XN000022-1980-02-16 — Page 4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1980

- 3

REMOTE ISLANDERS TO GET NEW PIER

******

THE GOVERNMENT HAS COME TO THE AID OF A REMOTE VILLAGE COMMUNITY AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF CHI MA WAN PENINSULA ON LANTAU ISLAND WHICH HAS A TRANSPORT PROBLEM.

THE VILLAGERS AT MONG TUNG WAN WILL HAVE A NEW PIER FOR +KAIDOS+ BY WHICH THEY TRANSPORT THEIR FARM PRODUCE AND GOODS DAILY TO AND FROM CHEUNG CHAU. IT WILL BE BUILT WITH A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY.

THE NEW PIER WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING JETTY WHICH HAS BEEN DECLARED DANGEROUS.

A THREE-FOOT PATH ACROSS HILLY TERRAIN THROUGH THE SOUTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARK TO HAM TIN IS THE VILLAGERS ONLY ROUTE TO OTHER PARTS OF LANTAU. HOWEVER, THE NARROWNESS OF THE PATH MAKES TRANSPORTATION VERY DIFFICULT.

LOCAL VILLAGERS APPLIED IN 1976 FOR ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE THE FOOTPATH BUT THE APPLICATION WAS TURNED DOWN DUE TO OBJECTIONS BY THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY.

IN RESPONSE TO A SECOND REQUEST THE LOCAL DISTRICT OFFICE ARRANGED FOR A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY OF $50 000 TO HELP MEET THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING A NEW PIER TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO CHEUNG CHAU.

THE SUBSIDY COMES FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION'S LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS (LPW) VOTE.

THE ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICER, MR NICKY LO, SAID MONG TUNG WAN FORMERLY HAD A POPULATION OF 84, BUT IN VIEW OF ITS LOCATION AND TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES MANY OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE MOVED FURTHER INLAND TO HAM TIN OR PUI O OVER THE YEARS.

HE SAID TO ENSURE SAFE TRAVEL FOR THE VILLAGERS, THE NEW PIER NEEDED TO BE BUILT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN PLACE OF THE ONE THEY HAD BEEN USING.

THE PIER WILL COST $80 000. WITH THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY OF $50 000, THE VILLAGERS HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO MEET THE REMAINDER OF THE COST THEMSELVES.

MR LO SAID THE VILLAGERS' CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE PROJECT WAS COMPATIBLE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LPW SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN IMPROVING THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS.

TENDERS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PIER WILL BE INVITED IN JUNE. WORK WILL START SHORTLY AFTERWARDS AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

14