XN000022-1980-04-06 — Page 6

5.

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 1980

TO UNDERTAKE, USING PUBLIC FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSE:

(1) MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN

THE DISTRICT-

11) THE PROMOTION OF RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL

ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

THE LARGEST DAB IS TSUEN WAN WHICH NOW HAS 32 MEMBERS. YUEN LONG HAS 23 MEMBERS AND SAI KUNG 20.

THE DAB BUDGET FOR 1978/79 WAS $3.7 MILLION AND FOR 1979/80 WAS $4.5 MILLION. IT HAS BEEN INCREASED TO $6.148 MILLION FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, SAID THE DABS HAD DONE A GREAT DEAL OF VALUABLE WORK IN THE COMPARATIVELY SHORT TIME THEY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED. +1 AM SURE THE NEW FACES WILL HELP TO FURTHER THIS WORK, HE SAID,

PORT TELECOMMUNICATION STREAMLINED

***

A NEW CONSOLE SYSTEM FOR TELECOMMUNICATION HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT THE MARINE DEPARTMENT'S PORT COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE TO STREAMLINE

ITS OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES.

BUILT AT A COST OF $50 000, THE NEW SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THREE INTER-CONNECTED CONSOLES DESIGNED TO FACILITATE BETTER AND FASTER TELECOMMUNICATION WITH SHIPPING BOTH APPROACHING AND IN HONG KONG WATERS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID ONE OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW SYSTEM IS THAT IT WILL CENTRALISE OUR VHF (VERY HIGH FREQUENCY) RADIO-TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION WITH VESSELS IN THE HARBOUR AND ITS APPROACHES, HE SAID.

AN INTER-CONNECTED SELECTOR IN THE SYSTEM IS CAPABLE OF TRANSFERRING CALLS FROM ONE CONSOLE TO ANOTHER AND THIS SAVES DUTY OFFICERS A LOT OF TROUBLE IN MOVING AROUND TO COMMUNICATE WITH SHIPPING.

THE NEW CONSOLE SYSTEM HAS ALSO INCORPORATED AN +AUTO-ANNOUNCER + TO TRANSMIT MESSAGE TO VESSELS ON WEATHER, TRAFFIC AND

NAVIGATION.

+THE DEVICE IS CAPABLE OF AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING PRE- RECORDED MESSAGES AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS, AND AFFORDS STAFF MORE TIME TO ATTEND TO RELATED DUTIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

APART FROM MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH VESSELS IN HONG KONG WATERS, THE PORT COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE HAS INTERNATIONAL TELEX LINKS WITH OTHER MAJOR PORTS AND CITIES.

/THE CENTRE