XN000022-1989-07-20 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1989

NEW TOWN RESIDENTS HAVE WIDE CHOICE OF LEISURE FACILITIES: GOVERNOR

THE

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY THURSDAY) SAID THAT PROVISION OF A WIDE RANGE OF MODERN RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES BY THE REGIONAL COUNCIL HAS GREATLY IMPROVED THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS IN THE NEW TOWNS: THEY NOW HAVE A MUCH RANGE OF FACILITIES TO CHOOSE FROM DURING THEIR LEISURE HOURS.

SAID.

"THIS SHOWS WHAT OUR WELL-PLANNED

BROADER

NEW TOWNS CAN OFFER." HE

"IN SHA TIN, FOR INSTANCE, RESIDENTS HAVE ONE OF THE BEST PARKS IN THE TERRITORY RIGHT IN THEIR MIDST AND THERE IS THE TOWN HALL, CENTRAL LIBRARY AND ACTIVE SPORTING FACILITIES FOR TRACK AND FIELD, SOCCER, TENNIS, SQUASH AND EVEN SWIMMING WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, HE NOTED.

14

SIR DAVID, ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR

OF REGIONAL SERVICES,

MR HAIDER BARMA, WAS VISITING SHA TIN, ONE OF THE NINE DISTRICTS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

HOUSE

EN ROUTE MR BARMA SHOWED SIR DAVID THE SITE NEXT TO KCR WHICH WILL BE THE NEW $187.5 MILLION HOME OF THE COUNCIL AND THE DEPARTMENT IN TWO YEARS TIME.

J

THE GOVERNOR MET STAFF OF THE ENVIRONMENT HYGIENE SECTION, THE GENERAL OFFICE AND THE LEISURE SERVICES SECTION AT THE DEPARTMENT'S DISTRICT OFFICE.

SIR DAVID WAS TOLD THAT IN THE PAST YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT DEPLOYED NEARLY 3,500 CLEANSING STAFF AND A FLEET OF OVER 200 SPECIALISED VEHICLES TO ENSURE A CLEAN AND PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA DESPITE THE RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION,

MORE THAN HALF A MILLION TONNES OF REFUSE WERE COLLECTED, INDICATING AN AVERAGE OF 0.64 KILOGRAMMES PER CAPITA DAILY OUTPUT. SHA TIN, WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 500,000, GENERATED THE HEAVIEST WORKLOAD FOR DISTRICT STAFF.

HE NOTED THAT THE FACILITIES AND METHODS USED IN PROVIDING CLEANSING SERVICES HAVE UNDERGONE EXTENSIVE CHANGES TO IMPROVE REFUSE COLLECTION.

IN THE NEW TOWN AREAS, SUCH AS SHA TIN, PLASTIC RECTANGULAR BINS ARE INTRODUCED TO REPLACE METAL DRUMS WHILE IN THE RURAL PARTS OF THE REGION, A NEW COLLECTION SYSTEM CALLED THE "HAUL-ALE", COMPRISING SPECIALLY DESIGNED VEHICLES AND AUTOMATIC LOADING CONTAINERS, WILL PUT ON TRIAL THIS YEAR.

BE

FROM KCR HOUSE, SIR DAVID WALKED TO THE SHA TIN CENTRAL LIBRARY FOR A BRIEFING ON THE WORK AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT BY SENIOR DIRECTORATE STAFF. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A TOUR OF THE LIBRARY ITSELF.

/SIR DAVID