XN000022-1979-01-11 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1979

TSUEN WAN COMMUNITY STRONGER, MORE SELF-CONFIDENT, SAYS TOWN MANAGER

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THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LOCAL ADMINISTRATION HAD STRENGTHENED THE NEW TOWN'S COMMUNITY AND INCREASED ITS SELF-CONFIDENCE.

AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID, THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WAS NOW MORE CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING AND DEALING WITH LOCAL PROBLEMS.

HE TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE TSUEN WAN ROTARY CLUB THAT MORE CHANNELS OF DIRECT COMMUNICATION NOW EXISTED BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE LOCAL PEOPLE THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TWO TOWN MANAGEMENT OFFICES AND THE OPENING OF THREE MORE PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRES.

MR. HAYES ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE NOW 121 +UNOFFICIALS+ SERVING ON THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, ITS SIX SUB- COMMITTEES AND ON THE NEW TOWN'S SEVEN AREA COMMITTEES.

+THROUGH SUCH CONTACTS, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A GOOD AND GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY,+ HE SAID.

MR. HAYES SAID THE GROWTH OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE TOWN WAS REFLECTED BY THE ENTHUSIASM TO ESTABLISH AND SUCCESSFULLY RUN MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN TSUEN WAN'S MANY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.

+TWO YEARS AGO THERE WERE JUST OVER 200 MAC'S BUT NOW THERE ARE ABOUT 350, ONE OF THE MANY HEALTHY SIGNS THAT OUR TOWN'S PEOPLE HAVE A GREATER AWARENESS OF THEIR OWN SURROUNDINGS AND THE NEEDS OF THEIR NEIGHBOURHOODS, HE ADDED.

EARLIER IN THE DAY, MR. HAYES AND THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE TSUEN WAN PROJECT OFFICE, MR. NORMAN TUCKER, BRIEFED THE VISITING LABOUR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, MR. JACK ASHLEY AND THE RT. HON. ALFRED MORRIS, ON THE LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE TOWN.

THE VISIT WAS HOSTED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO TOOK THE MP'S FROM THEIR CENTRAL HOTEL TO THE TOP OF A 25-STOREY BUILDING IN TSUEN WAN WHERE THEY TOOK A BIRD'S EYEVIEW OF THE PROGRESS ON BUILDING A NEW TOWN FOR NEARLY A MILLION PEOPLE.

MR. AKERS-JONES TOOK MR. ASHLEY AND MR. MORRIS BACK TO CENTRAL BY GOVERNMENT LAUNCH TO GIVE THEM A CLOSE LOOK AT INDUSTRIAL AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ON TSING YI ISLAND AND AT KWAI CHUNG.

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