XN000022-1979-09-28 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1979

TAI PO TO SPLIT INTO TWO DISTRICTS

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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) ANNOUNCED A MAJOR REORGANISATION IN THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE TAI PO DISTRICT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO FURTHER STREAMLINE ITS SERVICES TO THE INCREASING POPULATION.

WITH EFFECT FROM NEXT TUESDAY (OCTOBER 2) THE DISTRICT WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO, EACH UNDER THE CHARGE OF A DISTRICT OFFICER.

KNOWN AS THE TAI PO AND NORTHERN DISTRICTS, THE NEW DIVISION WILL BRING TO EIGHT THE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

MR. NICHOLAS NG WILL TAKE OVER THE NEW TAI PO DISTRICT WHICH WILL EMBRACE TAI PO AND SAI KUNG NORTH, WHILE MR. PETER JOHNSON, FORMERLY TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICER, WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE NORTHERN DISTRICT WHICH WILL COVER FANLING, SHEUNG SHUI, TA KWU LING, SHA TAU KOK AND NEIGHBOURING AREAS.

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. JOHN TODD, SAID TODAY THE CHANGE FORMED AN INTEGRAL PART OF AN OVERALL PLAN TO REORGANISE AND STRENGTHEN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR SERVICES IN THE DEVELOPING AREAS AND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EXISTING SERVICES.

THE FIRST STEP OF THE REORGANISATION CAME IN APRIL THIS YEAR, WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A REGIONAL COMMISSIONER TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS IN THE NORTH-WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

MR. TODD POINTED OUT THAT THE TAI PO DISTRICT HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT YEARS, RESULTING IN A POPULATION BOOST IN THE NEW TOWNS OF TAI PO AND FANL ING/SHEUNG SHUI.

HE SAID, IN VIEW OF EXTENSIVE MODERNISATION, THE GROWTH WILL BE EVEN GREATER IN THE FORTHCOMING YEARS, AND THE POPULATION IN THE TWO NEW TOWNS ALONE ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 220 000 AND 169 000 RESPECTIVELY BY 1988.+

+TO MEET THESE TARGETS, SOME 2 262 HECTARES OF LAND WILL HAVE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR A WHOLE RANGE OF DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING.

→THE WORK INVOLVED IN THE ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND AND THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR NEW RESIDENTS HAVE CALLED FOR A CORRESPONDING STRENGTHENING IN THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY.

+AS TAI PO AND FANLING/SHEUNG SHUI ARE BEING DEVELOPED AS TWO SEPARATE NEW TOWNS EACH WITH ITS OWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXISTING DISTRICT OFFICE WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVELY DISCHARGED FROM TWO SEPARATE OFFICES. MR. TODD ADDED.

/THE NEW