XN000022-1982-03-01 — Page 6

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1982

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FACILITIES, LIKE TUEN MUN, WOULD INCLUDE A MAIN AUDITORIUM AND MEDIUM-SIZED, MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ROOMS.

THE $138-MILLION TOWN HALL, LOCATED ON A 20 000 SQUARE METRE SITE IN THE TOWN CENTRE BETWEEN THE RAILWAY STATION AND THE SHING MUN RIVER, WOULD ALSO BE EQUIPPED WITH A CONFERENCE ROOM WITH SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION FACILITIES, AGAIN AT THE REQUEST OF THE DISTRICT BOARD.

IT WOULD BE DESIGNED FOR HIGHLY-PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES

AS WELL AS A WIDE RANGE OF DISTRICT CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

IT WOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH A CULTURAL ACTIVITIES HALL, LARGE PRACTICE AND REHEARSAL ROOMS AND TWO LECTURE ROOMS EACH ACCOMMODATING 145 PERSONS. SEATING WOULD BE MOVABLE AND ALL WOULD HAVE ACOUSTIC TREATMENT, SOUND AND LIGHTING EQUIPMENT.

MR WILSON SAID BOTH TUEN MUN AND SHA TIN TOWN HALLS WOULD BE MANAGED BY THE CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT UNDER THE GENERAL GUIDANCE OF LOCAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES WHICH WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE TOWN HALLS MET LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, THESE THREE TOWN HALLS WOULD NOT BE THE ONLY VENUES FOR THE ARTS IN THE NT.

THERE WOULD ALSO BE SMALLER, PURPOSE-BUILT CULTURAL FACILITIES IN SMALLER TOWNS AND COMMUNITIES.

FOR INSTANCE, WITH A SEATING CAPACITY OF 880, THE AIR-CONDITIONED HALL OF THE CHIU LUT SAU SECONDARY SCHOOL IN YUEN LONG WAS REGULARLY USED FOR PERFORMANCES AND FUNCTIONS UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF A LOCAL COMMITTEE AND THE CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

AFTER THE GOVERNOR LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE, MR LAU WONG-FAT THANKED HIM FOR ADMINISTERING THE CEREMONIES IN THREE DISTRICTS OF THE NT, THEREBY SHOWING HIS CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE AND QUALITY OF LIVING OF THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

HE SAID YUEN LONG, TSUEN WAN AND NORTH DISTRICT NOW HAD TOWN HALLS, AND SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN WERE SOON TO HAVE THEIR OWN.

+THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR THE WHOLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL HELP CONSIDERABLY TO INSTIL A SENSE OF CIVIC PRIDE AND BELONGING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SHOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS MEETING THE NEEDS OF NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS IN RESPECT OF CULTURAL AND CIVIC FACILITIES,+ MR LAU SAID.

AFTER THE CEREMONY, THE GOVERNOR SAW A MODEL OF THE FINISHED COMPLEX.

THE TOWN HALL, ON WHICH PILING WORK ALSO STARTED LAST NOVEMBER, WILL EVENTUALLY SERVE A POPULATION OF AT LEAST 750 000 WHEN IT IS COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS.

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