XN000022-1981-02-17 — Page 4

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1981

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MR LAM REVEALED THAT DETAILED NEGOTIATION, NOW REACHING ITS FINAL STAGE, WAS BEING CONDUCTED BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND A PRIVATE COMPANY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LIGHT RAIL TRANSPORT SYSTEM WITHIN TUEN MUN.

+ IT IS EXPECTED THAT PROPOSALS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR A DECISION WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS, AFTER WHICH, IF THE DECISION IS TO PROCEED WITH THE PROPOSAL, THE FIRST STAGE OF TUEN MUN'S INTERNAL TRANSPORT NET-WORK IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY 1984, + MR LAM SAID.

+SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT'S ACCEPTANCE, THE COMPANY MAY BE RUNNING AN INTERIM BUS SERVICE IN TUEN MÜN BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.

+MEANWHILE, SPECIAL RESERVE FOR THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE IN SOME PARTS OF THE TOWN AND PLANNING IS UNDERWAY FOR ITS RAPID IMPLEMENTATION.

+WITH ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND, I CAN ASSURE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES THAT THEY NEED NOT UNDULY WORRY ABOUT POSSIBLE TRANSPORT PROBLEMS WHEN THEY OPEN THEIR FACTORIES AND OFFICES IN TUEN MUN OR MOVE THEIR HOMES INTO THIS BOOMING NEW TOWN.+

MR LAM SAID SUCH A MASSIVE PROGRAMME CARRIED THE POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING SERIOUS DISRUPTION TO LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO HAD TO BE CLEARED AND REHOUSED TO MAKE WAY FOR DEVELOPMENT.

FORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, TUEN MUN WAS BLESSED WITH ACTIVE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND AN EFFECTIVE RURAL COMMITTEE, WHOSE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTACHMENT TO THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THEIR MORAL AND PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT, HAD HELPED BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.

+THEY HAVE ALSO HELPED IRON OUT THE MANY TEETHING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TOWN, THUS ELIMINATING AND MINIMISING THE MANY HUMAN PROBLEMS WHICH MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE ARISEN DURING THIS PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION, HE SAID.

MR LAM SAID TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD WOULD BEGIN IN APRIL WITH SIX OFFICIALS AND 11 APPOINTED UNOFFICIALS.

BY APRIL, 1982, AND AFTER ELECTIONS THE PRECEDING MONTH, IT WOULD CONSIST OF 17 UNOFFICIALS (EIGHT ELECTED, ONE EX-OFFICIO RURAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND EIGHT APPOINTED) AND SIX OFFICIALS.

FOR THE ELECTIONS TO BE CONDUCTED IN A YEAR'S TIME, THE DISTRICT WOULD BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR DOUBLE-MEMBER, GEOGRAPHICALLY WELL-DEFINED CONSTITUENCIES EACH WITH POPULATIONS VARYING FROM 35 000 TO 60 000, COMPRISING RESIDENTS FROM TRADITIONAL RURAL VILLAGES. INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND THE RECENTLY COMPLETED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.

+OUR INTENTION IS TO INVOLVE RESIDENTS FROM DIFFERENT ORIGINS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN RUNNING THEIR AFFAIRS AND TO ENCOURAGE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES, BOTH TRADITIONAL AND NEW-COMERS, TO SEEK ELECTION WITHOUT THE EXCLUSION OF EACH OTHER, THUS BLENDING BOTH THE INDIGENOUS AND NEWLY-ARRIVED POPULATIONS INTO A HARMONIOUS AND COHESIVE COMMUNITY, ALL CONTRIBUTING THEIR SHARE IN THE TOWN'S RUNNING AND OPERATION, MR LAM SAID.

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