XN000022-1983-09-20 — Page 9

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1983

CITING SHA TIN AS AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID: +AT PRESENT, 58 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION IN SHA TIN ARE BELOW THE AGE OF 30. MANY OF THOSE MOVING IN ARE YOUNG COUPLES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION GOING TO PRIMARY SCHOOL IS 19 PER CENT, NOTABLY HIGHER THAN THE TERRITORY- WIDE AVERAGE OF 2.4 PER CENT.

+ERRONEOUS CUMPTION MEANS CHILDREN WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL BACK TO URBAN AREAS TO STUDY WHICH IS NOT DESIRABLE TO YOUNG CHILDREN, OR FACE SOMEWHAT SUB-STANDARD EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, WITH COVERED PLAYGROUND BEING TURNED INTO CLASSROOMS AND LARGER CLASSES.

+PROPER REMEDIAL MEASURES LIKE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SCHOOLS TAKE TIME AND CAN HARDLY MEET THE IMMINENT NEED OF THE POPULATION MOVING INTO NEW TOWNS,+ MR TANG SAID.

HE EMPHASISED THAT A BALANCED DEVELOPMENT WAS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A NEW TOWN, WHILE A BALANCED PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES WAS ESSENTIAL.

*THE SHA TIN DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HAS RESOLVED THAT THE INTAKE OF POPULATION INTO BIG HOUSING ESTATES MUST BE MONITORED CLOSELY, HAVING REGARD TO THE AVAILABILITY OF VARIOUS ESSENTIAL FACILITIES SUCH AS ROADS AND TRANSPORT, HE SAID.

BASICALLY, A NEW TOWN SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH JOBS TO BE SELF- SUFFICIENT BUT QUITE OFTEN THIS DID NOT HAPPEN.

IN SHA TIN, SOME 70 PER CENT OF ITS WORKFORCE WORKED OUTSIDE SHA TIN. MR TANG ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE HIGH VACANCY RATE OF FACTORY SPACE, THE LACK OF NON-INDUSTRIAL JOBS AND SHA TIN'S PROXIMITY TO THE URBAN AREA WITH GOOD COMMUNICATIONS.

HE WARNED THAT A SIMILAR CASE MIGHT HAPPEN TO MA ON SUAN SHOULD IT DEPEND TOO MUCH ON SHA TIN. THE FIRST PHASE DEVELOPMENT OF MA ON SHAN WOULD HOUSE 150 000 PEOPLE WHILE 83 PER CENT OF ITS WORKFORCE WERE EXPECTED TO TRAVEL THROUGH, OR TO SHA TIN, TO WORK.

THERE SHOULD BE AN EFFORT TO BRING MA ON SHAN SOMEWHAT CLOSER TO A SELF-CONTAINED TOWN. THIS COULD INCLUDE REZONING LAND IN MA ON SHAN AS INDUSTRIAL AND AT THE SAME TIME REVERTING SOME OF THE SURPLUS INDUSTRIAL LAND IN SHA TIN PROPER TO OTHER USES.

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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN NEW TOWNS, HE SAID: +ONE HAS TO ADMIT THE FACT THAT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE CONSTRA1 IS NOT ALLOW FOR SOME NON-ESSENTIAL CONSTRUCTIONS WHICH NEVERTHLUS CONTRIBUTE TO THE VARIETY OF LIFE IN A NEW. TOWN.

+ONE EXAMPLE IN SHA TIN IS THE PROPOSAL OF SEEKING PRIVA DEVELOPMENT OF A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS THE SHING MUN RIVER LINKING THE SHA TIN CENTRAL PARK AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIVERSIDE PROMENADE.

+ IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THERE MAY BE CAES ON THIS BRIDGE. THIS IS ONE KIND OF ITEM FOR WHICH PUBLIC E. ENDITURE MAY NOT LE FORTHCOMING. ON THE OTHER HAND ITS PRESENCE WILL NO DOUBT BE WELCOMED AND ADD A EUROPEAN' TOUCH TO SHA TIN.

IMISE

+SUCH BALANCED DEVELOPMENT IN NEW TOWNS ALSO HELPS TO SCCIAL DISPARITY AS WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WISH SHA TIN TO BE CONNOTATED AC EITHER A RICH MAN'S OR POOR MAN'S AREA,+ HE SAID.

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