XN000022-1986-05-15 — Page 12

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 198/

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NT DEVELOPMENT AIMS AT BALANCE

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ADOPTING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN ORDER TO STRIKE A MORE BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF VILLAGES AND NEW TOWNS, TUEN MUN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR STEPHEN SELBY, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG NORTH, MR SELBY SAID DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT SPENT ABOUT $4 MILLION ON VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN TUEN MUN UNDER THE LOCAL PUBLIC WORK SCHEME OPERATED BY DISTRICT OFFICE'S WORK SECTION.

+ ALTHOUGH THE ENVIRONMENT OF MOST VILLAGES HAD IMPROVED GREATLY OVER THE YEARS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN WITH ITS INTEGRATED FACILITIES HAD BROUGHT ABOUT A STRIKING CONTRAST WITH THE RURAL AREAS, AND MANY VILLAGES STILL FACE SANITATION PROBLEMS AND THE LACK OF BASIC FACILITIES, HE SAID.

THE LOCAL PUBLIC WORK SCHEME HAD HELPED IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF VILLAGES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF BETTER FACILITIES SUCH AS DRAINAGE, PUBLIC TOILETS, CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA, FOOTPATHS, VAN TRACKS AND MANY OTHER MINOR IMPROVEMENT WORKS. ALL THE WORK WAS DONE WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF VILLAGERS.

THROUGH THE SCHEME, TEAMS OF EXPERIENCED STAFF HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN EACH DISTRICT TO SURVEY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND TO WORK OUT CHEAP AND EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS TO VARIOUS PROBLEMS. OVERALL, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING A BROADER APPROACH TO VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS. THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WAS EXPLORING WAYS TO CARRY OUT VILLAGE ROAD UPGRADING SCHEMES SO THAT VILLAGERS WOULD HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO THEIR HOMES, FACILITIES IN THE VILLAGES COULD BE SERVICED MORE EFFICIENTLY, AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD GAIN EASY ACCESS TO VILLAGES.

+MORE IMPORTANTLY, ANOTHER APPROACH IS TO USE THE GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO UNDERTAKE LARGE-SCALE IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES IN CERTAIN RURAL AREAS,+ HE SAID.

AN EXAMPLE WAS THE PILOT SCHEME WHICH WOULD SOON BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE AREA AROUND SAN HING TSUEN IN TUEN MUN. APART FROM PROVIDING PROPER ROADS, DRAINAGE AND CERTAIN COMMUNITY FACILITIES, THE SCHEME WOULD ENABLE RESIDENTS AND FACTORIES TO RE-INFORCE THEIR TEMPORARY STRUCTURES WITH BETTER MATERIALS.

THE SCHEME WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE LAUNCHED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND ITS SUCCESS WOULD RELY HEAVILY ON CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND THE GOVERNMENT TO BRING ABOUT THE DESIRED IMPROVEMENTS, MR SELBY SAID.

IN THE LONG TERM, HE POINTED OUT, THE ULTIMATE AIM WOULD BE TO BRING ALL VILLAGES UP TO THE STANDARD OF THE MODERN RESITE VILLAGES THAT HAD BEEN BUILT.

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