XN000022-1995-06-29 — Page 4

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Transcript of the Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the press session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after his visit to the New Territories environmental blackspots today (Thursday):

Governor: Good afternoon. In my Policy Address in 1993, I set out our determination to do what we could to help back clean up some of those parts of the New Territories which have been hard hit as Hong Kong has been growing and developing in the last 10 and 15 years. We set up the Blackspots Task Force with a steering committee providing the infrastructure of advice and support under one of our most distinguished Legislative Councillors, Samuel Wong, and we've had an excellent team of officials working on this very difficult problem which some people, I think, had believed was intractable. It is, let's face it, uphill work. But I think you have seen before that the steering committee and the team of first class officials have got a sensible and realistic strategy which should gradually pick up momentum and start to restore the environment in the New Territories.

There are two very different problems I think. The first is the problem of those sites where there's already what the planners call existing use. And the second is in those sites where the development is unauthorised. We've got strategies for dealing with both, starting of course with the most unsightly, unauthorised developments, but also trying to camouflage some developments with some of the environmental improvements that you've seen along the sides of the roads. That's only of course in a sense cosmetic. The most difficult problem is to deal with the sites behind the screening of shrubs and trees. But it nevertheless helps to I think improve the environment that you see as you drive along the roads. I just want to make it clear that as far as my Administration is concerned this is a priority task. I think it's securing more and more public support and we are in this for the long haul. The job we've got, and unless we tackle it now, it will become insoluble. The job we've got is to reconcile cleaning up the environment with ensuring that the economy continues to grow and develop. It's a difficult job. But I think you would have seen that we are committed to seeing it through. And I would like to thank Alan and his team for doing such a superb job.

Question: The airport issue. When the agreement.... signed the agreement?

Governor: I said yesterday that discussions have been continuing this week. When I left the office at half past two they were still continuing. Obviously, we all hope that they will lead to a satisfactory conclusion.

Question: Will that be tomorrow?