XN000022-1980-08-20 — Page 3

2

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20,

AUGUST 20, 1980

REGIONAL OFFICES MUST THEREFORE BE PROGRESSIVELY STAFFED BY OFFICERS WITH SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE, AUTHORITY AND RESOURCES TO SOLVE LOCAL PROBLEMS.

THERE WOULD BE IMPLICATIONS TOO FOR THE WAY IN WHICH DEPARTMENTS WERE ORGANISED WITH A NEW EMPHASIS ON A REGIONAL OR DISTRICT BASE.

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, SOME, LIKE THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION ITSELF, THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WERE ALREADY LARGELY SO DEPLOYED.

OTHERS WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST AND THIS WOULD TAKE TIME BUT IT MUST HAPPEN AND WAS HAPPENING.

FOR INSTANCE THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY SET UP THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS AN INDEPENDENT COMPONENT WITH REGIONAL OFFICERS APPOINTED AT THE LEVEL OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

SIMILARLY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN REORGANISED ON A REGIONAL BASIS.

+ BUT ALL DEPARTMENTS WHOSE ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY IMPINGE UPON THE DAILY LIFE OF PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT HAVE BEEN ASKED TO EXAMINE HOW THEY CAN ADAPT THEMSELVES TO THIS NEW ORDER, SO THAT THEY WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION BOTH TO RECEIVE AND TO RESPOND TO THE ADVICE AND REQUESTS OF THE RESIDENTS OF EACH DISTRICT QUICKLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

SIR MURRAY SAID IN THE SHORT TIME SINCE HE HAD ATTENDED THE 1978 INAUGURATION THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD VISIBLY QUICKENED, SO MUCH SO THAT THERE WAS HARDLY A PLACE IN THE LOWLAND AREAS WHICH WAS NOT AFFECTED.

IT WAS NOW NOT SUFFICIENT MERELY TO TALK OF OUR THREE NEW TOWNS BECAUSE THE SWEEP OF DEVELOPMENT EXTENDED TO TAI PO, FANLING AND YUEN LONG, AND AT ALL THESE PLACES WORK WAS IN PROGRESS ON LAND RECLAMATION, HOUSING ESTATES AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

+ IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THE FAR-REACHING EFFECT THESE DENSELY POPULATED URBAN CENTRES WILL HAVE ON THE SURROUNDING LOW-LYING LAND YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS INITIATED DEVELOPMENT AND LANDSCAPE STUDIES BY SPECIALIST CONSULTANTS AND THESE REPORTS WILL BE A GREAT HELP IN DETERMINING FUTURE MEASURES TO PLAN THE WAY THESE LOW-LYING AREAS SHOULD THEMSELVES DEVELOP= HOW WE SHOULD PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE MOST VALUABLE AND BEAUTIFUL FEATURES OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT - THE HILLS, TREES AND VILLAGES- HOW THE ORDERLY EXPANSION OF VILLAGES MAY TAKE PLACE- AND THE NEED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO REDUCE POLLUTION OF THE LAND AND WATERCOURSES, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

IN THIS CONNECTION, HE SAID, HE WAS GLAD THAT THE KUK CHAIRMAN, MR LAU WONG-FAT, HAD MADE HIS CASE FOR MORE ACTIVE ATTENTION TO BE PAID TO VILLAGE EXTENSION AREAS.

THE SMALL HOUSE POLICY WAS FORMULATED TO HELP VILLAGERS IN NEED TO BUILD HOUSES FOR THEMSELVES.

THE LANDSCAPE