XN000022-1978-11-15 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1978

9

NT DEVELOPMENT AREAS BEING EXTENDED

******

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY STARTED WORK ON EXTENDING THE ORIGINAL PLANNING BOUNDARIES ON MANY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID AKERS-JONES IN REPLY TO POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS IN THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

HE CITED, AS EXAMPLES OF THE EXTENSION PROGRAMME, SHA TIN, WHERE THE BULLDOZERS HAVE ALREADY STARTED CUTTING INTO THE HILLSIDES OPPOSITE THE SHA TIN RACECOURSE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN NORTHWARDS TO WU KWAI SHA, AND TUEN MUN, WHERE SIMILAR WORK IS BEING CARRIED OUT ON THE ERODED HILLS BETWEEN TAI LAM AND SO KWUN WAT OR THE EXTENSION OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID SIMILAR WORK IS BEING CARRIED OUT AT +MANY OTHER PLACES TOO LONG TO LIST+.

REFERRING TO THE SUGGESTION BY A NUMBER OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO MAKE MORE PRESENT USE OF THE PRIVATE LAND RESERVES IN THE AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SOUNDED A NOTE OF CAUTION ON THE IDEA,

WHILE HE AGREED WITH THE SUGGESTION OF MR. CHARLES YEUNG THAT +WE SHOULD LOOK AROUND PERHAPS EVEN MORE THOROUGHLY AND PLAN AND EXTEND TOWNS LIKE YUEN LONG, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SURROUNDING LAND HAPPENS TO BE LYING LARGELY ABANDONED AND WASTE, HE NEVERTHKELESS DOUBTED WHETHER IT WOULD BE WISE TO EXTEND OURSELVES EVEN FURTHER TO DEVELOP EVEN MORE LAND WITH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS STRETCHED AS IT IS.

HE ADDED: +LET US PLAN, BY ALL MEANS, AND DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN ROLL THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME_FORWARD, FOR HOUSING. FOR INDUSTRY, AND THE OTHER NEEDS OF THE FUTURE AS RESOURCES, IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE WORD, BECOME AVAILABLE TO DO SO.+

HE ALSO CAUTIONED AGAINST SEEING AREAS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND +AS AN EASY WAY OUT TO THE REMOVAL OF TEMPORARY FACTOR IES FROM THE PATH OF PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT.

+THERE MAY BE ODD CASES WHERE THIS CAN BE DONE, BUT WHOLESALE AND HAPHAZARD RESITING OF LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF SQUATTER INDUSTRIES CAN SURELY NOT COMMEND ITSELF AS AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION,+ HE SAID.

+YUEN LONG DRAINS

INTO DEEP BAY, WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE OYSTER INDUSTRY.

+TAI PO DRAINS INTO TOLO HARBOUR, WHERE WE ARE SPEND ING ENORMOUS SUMS OF MONEY ON SEWAGE TREATMENT TO ARREST POLLUTION.

/-IF WE SIMPLY

Page 10Page 11