XN000022-1986-01-23 — Page 10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1986

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+ADDITIONALLY, FREE ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMES PLANNED FOR FEBRUARY AND MARCH INCLUDE VARIETY SHOWS, CANTONESE OPERAS, ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS AND A DISC JOCKEY SHOW, HE ADDED.

ON LIBRARY SERVICES IN TUEN MUN, MR LO SAID THAT PENDING COMPLETION OF THE PERMANENT CENTRAL LIBRARY AT THE TUEN MUN CIVI AND CULTURAL COMPLEX IN 1988-89, ANOTHER INTERIM LIBRARY WOULD BE SET UP AT BUTTERFLY ESTATE. OCCUPYING AN AREA OF 285 SQUARE METRES, IT WILL BE THE 17TH STATIC LIBRARY IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS WHEN COMPLETED IN MARCH.

AT PRESENT, TUEN MUN IS SERVED BY TWO INTERIM LIBRARIES AT TAI HING ESTATE AND YAU OI ESTATE.

AT THE MEETING, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED TO NAME THE CULTURAL COMPLEX NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT TUEN MUN AS +TUEN MUN TOWN HALLt. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR. ITS FACILITIES WILL BE COMPARABLE TO THOSE AT THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL.

IT ALSO DECIDED TO NAME A NEW INDOOR RECREATION CENTRE AT AREA 5 OF TUEN MUN AS +TAI HING INDOOR RECREATION CENTRE+. IT WILL BE THE FIRST INDOOR RECREATION CENTRE RUN BY THE RSD IN TUEN MUN. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY, 1987.

WARNING AGAINST CUTTING TREES, PLANTS

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THE PUBLIC WERE TODAY (THURSDAY) REMINDED NOT TO CUT ANY TREEɔ OR PLANTS ON CROWN LAND OR IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WARNED THAT CUTTING TREES OR PLANTS ILLEGALLY WAS AN OFFENCE UNDER BOTH THE COUNTRY PARKS AND SPECIAL AREAS REGULATIONS AND THE FOREST AND COUNTRYSIDE ORDINANCE,

+THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR VIOLATING THE REGULATIONS IS A FINE OF $2 000 AND THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. PROSECUTIONS BROUGHT UNDER THE ORDINANCE CAN RESULT IN A MAXIMUM FINE OF $2 000 AND ONE YEAR'S JAIL SENTENCE, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID 16 PEOPLE WERE PROSECUTED LAST YEAR FOR CUTTING TREES AND PLANTS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. FINES IMPOSED ON THEM BY THE COURTS EXCEEDED 36 200.

SOME OF THESE CASES INVOLVED FLOWERING BRANCHES OF TIU CHUNG+ (ENKIANTHUS) TREES WHICH ARE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSE DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID WILD FLOWERS SHOULD BEST BE APPRECIATED IN THE IR NATURAL HABITAT AND SHOULD NOT BE PICKED.

+ IT IS IN THEIR OWN INTEREST THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD ABIDE BY THE LAW AND HELP CONSERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS FOR ALL TO ENJOY, HE ADDED.

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