XN000022-1982-03-02 — Page 6

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1982

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YAU MA TEI DB INAUGURAL MEETING

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THE YAU MA TEI DISTRICT BOARD, THE NINTH TO BE SET UP IN THE URBAN AREA, WILL HOLD ITS INAUGURAL MEETING ON THURSDAY (MARCH 4) AT 3 PM AT THE LUTHERAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, WILL ADDRESS THE MEETING.

ALSO PRESENT AT THE MEETING WILL BE THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, AND THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR GRAHAM BARNES.

CHAIRED BY THE CITY DISTRICT COMMISSIONER OF YAU MA TEI MR WILFRED WONG, THE BOARD COMPRISES SIX OFFICIAL MEMBERS, 13 UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, TWO URBAN COUNCILLORS (ONE APPOINTED AND ONE ELECTED) AND A SECRETARY.

AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING, MEMBERS WILL BE INFORMED OF THE WORK OF THE YAU MA TEI DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (DMC) SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN AUGUST 1981. THIS WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY A SLIDE SHOW.

THE YAU MA TEI DMC WAS SET UP TO IMPROVE COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AMONG GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BETTER PUBLIC SERVICES AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT.

BETWEEN AUGUST 1981 AND FEBRUARY 1982, THE DMC, THROUGH ITS TWO SUB-COMMITTEES THE ENVIRONMENT SUB-COMMITTEE AND THE COMMUNITY BUILDING SUB-COMMITTEE - HAVE CLEARED CERTAIN BACK LANES OCCUPIED BY ILLEGAL STRUCTURES- ORGANISED RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR BOAT DWELLERS IN YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER AND CONDUCTED A ROAD SAFETY PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. IT HAS ALSO PUBLISHED A DISTRICT NEWSPAPER FOR BOTH YAU MA TEI AND MONG KOK DISTRICTS WITH A VIEW TO FOSTERING DISTRICT IDENTITY.

THE DMC HAS, MEANWHILE, MADE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS TO THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING PROPOSALS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN SITES IN THE DISTRICT AND ON TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT AT THE SECTION OF AUSTIN ROAD BETWEEN CHATHAM ROAD AND NATHAN ROAD. MEMBERS' ENDORSEMENT ON THE TRAFFIC MEASURES WILL BE SOUGHT AT THURSDAY'S MEETING.

AMONG OTHER WORKS OF THE DMC WERE THE SETTING UP OF TWO AD HOC WORKING GROUPS TO EXAMINE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS. ONE OF THE GROUPS WORKS TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE OPERATION OF THE SHEK LUNG STREET FRUIT MARKET. THE OTHER WORKS TO SCRUTINISE PROBLEMS IN SEVERAL MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS.

WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE YAU MA TEI DISTRICT BOARD, THE DMC WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION, BUT THE TWO DMC SUB-COMMITTEES WILL BE EXPANDED AND TRANSFORMED INTO DB COMMITTEES WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF UNOFFICIAL REPRESENTATION TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION OF WORK.

/AT THE DB