XN000022-1985-12-11 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1985

+AMONG OTHER THINGS, AN IMPROVED CONCRETE SPECIFICATION NOW APPLIES TO ALL PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTORS, AND ALL FACETS OF CONCRETE QUALITY CONTROL ARE KEPT UNDER REGULAR REVIEW.+

MR CHAN SAID HE WELCOMED THE REMARKS OF SEVERAL MEMBERS, WHICH CLEARLY POINTED TO THE NEED TO CONSIDER DEVELOPMENT ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS AND FOR INTEGRATED PLANNING AND AN INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE ASSESSMENT OF PRIORITIES.

RESPONDING TO OBSERVATIONS MADE BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS, MR CHAN CONFIRMED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM WAS TO BUILD WELL-BALANCED TOWNS.

+WHILE THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES PROVIDE THE PHYSICAL BAS IS FOR ESTABLISHING A BALANCE BETWEEN POPULATION AND JOBS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY INTERNAL BALANCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL TOWNS OR SUB-REGIONS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED QUICKLY OR COMPLETELY.

+FIRST, THE PROVISION OF JOBS DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES LAND FOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT SO AS TO ENCOURAGE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ESTABLISH FACTOR IES AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES. THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HOWEVER, REACHES ITS DECISIONS ON INVESTMENT INDEPENDENTLY, + MR CHAN SAID.

SOME BUSINESS ACTIVITIES, HE ADDED, BECAUSE OF THEIR NATURE, WERE UNLIKELY TO SHIFT FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. THERE WAS ALSO RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AMONG SOME INDIVIDUALS.

BECAUSE OF THESE FACTORS IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT A SATISFACTORY BALANCE BETWEEN HOMES AND JOBS IN THE NEW TOWNS WOULD BE ACHIEVED UNTIL THE SECOND OR THIRD GENERATION, IN THE MEANTIME, ADEQUATE TRANSPORT WAS ESSENTIAL TO LINK NEW TOWNS WITH OLD URBAN AREAS.

ON THE SUBJECT OF COMPENSATION FOR LAND RESUMPTION, MR CHAN REVEALED THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED PROPOSALS FOR RATIONAL IS ING THE ZONAL COMPENSATION RATES BY MERGING THE PRESENT SEVEN ZONES INTO FOUR AND BY INCREASING THE MINIMUM COMPENSATION RATE FROM 20 TO 30 PER CENT OF THE BASIC LAYOUT RATE.

ONCE THE PROPOSALS HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S FINANCE COMMITTEE THEY WOULD BE INTRODUCED AND BACKDATED TO OCTOBER 1, 1985. THE ZONAL BOUNDARIES WOULD BE KEPT UNDER REGULAR REVIEW AND REVISED TO MEET CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.

ON THE QUESTION OF URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT, MR CHAN SAID A START HAD BEEN MADE ON STUDIES FOR THE RECLAMATION OF ALDRICH BAY, RECLAMATION BETWEEN KENNEDY TOWN AND GREEN ISLAND AND OFF WEST KOWLOON FROM YAU MA TEI TO LAI CHI KOK AND ALONG THE CENTRAL AND WAN CHAI WATERFRONTS.

TURNING TO THE PROPOSED LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. MR CHAN SAID ITS AIM WOULD BE TO INVITE EXISTING PROPERTY OWNERS TO PARTICIPATE IN REDEVELOPMENT SCHEMES. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE CORPORATION WOULD BE PUT TO DISTRICT BOARDS AND RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL BODIES FOR CONSIDERATION SHORTLY.

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