIN POOL, A 50 X 21 METRE SECONDARY POOL, A 25 X 11 METRE TEACHING AND TRAINING POOL AND A PADDLING POOL FOR CHILDREN, WILL BE HEATED AND USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

MR. WILSON SAID: THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AIMS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN EACH MAJOR POPULATION CENTRE. DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE FAN LING-SHEK WU HUI-LUEN WO HUI AREA CALL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WHAT WILL IN EFFECT BE A NEW TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF 200,000, A SIZABLE COMMUNITY BY ANY STANDARDS. SO APART FROM THIS SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, WE'RE PLANNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF OTHER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES RANGING FROM CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS AND GARDENS TO MAJOR SPORTS VENUES AS PART OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THIS AREA.

+THIS IS ONE ASPECT OF THE PROVISION OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE OTHER AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT ASPECT IS THAT THE FACILITIES PROVIDED SHOULD BE FULLY USED.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH MERELY TO PROVIDE THE VENUE AND TO LEAVE PEOPLE TO USE IT. IT'S ALSO NECESSARY TO GO FURTHER AND PROMOTE THE USE OF THE VENUE. THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT INTENDS TO DO THIS, WORKING IN CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH THE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD AND THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, BY ORGANISING TRAINING SESSIONS, TOURNAMENTS AND COMPETITIONS INVOLVING SCHOOLS, YOUTH GROUPS AND LOCAL SPORTS BODIES AND ASSOCIATIONS, +

A SWIMMING EXHIBITION AND A LIFE-SAVING DEMONSTRATION WERE HELD BY STUDENTS OF NEW TERRITORIES SCHOOLS AND THE HONG KONG LIFE GUARD CLUB TO MARK THE OPENING,

BEFORE OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF THE FANLING SWIMMING POOL, SIR MURRAY TOOK A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE LATEST MULTI- BILLION DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN TAI PO AND FAN LING-SHEK WU HUT. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LADY MACLEHOSE.

SIR MURRAY FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO SAN TAU KOK WHERE HE WAS MET BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, THE TAI PO-FAN LING PROJECT MANAGER, MR. BERNARD NEWMAN AND THE TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. PETER JOHNSON.

THE OFFICIAL PARTY PROCEEDED TO A VANTAGE POINT ABOVE SHUEN WAN OVERLOOKING THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE.

SIR MURRAY WAS BRIEFED ON THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION, MR. LI FOOK-WO AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MR. VICTOR MILLER,

SIR MURRAY THEN WENT ON TO THE ROOF TOP OF MEI TAK BUILDING IN TAI PO WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED BY MR, NEWMAN,

SIR MURRAY WAS TOLD THAT TAI PO AND FAN LING-SHEK WU HUI WILL BE DEVELOPED INTO BALANCED AND SELF-CONTAINED MODERN NEW TOWNS FOR A TOTAL OF 390,000 PEOPLE BY LATE 1980'S.

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