XN000022-1992-07-08 — Page 9

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***SDAY, JULY 8, 1992

MR

BEEN PART DEPARTMENT.

EASON SAID SINCE THE EARLY 1980S, A LANDSCAPE SECTION HAD OF EACH DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IN THE TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT

THIS WAS TO ENSURE THAT LANDSCAPE MEASURES, INCLUDING TREE PLANTING, WERE AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL, WHETHER PRIVATE OR PUBLIC.

IT WAS NOW STANDARD PRACTICE FOR COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS, HE ADDED.

MR EASON SAID A LONG-TERM, COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE PLAN HAD BEEN OUTLINED AS PART OF THE METROPLAN SELECTED STRATEGY RELEASED LAST YEAR.

THIS PROVIDED AN URBAN DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE INCLUDING AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF OPEN SPACES.

PARKS.

FRAMEWORK,

FIFTEEN AREAS WERE EARMARKED FOR DEVELOPMENT AS URBAN-FRINGE

"UPON FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGY, WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 1,000 HECTARES OF LANDSCAPED AREAS AND OPEN SPACES IN THE METRO REGION FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT.

"IN ADDITION, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMULATING A TERRITORIAL LANDSCAPE STRATEGY AS PART OF THE ONGOING TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDIES," MR EASON SAID.

THE SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT THE OVERALL CO-ORDINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POLICY WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH.

"IT WILL BE CLEAR THAT THE ETHIC IS ALREADY BECOMING INCREASINGLY ENTRENCHED IN THE NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED; AND THIS, RATHER THAN AN INTRICATE GREENING MASTERPLAN, IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS," MR EASON SAID.

HE SAID BODIES WITH RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FIELD, SUCH AS THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD, DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS COMMITTEE, THE DISTRICT PLANNING AND LAND CONFERENCES, AND SO ON, WERE ALSO ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ASPECTS OF THEIR BUSINESS.

AGAIN, SPECIFICALLY ON TREES, AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON URBAN TREES WAS SET UP IN MARCH 1991 TO CO-ORDINATE EFFORTS IN TREE PLANTING AND TO DRAW UP GUIDELINES FOR STREET TREE PLANTING.

ON THE GENERAL QUESTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, MR EASON MENTIONED THAT AN INFORMATION PAPER ON THE SUBJECT WAS PRESENTED то THE OMELCO PANEL ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AT ITS APRIL MEETING.

THE PAPER DESCRIBED THE POSITION AS REGARDS COUNTRY PARKS SPECIAL AREAS, MARINE PARKS AND RESERVES, FLORA AND FAUNA, LAND PLANNING AND CONTROL AT STRATEGIC, SUB-REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS, POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL.

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USE

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