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FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1985

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR HAMMOND SAID THE RECREATIONAL AND SPORTS COMPLEX WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID, SEVERAL OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE DISTRICT. THEY ARE THE SHA TIN CULTURAL COMPLEX, THE TOWN PARK, THE RIVER PROMENADE AND THE INDOOR GAMES HALL.

THE PROJECTS WERE IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO IMPROVE RECREATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+AS A RESULT OF THE RECENT AMALGAMATION OF THE FORMER NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THOSE PARTS OF THE CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WHICH PROVIDED SERVICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, TO FORM THE NEW REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO UTILISE OUR RESOURCES IN A FAR MORE EFFECTIVE MANNER TO PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.

MR HAMMOND SAID SHA TIN HAD TRANSFORMED IN A REMARKABLY SHORT TIME FROM A RURAL SETTLEMENT INTO A MODERN CITY, WITH A POPULATION GROWING AT A RATE OF 6 000 EACH MONTH.

+THE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES HERE IS, THEREFORE, SELF-EVIDENT, HE SAID.

MR HAMMOND WAS SURE THAT THE OPENING OF THE RECREATION GROUND, TOGETHER WITH OTHER EXISTING AND PLANNED RECREATIONAL AND SPORTS FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT, WOULD HELP TO CATER NOT ONLY FOR THE RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE BUT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE A BETTER LIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SHA TIN.

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY WERE MR WAI HON-LEUNG, MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL MR NG CHAN-LAM, CHAIRMAN OF SHA TIN DISTRICT BOARD; MR LAM WOON-KWONG, THE DISTRACT OFFICER OF SHA TIN: MR LAU HON-KIT, CHAIRMAN OF SHA TIN RURAL COMMITTEE AND MR LEE KWONG, CHAIRMAN OF SHA TIN SPORTS ASSOCIATION.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE ARTIFICIAL TURF SOCCER PITCH IS THAT IT CAN BE USED PRACTICALLY AT ALL HOURS ALL YEAR ROUND, COMPARED WITH A GRASS PITCH WHICH CAN ALLOW ONLY TWO GAMES A DAY AND MUST BE CLOSED FOR TWO TO THREE MONTHS EACH YEAR FOR RETURF ING.

TO MINIMISE INJURIES, THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND, WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH MANY TYPES OF IMAGINATIVELY DESIGNED PLAY EQUIPMENT, IS PAVED WITH SAFETY NETTINGS. ALSO, SOME 40 000 TREES, SHRUBS AND CREEPERS HAVE BEEN PLANTED IN THE GENERAL SURROUNDING OF THE COMPLEX TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT THERE MORE PLEASANT.

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