XN000022-1983-11-13 — Page 12

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1983

MORE NEW COMMUNITIES FORMED

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THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD HAD MADE GREAT EFFORTS IN ORGANISING COMMUNITY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND LOCAL ORGANISATIONS SO THAT A MORE CARING AND HELPFUL COMMUNITY COULD BE ESTABLISHED, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR KEVIN MAK, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE TWO-WEEK SECOND KWUN TONG SPORTS FESTIVAL, HE SAID THAT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS NEW COMMUNITIES HAD BEEN FORMED AT SEVERAL PUBLIC HOUSING AND HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME ESTATES.

AND HE ESTIMATED THAT IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, 12 MORE NEW COMMUNITIES WOULD GRADUALLY BE FORMED WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF MORE THAN 90 000.

ALTHOUGH RESIDENTS OF SOME OF THE NEW COMMUNITIES CAME FROM KWUN TONG ITSELF, THE MAJORITY MOVED IN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS.

IN ADDITION, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY ON LOCAL SQUATTER AREAS, ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF THE SQUATTERS WERE NEW ARRIVALS WHO HAD LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.

+MOST OF THE NEW RESIDENTS KNOW VERY LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT KWUN TONG, AND THERE IS, THEREFORE, AN URGENT NEED FOR MORE COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO HELP FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING AND TO INTEGRATE THESE NEW RESIDENTS INTO OUR COMMUNITY, SAID MR MAK.

IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES, HE SAID THE DISTRICT BOARD WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

+THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE FACT THAT DISTRICT BOARD FUNDS FOR IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT THIS YEAR HAS BEEN INCREASED TO $600 000 WHICH IS THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF LAST YEAR'S ALLOCATION, HE ADDED.

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY WAS THE COMMISSIONER

FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON.

HE AND MR MAK KICKED OFF A FRIENDLY SOCCER MATCH BETWEEN THE DISTRICT BOARD CUM DISTRICT OFFICE TEAM AND THE NGAU TAU KOK (WEST) YOUTH TEAM.

MR WILLIAMSON ALSO PRESENTED PRIZES TO THE WINNING TEAMS OF A TELEMATCH IN WHICH MORE THAN 400 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED.

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