XN000022-1984-02-13 — Page 4

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1984

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PUBLIC URGED TO HELP STOP POLLUTION

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THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE COUNTRYSIDE AND PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, THE

ISLANDS DISTRICT LANDS OFFICER, MR ALBERT SO, TOLD MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TODAY.

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+TOWARDS THIS END, IN EACH NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT, DISTRICT WORKING GROUP HAS RECENTLY BEEN SET UP AND THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICER IS CHARGED WITH CO-ORDINATING ACTION AMONG VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO INITIALLY DRAW UP PROPOSED PLANS AND LATER TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN WATERCOURSES IN THE DISTRICT.+

MR SO ALSO SAID THAT, BECAUSE OF THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT AND THE RELATIVELY LOW DEVELOPMENT DENSITY, THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL GARDEN EXTENSIONS WAS COMMONPLACE.

A SURVEY HAD BEEN STARTED IN PHASES AND ACTION WAS BEING TAKEN TO REGULATE THESE GARDENS WHEREVER POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

OF THE 125 CASES HANDLED SO FAR, 91 CASES HAD BEEN RECTIFIED WITH THE REMAINING 34 CASES BEING PROCESSED, MR SO SAID.

THE PROBLEM IS NOW UNDER CONTROL ON CHEUNG CHAU, PENG CHAU AND LANTAU, AND EMPHASIS HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO LAMMA IŠLAND.

UNDER REVISED PROCEDURES THE PREMIUM FOR THE GRANT OF GARDEN EXTENSIONS WOULD BE ASSESSED ON THE INCREASE IN VALUE TO THE PARENT LOT BY THE GRANT OF THE ADDITIONAL AREA, MR SO SAID.

THE LANDS DEPARTMENT HAD DECIDED TO WAIVE THE IMPOSITION OF THE PREMIUM SURCHARGE WHERE THE EXTENSION AREA WAS ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED.

WITH THESE APPROACHES, MR SO SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF CROWN LAND FOR GARDEN PURPOSES IN ISLANDS DISTRICT COULD BE RESOLVED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ON THE PROBLEM OF ABANDONED VEHICLES ON CROWN LAND, MR SO SAID THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT AS SERIOUS IN ISLANDS DISTRICT AS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO THE NON-EXISTENCE OF PUBLIC ROADS AND MOTOR VEHICLES ON LAMMA, CHEUNG CHAU AND PENG CHAU, AND TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CLOSED ROAD PERMIT SYSTEM ON LANTAU ISLAND, HE SAID.

SINCE THE ISLANDS DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE WAS SET UP LAST APRIL, 64 CASES OF ABANDONED VEHICLES ON CROWN LAND HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH, IN WHICH 33 VEHICLES WERE REMOVED BY THE OWNERS AND 31 WERE DISPOSED OF BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

/ON ILLEGAL