XN000022-1979-10-20 — Page 3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1979.

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TAI MEI TUX COUNTRY PARK INFORMATION CENTRE OPENS

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THE FIRST COUNTRY PARK VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE OPENED TODAY (SATURDAY) AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PLOVER COVE COUNTRY PARK AT TAI MEI TUK.

A SECOND VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE WILL BE OPENED AT ABERDEEN COUNTRY PARK NEXT MONTH AND MORE ARE PLANNED FOR OTHER COUNTRY PARKS.

AT THE OPENING CEREMONY TODAY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, MR. STEPHEN WONG YUEN-CHEUNG SAID THAT THE KUK WAS IN FAVOUR OF COUNTRY PARKS PROVIDED THAT THE TRADITIONAL RIGHTS OF LOCAL PEOPLE IS LOOKED AFTER.

HE SAID THAT IT WAS ALSO NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FACILITIES AND SERVICES IN COUNTRY PARKS SO THAT THE PLACE WOULD NOT BE POLLUTED AND THAT THE VISITORS WERE PROPERLY GUIDED AND EDUCATED. THIS WAS TO ENSURE THAT VISITORS WOULD RESPECT THE PROPERTIES OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.

+I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE BY THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY IN THESE DIRECTIONS. A WELL DESIGNED TOILET/REFRESHMENT KIOSK HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED NEAR THE PLOVER COVE DAM AND I AM PLEASED TO LEARN THAT LOCAL VILLAGERS WERE GIVEN PRIORITY IN TENDERING FOR THE OPERATION OF THIS KIOSK,+ SAID MR. WONG.

THE PLOVER COVE COUNTRY PARK IS THE MOST POPULAR OF THE 21 PARKS MANAGED BY THE AUTHORITY. LAST YEAR MORE THAN 1.15 MILLION VISITORS WERE RECORDED IN THE AREA REPRESENTING 22.6 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS TO HONG KONG'S COUNTRY PARKS.

THE VISITORS INFORMATION CENTRE AT TAI MEI TUK CONSISTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF HISTORICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE PLOVER COVE AND ADJOINING PAT SIN LENG COUNTRY PARKS.

THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY, MR. TED NICHOLS ALSO ATTENDED THE OPENING OF THE CENTRE. HE STRESSED THAT THE COUNTRYSIDE EDUCATION PROGRAMME IS PART OF THE COUNTRY PARKS DEVELOPMENT.

+ITS PURPOSE IS TO ENABLE THE VISITORS TO KNOW THE LAND, WATER, PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE AREA THEY VISIT TO APPRECIATE THEIR

IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO PROMOTE A DESIRE TO CONSERVE THESE VALUABLE RESOURCES.

+A VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE, LIKE THIS ONE, IS AN IMPORTANT FACILITY TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, SAID MR. NICHOLS.

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