XN000022-1982-06-10 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1982

GOVERNOR IMPRESSED WITH GROWTH OF NT

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID THIS AFTERNOON THAT HE WAS GREATLY IMPRESSED WITH THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

SPEAK ING TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE XUK, SIR EDWARD SAID HE FELT SURE THAT WITH A SPIRIT OF GOODWILL AND COOPERATION +WE SHALL BE ABLE TO ENSURE CONTINUED PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY,+

+AS I SAID IN MY ADDRESS UPON ARRIVAL, I SEE GOOD REASON WHY CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE SHOULD REMAIN HIGH, HE SAID.

IT

THE KUK'S ROLE, SIR EDWARD SAID, WAS A DUAL ONE. REPRESENTED THE WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES RURAL PEOPLE TO THE GOVERNMENT, AND ALSO ASSISTED THE GOVERNMENT IN THE ENORMOUS TASK OF DEVELOPING THE AREA BY SMOOTHING THE WAY AND BY SEEKING TO ENSURE ACCEPTANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES BY THE PEOPLE +WHOSE LIVES ARE SO DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED BY THEM+.

+WITHOUT THIS COOPERATION THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED SO SUCCESSFULLY, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE KUK WOULD CONTINUE TO PLAY THIS DUAL ROLE AND SEEK TO MAINTAIN AN EQUITABLE BALANCE BETWEEN THE NEEDS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE AND THE NEW POPULATION OF THE AREA.

HE NOTED THAT IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, THE POPULATION IN THE NT HAD INCREASED FROM 250 000 TO 1 300 000 AND WAS CONTINUING TO INCREASE VERY RAPIDLY.

THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE NEWLY-ARRIVED RESIDENTS IN THE NEW TOWNS COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO HAVE THE SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY AS THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE LONG ESTABLISHED NT VILLAGES AND TOWNS+. HE WAS THEREFORE PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE KUK HAD TAKEN THE LEAD IN SEEKING TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE NEWCOMERS BY UNDERTAKING AND SPONSORING COMMUNITY PROJECTS OF ALL KINDS.

WHO ARE NOTING THAT THE CHAIRMEN OF THE RURAL COMMITTEES ALSO COUNCILLORS OF THE KUK, SERVED ALSO AS MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE GOVERNOR SAID THIS WAS A FELICITOUS ARRANGEMENT+ AS IT BROUGHT TOGETHER THE OLD SYSTEM WITH THE NEW. THIS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ADMINISTRATION A MORE COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF ADVICE ON MATTERS AFFECTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DISTRICTS.

REFERRING TO COMMENTS MADE BY THE KUK'S CHAIRMAN, MR LAU WONG- FAT, IN HIS SPEECH OF WELCOME, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE APPRECIATED THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF AN ENFORCED CHANGE OF LIFE STYLE FROM RURAL TO LABAN AND THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT REASONABLE ARRANGEMENTS MERE MADE TO PROVIDE FOR LANDOWNERS TO BE COMPENSATED ADEQUATELY FOR THE LOSS OF THEIR LAND, AND FOR THEM TO BE SATISFACTORILY HOUSED WHERE THE IP VILLAGES HAD TO MAKE WAY FOR DEVELOPMENT.