XN000022-1991-07-03 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1991

"THE URBAN COUNCIL, TO IT'S CREDIT, INCREASE THE EXISTING STRENGTH OF THE URBAN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, SIR PIERS SAID.

ti

HAS UNDERTAKEN NOT TO SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR

"ANY FREEZE IN THE LEVELS OF FEES AND CHARGES SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPAL COUNCILS TO DECIDE," HE ADDED.

AS REGARDS TO APPEAL TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR то SEEK WAYS ΤΟ INCREASE THEIR EFFICIENCY AND TO MAINTAIN FEES AND CHARGES AT THEIR EXISTING LEVELS, SIR PIERS REPEATED WHAT HE HAD SAID IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON MAY 29: "THE ADMINISTRATION THROUGH ITS RESTRAINT IS

POINTING THE WAY. BUT IF WE ARE TO ATTACK INFLATION SUCCESSFULLY, COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE MUST PLAY ITS PART.**

THE

WORKING GROUP ON URBAN TREES FORMED

A GOVERNMENT INTER-DEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON URBAN TREES HAS BEEN FORMED, AND IS EXPECTED TO PROPOSE MORE DETAILED STANDARDS FOR TREE PROVISION, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE GROUP WAS FORMED AFTER THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED IN TREE PLANTING DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM RECENTLY AND AGREED THAT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE POLICY WOULD HELP THEM IN THEIR EFFORTS ΤΟ PLANT MORE TREES, PARTICULARLY WHERE THERE WAS COMPETITION FOR PAVEMENT SPACE WHICH WAS IN ALMOST ALL THE OLDER AREAS, HE SAID.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PEGGY LAM, MR BARNES SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY STATEMENT ABOUT TREE PLANTING IN STREETS WAS VERY SIMPLE.

STATED THAT

THE HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES "WHEREVER POSSIBLE FOOTWAYS, MEDIAN STRIPS AND ROADSIDE AREAS SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE PLANTING", HE SAID.

"SIMPLE AND LIMITED IT MAY BE, BUT IT AND THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT AND SOME DISTRICT BOARDS, HAVE ENSURED THAT WE DO IN FACT HAVE TREES IN MOST FOOTWAYS, MEDIAN STRIPS AND ROADSIDE AREAS WHERE THEY ARE POSSIBLE AND IN WAN CHAI IN SOME PLACES WHERE THEY ARE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE, MR BARNES SAID.

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HE SAID AS FAR AS HE KNEW, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAD NEVER QUIBBLED ABOUT ANY FINANCIAL PROVISION FOR TREE AND AMENITY PLANTING. THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS TOO PROVIDED GENEROUSLY FOR TREES ALL OVER THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS.

THAN

"WE MAY HAVE STARTED SYSTEMATIC PROVISION OF TREES LATER SINGAPORE AND OUR STREETS ARE UNDOUBTEDLY MORE CROWDED THAN THEY ARE THERE, BUT WE ARE STILL DOING PRETTY WELL,' MR BARNES SAID.

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