XN000022-1981-01-26 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1981

+OUR AIM IN THE NEW TOWNS IS TO PROVIDE A BETTER LIVING ENVIRONMENT AND NOT MERELY A MORE EXTENSIVE URBAN AREA FOR HONG KONG, HE CONTINUED.

*WE SHALL HAVE FAILED TOTALLY IF THE NEW POPULATION IS UNHAPPY OR DISSATISFIED.

+CLEARLY, THEREFORE, BUILDING A VIABLE NEW COMMUNITY IS A MATTER OF SOME URGENCY, PARTICULARLY AS THE NEW POPULATION IS ALREADY BEGINNING TO ARRIVE AT THE RATE OF 5 000 PERSONS A MONTH.+

DR HASE SAID BUILDING A NEW, STABLE, VIABLE AND SATISFYING COMMUNITY WAS NOT, HOWEVER, AN EASY MATTER.

IT WAS SOMETHING WHICH COULD NOT BE IMPOSED FROM OUTSIDE IF ANY ORGANISATION TRIED TO BUILD A COMMUNITY FROM OUTSIDE SUCH A COMMUNITY WOULD REMAIN ARTIFICIAL AND SHALLOW AND WAS UNLIKELY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

A VIABLE COMMUNITY MUST GROW FROM WITHIN THE TASK OF THE GOVERNMENT WAS TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT BY ENCOURAGING AND PROVIDING A SUITABLE ATMOSPHERE AND ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS INTERNAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR.

HE SAID A VIABLE COMMUNITY REQUIRED A STRUCTURE OF COMMUNITY GROUPS, FORMED OF NUMBERS OF RESIDENTS, LINKED TOGETHER IN SOME SORT OF NETWORK.

SUCH A STRUCTURE PROVIDED THE SKELETON, AS IT WERE FOR THE LESS FORMAL GROUPS OF FRIENDS WHICH PROVIDED THE BULK OF ANY REAL COMMUNITY.

A SUCCESSFUL FORMAL COMMUNITY GROUP WOULD VERY QUICKLY DEVELOP AROUND IT INFORMAL GROUPS OF FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES, AND WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ENCOURAGEMENT AND EXAMPLE TO OTHERS TO GET TOGETHER ON A FRIENDLY BASIS.

ONCE SUCH A STRUCTURE WAS OPERATIONAL A REAL COMMUNITY SPIRIT WOULD BEGIN TO GROW.

MOST PEOPLE HAD ONLY A MODEST DEGREE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT, BUT SOME HAD A GOOD DEAL.

IF THOSE WITH A GOOD DEAL OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT GATHERED THEMSELVES INTO SUITABLE GROUPS WITH AN ENERGETIC AND VIGOROUS LIFE, THEN THEIR COMMUNITY SPIRIT WOULD GROW AND FLOURISH- THE ORDINARY CITIZEN WOULD FIND HIS COMMUNITY SPIRIT GROWING TOO AS A RESULT OF THE EXAMPLE GIVEN.

+IN ANY STRUCTURE IT IS THE BASE WHICH PROVIDES THE STABILITY FOR THE WHOLE, AND THIS IS TRUE OF A COMMUNITY STRUCTURE EQUALLY WITH ANY OTHER,+ DR HASE SAID.

+OUR PRIMARY AIM, THEREFORE, IS TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS AND ASSIST THEM TO FORM COMMUNITY GROUPS AT THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, THAT OF THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSING BLOCK.

/+AS BACH