XN000022-1984-02-08 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1984

NT DEVELOPMENTS FORGE AHEAD

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GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST HEAVILY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES IN THE COMING YEAR, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR NT, MR IAN MACPHERSON, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE HEUNG YEE KUK LUNAR NEW YEAR GATHERING, HE ALSO STRESSED THAT GOVERNMENT HAD ALWAYS RESPECTED THE KUK'S VIEWS AS +BEING INFORMED AND RESPONSIBLE OPINION AND THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO ITS ADVICE ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES AFFECTING THE NEW TERRITORIES.

MR MACPHERSON SAID THAT GOVERNMENT WAS PUSHING AHEAD VIGOROUSLY WITH ITS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN THE NT DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR.

+PROVISION OF PUBLIC HOUSING IS ON TARGET; COMPLETION OF THE NT CIRCULAR ROAD IS IN SIGHT; AND MAJOR FACILITIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND RECREATION FACILITIES ARE BEING PROVIDED IN THE NEW TOWNS ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE, HE SAID.

FURTHERMORE MAJOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STUDIES ON NORTH-WEST AND NORTH-EAST NT AND JUNK BAY ARE NEARING COMPLETION.

FOR THE RURAL COMMUNITIES, MR MACPHERSON SAID MUCH HAD BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE VILLAGERS.

AN ADDITIONAL 200 VILLAGES HAD BEEN PROVIDED WITH METERED FRESH WATER OVER THE PAST 16 MONTHS, AND A RECORD $13 MILLION WAS BEING SPENT ON LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.

+ IMPLEMENTATION OF VILLAGE LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS AND STREAMLINING OF THE PROCEDURE FOR SMALL HOUSE APPLICATIONS AND PROCESSING ALSO REPRESENT A BIG STEP FORWARD IN IMPROVING THE PROVISION AND CONDITIONS OF VILLAGE HOUSING.

+I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RURAL PEOPLE MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED,+ HE SAID.

BUT, HE SAID, ALL THESE ACHIEVEMENTS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE SO RAPIDLY AND SO SMOOTHLY WITHOUT THE CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE OF KUK MEMBERS.

+YOUR ADVICE BOTH THROUGH THE KUK AS A STATUTORY ADVISORY BODY AND IN THE EIGHT DISTRICT BOARDS ON WHICH MANY OF YOU SIT AS MEMBERS IS OF GREAT, VALUE.

*THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLOSE CONSULTATION AND DELIBERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE KUK: THE WORK ING PARTY ON SMALL HOUSE POLICY AND THE JOINT REGIONAL SECRETARY, N.T. AND N.T. HEUNG YEE KUK MEETINGS ARE TWO FINE EXAMPLES OF HOW BETTER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON ISSUES OF PUBLIC CONCERN CAN BE ACHIEVED AND HOW PRACTICAL PROBLEMS CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH DISCUSSIONS.

/+THERS ARE