XN000022-1980-07-09 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1980

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+WE AWAIT EAGERLY THE PUBLICATION OF REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE OTHER THREE PARA-MEDICAL PROFESSIONS ALREADY BROUGHT WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE BILL.

+ IT IS FAIR TO ASSUME THAT THIS EAGERNESS IS SHARED BY PERSONS PRACTISING THESE PROFESSIONS, WHO MUST BE ANXIOUS TO KNOW THE MANNER IN WHICH THEIR RESPECTIVE PROFESSIONS WILL BE REGULATED, MR WONG ADDED.

LEGISLATION ON BUILDING TRANSMISSION LINES APPROVED

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LEGISLATION TO ENABLE THE POWER COMPANIES TO CONSTRUCT TRANSMISSION LINES IN OR OVER PRIVATE LAND WAS OBJECTED TO BY THE HON CHARLES YEUNG WHEN IT WAS PASSED AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE SECOND READING OF THE ELECTRICITY NETWORKS (STATUTORY EASEMENTS) BILL, MR YEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A SENSIBLE BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC INTEREST AND MINORITY RIGHTS ACCORDING TO THE TIME-HONOURED PRINCIPLE OF A GOOD GOVERNMENT AND WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF THE BRITISH INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

THEREFORE, HE SAID, IT WAS MOST SURPRISING TO NOTE WHAT THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT HAD SAID IN HIS SPEECH THAT THE ROUTE OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES OF THE TWO NEW POWER STATIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COST WERE +MATTERS OF CONCERN TO THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS TO THE POWER COMPANIES.+

+CERTAINLY THE CONCERNS OF THE INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS, THE GENERAL INHABITANTS AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE NO LESS THAN THOSE OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE POWER COMPANIES,+ MR YEUNG MAINTAINED, AS THESE PEOPLE WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE BLOW OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESPOLIATION AND ECONOMIC DEPRECIATION WHEN THEY FIND HUGE PYLONS OF 150 FEET HIGH WITH A BASE OF A FEW THOUSAND SQUARE FEET RISING IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THEIR VILLAGES AND HOUSES, STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR LAND AND A CLUSTER OF ROPE-LIKE WIRES CHARGED WITH 400KY ELECTRICITY SLUNG OVER THEIR HEADS.+

HE SAID THAT HE SUPPORTED THE INTENTION OF THE BILL INSOFAR AS IT WOULD ENABLE THE POWER COMPANIES, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, TO ACQUIRE STATUTORY EASEMENTS AND RIGHT OF ACCESS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE NETWORKS WHICH ONCE CONSTRUCTED ARE VERY INFLEXIBLE FOR LOCAL MINOR RE-ADJUSTMENTS.

BUT HE REFUTED THE PROPOSAL THAT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE NETWORKS SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AND OBJECTIONS TO THE ROUTING AND THE MANNER OF RUNNING THE LINES.

HE CONSIDERED THE REASONS GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY +ARE UNTENABLE AND DO NOT JUSTIFY THE DEPARTURE FROM THE BASIC LEGAL PRINCIPLE OF NATURAL JUSTICE AND THE DEPRIVATION OF A CITIZEN'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.+

/+AS IT