XN000022-1980-05-24 — Page 3

2

SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1980

SNT OPENS NEW MUI WO FERRY PIER

*****

A NEW FERRY PIER AT MUI WO, LANTAU, WAS PART OF THE CYCLE OF CHANGE ON THE ISLAND, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

MR AKERS-JONES WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE PIER, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT BUILT AND GRANTED TO THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY ON A SHORT TERM TENANCY.

HE SAID THE CYCLE OF CHANGE BEGAN WITH THE BUILDING OF THE SOUTH LANTAU ROAD AND THE RESERVOIR AT SHEK PIK, AND MORE RECENTLY NEW HOUSING TO REPLACE MANY OF THE TIN AND WOODEN SHEDS AT TAI 0.

NEXT TO BE BUILT, ON LAND CLOSE TO THIS PIER, WOULD BE A MODERN SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE ISLANDS OF LANTAU AND PING CHAU AND THEREAFTER IT WAS HOPED TO FIND THE MEANS WHEREBY IN CO-OPERATION WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS THE UNTIDY MARKET AT MUI WO COULD BE CLEANED UP,

+A STATUTORY PLAN WILL BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY WHICH DESCRIBES IN BROAD OUTLINE LAND USES FOR THE SOUTH OF THE ISLAND, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

+THESE PROPOSALS LARGELY MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP THE RECREATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE ISLAND AND PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE NATURAL BEAUTY WHICH IS ENJOYED YEARLY BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.+

ALL THESE WERE PART OF A PROCESS OF CHANGE THAT MANY OF US WOULD LIKE TO ARREST, BUT WE HAD TO BE REALISTIC AND FACE THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF OUR EVER-EXPANDING POPULATION AND TRY TO CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT ALONG BROADLY ACCEPTABLE LINES.

+LET ME, THEN, WELCOME THE OPENING OF THIS PIER WITH ITS VASTLY IMPROVED FACILITIES I HOPE THE FERRY COMPANY WILL FIND SATISFACTION IN USING IT, AND THAT VISITORS TO LANTAU WILL ENJOY THIS BETTER SERVICE. FINALLY, LET ME MAKE A PLEA TO ALL WHO LIVE ON AND COME TO THIS ISLAND TO CO-OPERATE IN EVERY WAY TO PRESERVE THIS VERY BEAUTIFUL NATURAL ASSET FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THE NEW PIER REPLACES THE OLD ONE WHICH WAS 13 YEARS OLD. THE TWO-STOREY BUILDING OCCUPYING A TOTAL AREA OF ABOUT 2 000 SQUARE METRES HAS A SPACIOUS WAITING ROOM AND SPECIAL GANGWAYS FOR VEHICLES.

WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW PIER, THE ADJACENT BUS CONCOURSE AREA ALSO CAME INTO OPERATION.

/3