XN000022-1986-11-08 — Page 3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1986

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GROWING APPRECIATION FOR LANDSCAPED SURROUNDINGS

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MORE NATURAL VEGETATION ARE BEING DESTROYED THAN BEING REPLACED, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, SAID THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

HOWEVER HONG KONG WAS NOW IN A CONSIDERABLY MORE HOPEFUL POSITION THAN IN THE EARLY 1970'S.

+THERE IS A GROWING APPRECIATION SPREADING RIGHT THROUGH ALL CIRCLES THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN A TOTALLY CONCRETE JUNGLE, AND THAT THE INFLUENCE OF NATURAL SURROUNDINGS AND THE OTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF NATURE THAN MAN WERE NECESSARY FOR LIFE.+

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG LANDSCAPE GROUP, HE SAID THAT DURING THE 70'S PEOPLE HAD MOVED TO LANDSCAPED ESTATÉS AND HAD FELT THE BENEFIT OF EVEN THE MINIMAL AMENITY AREAS PROVIDED WHEN THE ROAD MEN COULD MAKE AVAILABLE A SPACE FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND BIT BY BIT THEY HAD FOUND THEMSELVES LIVING IN A RATHER GREENER ENVIRONMENT.

IN ADDITION, HE ADDED, FAR MORE PEOPLE HAD GONE ABROAD AND RECOGNISED THE TREES AND FLOWERS THEY SAW THERE AS WHAT THEY ALWAYS REALLY WANTED FOR THEMSELVES. SO SUPPORT FOR LANDSCAPING AND GREENERY WAS NO MERE LIP SERVICE.

MR BARNES SAID DISTRICT BOARS AND LOCAL RESIDNETS FOUGHT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF BANYAN TREES WITH A FERVOUR WHICH MIGHT NOW WIN AGAINST OPPOSING PRESSURES. AND THE AUTHORITIES HAD RESPONDED BY AN ENORMOUS QUANTITATIVE AND MORE GRADUAL QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN AMENITY PLANNING.

MUCH MORE EXPERTISE WAS BEING PUT INTO THE LANDSCAPING OF PARKS AND ROADSIDE AMENITY PLOTS, AND THE NEED FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF AMENITY PLOTS AND TREES IN EVERY ENVIRONMENT WAS BOTH RECOGNISED AND APPRECIATED BY THOSE FOR WHOM THEY WERE PROVIDED.

+SO, AT A TACTICAL LEVEL, AT LEAST IN THE PLACES, SUCH AS NEW TOWNS AND HOUSING ESTATES, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, WHERE PLANNING AND PROVISION IS RELATIVELY EASY, THE BATTLE IS PROBABLY BEING WON,+ HE SAID.

WHEN IT WAS NOT SO EASY, WHERE LANDSCAPING AT CORNER STREET LEVEL WAS UP AGAINST SUCH FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION AS TRAFFIC RELIEF OR VERY HIGH COST IN OTHER TERMS, THERE WAS A LONG WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF GAINING PUBLIC PREFERENCE AND IN TERMS OF RESULTS.

+ IN THESE AREAS THINK THE NAME OF THE GAME MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED IS PROBABLY WATCHING FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND I HOPE THAT THE MANY REDEVELOPMENT SCHEMES WHICH WE ARE PLANNING IN THE URBAN AREAS WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDSCAPING TALENTS TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE PLANNING OF THESE AREAS TO THE PERMANENT BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ENJOY THEM.

/+IT IS