XN000022-1983-04-04 — Page 12

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 1983

SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ME! FA+ ACTION GROUP OF THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, MR LEUNG SAID VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND CIVIC-MINDED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE BEEN DOING THE PLANTING DURING THE PRESENT EFFORT.

HELPING WITH THE WORK HAVE BEEN THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, HIGHWAYS OFFICE, HOUSING DEPARTMENT, NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTEERS FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL.

A NUMBER OF TREE-PLANTING DAYS WILL BE HELD IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

COMMUNITY LEADERS, MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS, COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUBS AND RAINBOW BRIGADES+ FROM SCHOOLS WILL BE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN THE DISTRICT TREE PLANTING EXERCISE.

MR LEUNG PAID TRIBUTE TO SCHOOL CHILDREN AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO LAST YEAR'S EXERCISE. HE STRESSED THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION WERE IMPORTANT IN THE DRIVE TO KEEP HONG KONG GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL.

AND TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CARE FOR PLANTS, MORE HORTICULTURE TRAINING AND TREE PLANTING PROGRAMMES WILL BE HELD THIS YEAR BY SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS.

MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE NTSD HAD ORGANISED A NUMBER OF HORTICULTURE CLASSES FOR THE ELDERLY AND STUDENTS IN SHA TIN, TUEN MUN, TAI PO AND NORTH DISTRICT DURING LAST YEAR TO GIVE THEM MORE CHANCE TO OBSERVE AND KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GROWTH AND CARE OF PLANTS.

TREE PLANTING AND HORTICULTURE TRAINING HAVE ALSO BEEN ORGANISED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WITHIN COUNTRY PARKS. LAST YEAR 90 SCHOOLS AND YOUTH GROUPS HAD ATTENDED VARIOUS WEEK-LONG FORESTRY WORK CAMPS.

AND IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, AN INTER-SCHOOL POTTED PLANT COMPETITION WILL BE HELD IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, SIMILAR TO EFFORTS BEING MADE BY THE URBAN COUNCIL. SO AS TO PROMOTE FURTHER THE +MEI FA+ SCHEME, SAID MR LEUNG.

ADDED.

+ALL SCHOOLS WERE WELCOME TO TAKE PART IN THE EVENT,+ HE

MEANWHILE, LARGE SCALE LANDSCAPING PROJECTS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT IN ALL NEW PARKS, OPEN SPACE, HIGHWAYS, NEW TOWNS AND NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

MR LEUNG ALSO SAID THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WERE ATTACHING MORE IMPORTANCE TO LANDSCAPING THEIR PROJECTS.

HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE EFFORTS MADE BY BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

MR LEUNG SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT MORE AND MORE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE DEVELOPING AN INTEREST IN HORTICULTURE. THIS WAS EVIDENT FROM THE GROWING NUMBER OF POTTED PLANTS THAT CAN BE SEEN IN HOMES AND OFFICES, HE SAID.

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