XN000022-1993-09-27 — Page 8

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1993

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NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT BRINGS SOCIAL COHESION

HONG KONG HAS ACHIEVED A DEGREE OF SOCIAL COHESION AND A SENSE OF PRIDE IN

COMMUNITY THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THESE ARE PERHAPS UNIQUE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGH-RISE HOUSING, HE TOLD DELEGATES ATTENDING A NEW TOWN EXPERIENCE CONFERENCE.

SIR DAVID ATTRIBUTED THE SUCCESS OF THE NEW TOWN PROGRAMME TO A DETERMINATION TO BUILD COMMUNITIES RATHER THAN DORMITORIES.

SIR DAVID SAID CONTINUITY OF POLICY WAS ANOTHER FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME.

“WE HAVE SET OUR SIGHTS ON LONG-TERM PROGRAMMES EXTENDING OVER 10 YEARS OR MORE AND GONE FOR THEM.

"WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE INDEED TO HAVE HAD THE RESOURCES AND POLITICAL WILL TO SEE THEM ACHIEVED," HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT OF THOSE LIVING IN THE OLD URBAN AREAS, SIR DAVID SAID A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO URBAN IMPROVEMENT AND RENEWAL TOOK PLACE IN THE 1980'S THROUGH THE METROPLAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, AND VARIOUS URBAN RENEWAL SCHEMES.

"THE BENEFITS AND EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROVIDE VALUABLE REFERENCES ON WHICH URBAN REDEVELOPMENT CAN BE MODELLED." HE SAID,

QUANTITY NOT SOLE TARGET IN HEALTH AND WELFARE PLANNING

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ONLY ADDRESS QUANTITATIVE TARGETS IN THE PLANNING OF HEALTH AND WELFARE FACILITIES BUT ALSO FOCUSES ON MANY FACTORS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THESE INCLUDE LIKELY POPULATION MOVEMENT, DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES, ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY AND ANTICIPATED CHANGES.

SPEAKING AT A NEW TOWN EXPERIENCE JOINT CONFERENCE, MRS WONG SAID HONG KONG'S MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR HOSPITAL BUILDING PROGRAMME IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN PLANNING COULD OVERCOME CONSTRAINTS OF TIME, RIGID PLANNING RATIOS, POLITICAL PRESSURE AND CASH LIMIT.

ACCORDING TO THE SCOPE OF APPROVED PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE, THERE WILL BE A TOTAL PROVISION OF ABOUT 30,000 HOSPITAL BEDS BY THE END OF THIS DECADE, VERY CLOSE TO THE PROJECTED REQUIREMENT OF 5.09 BEDS PER 1,000 POPULATION.

HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT CONTENT WITH JUST ACHIEVING THE PLANNING STANDARD IN NUMERICAL TERMS, MRS WONG SAID.

/"OUR APPROACH