XN000022-1994-10-14 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1994

GOVERNOR:

I THINK THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE IS SO GREAT THAT NOBODY COULD BE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRESS MADE. I THINK ABOUT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE HERE. I THINK ABOUT THE DIRTY AIR WE

SOME THAT

BREATHE AND THE FILTHY WATER AROUND OUR SHORES. I THINK, TOO, OF THE REAL LAND USE PLANNING PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THAT WE HAVE TO COPE WITH AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE AND BY TAKING. SOME TOUGH AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I HOPE THAT EVEN IF WE ARE NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH

AS FAST AS THE IMPERATIVE SUGGESTS IS OBLIGATORY ON US I HOPE THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

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I THINK THAT OUR SEWAGE STRATEGY SCHEME IS THE RIGHT WAY OF STARTING TO CLEAR UP OUR WATERS THOUGH THE SECOND STAGE OF IT NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY DISCUSSED WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS BECAUSE IT WILL ONLY HAPPEN AFTER 1997 AND THERE ARE SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ARGUMENTS ABOUT WHETHER THE BEST MEANS OF DISPOSAL INVOLVES INVESTMENT IN SECONDARY TREATMENT OF THE STUFF, OR WHETHER IT IS ENOUGH TO HAVE PRIMARY TREATMENT AND A LONG SEA OUTFALL. THESE ARE RATHER UNPLEASANT SUBJECTS AND I WON'T GET INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT PLUMES. BUT I THINK THAT AT LEAST WE ARE NOW PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE THE PROBLEM IS AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME PROGRESS.

I THINK WE'VE SEEN PROGRESS, AS WELL, IN WASTE DISPOSAL, AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN SOME PROGRESS, THOUGH THERE IS STILL A LOT FURTHER TO GO, IN CLEANING UP THE AIR. THOUGH AS YOU KNOW, IN MY LEGCO SPEECH I PROPOSED ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO DEAL WITH THE EMISSIONS FROM DIESEL ENGINES AND FROM CARS IN GENERAL.

I ALSO PUT FORWARD SOME PROPOSALS ON NOISE WHICH I HOPE WILL BE POPULAR. NOT NOISE FROM ANYTHING GENERATED BY POLITICIANS OR GOVERNORS IN HONG KONG THOUGH I HOPE WE CAN ALL SEE A QUIETER DISCUSSION AND DEBATE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS BUT NOISE FROM BUILDING SITES, AND THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE USE OF DIESEL AS OPPOSED TO HYDRAULIC HAMMERS.

SO I DO THINK WE'VE GOT A SERIOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME WORKED OUT. OF COURSE WHAT WILL HAPPEN AS WE DEVELOP OUR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES IS, SOME PEOPLE WILL COMPLAIN THAT WE'RE NOW REGULATING THE ECONOMY TOO MUCH, SOME PEOPLE WILL GRUMBLE ABOUT THE COSTS OF ENVIRONMENTALISM. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE END OF THIS CENTURY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT HAS TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT. SO THE SOONER WE CAN FACE UP, WITH ALL OUR RESOURCEFULNESS, TO THAT PROBLEM, THE BETTER.

GOVERNOR:

QUESTION:

THE BEST JAZZ BAND IN HONG KONG,

P

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SO I A

THANK YOU, MR PATTEN, FOR THE FREE ADVERTISING. DON'T HAVE. TO INTRODUCE MYSELF MY NAME IS JOOP LITMAATH, I'M MUSICIAN, AND IN MY SPARE TIME I WORK A LITTLE BIT FOR THE CHAMBER,

GOVERNOR, I DID THE SAME AS THE FIRST GENTLEMAN WHO ASKED YOU A QUESTION, I PREPARED A QUESTION BEFORE YOU CAME IN BUT CONTRARY TO WHAT HE DID, I LISTENED TO YOUR SPEECH FIRST. AND I NOTICED THAT YOU DID ADDRESS THE LABOUR SHORTAGE - AS YOU DID IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS YOU REFERRED TO THE NEED TO IMPORT ON A LIMITED AND CONTROLLED BASIS, AND THAT FOREIGN WORKERS NEEDED TO OVERCOME THE MOST ACUTE BOTTLENECK IN OUR LABOUR MARKET. THAT IS THE STRONG FEELING OF THE CHAMBER.

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