TNAG-1611-FCO40-2214-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 90

DRAFT SPEECH BY HON EDWARD S T HO, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 9 DECEMBER 1987-

Land Development Corporation Bill 1987

Mv. EDWARD HO:

Sir,

I rise to support the Land Development Corporation Bill

1987.

The phenomenal growth of the population in Hong Kong

1505 since the early fifties, and the burgeoning economy in the past

three decades have resulted in unrelenting building activities in

Hong Kong.

This led to firstly the rapid and dense building up of

'60s the main urban areas; and later, in the mid-sixties, the growth of

the new towns.

K

These new towns, fostered by our ambitious public housing programme, achieved the result of a more even distribution of the population throughout the territory. About 2 million people now live in new towns, whilst over 3 million still live in

the main urban areas.

Our attention on the quality of our living environment has in this way been focussed on the new towns whose development and growth could be planned comprehensively, as they were largely unhampered by existing constraints.

deteriorate.

Fashiou

In the older and most densely populated parts of the urban areas, on the other hand, conditions have been allowed to Buildings, mostly developed in a piecemeal manner and owned by a multitude of people, have fallen into dilapidation due to the natural process of ageing, lack of maintenance and sometimes total neglect to the extent that public health, and even safety may be jeopardised.

Also, due to this sort of unorganised and sporadic

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