Publicity Campaign for Preparation of Local Plan - Seberang Perai Selatan

As reported in The Star.

District plan open for public input

THE public and non-governmental organisations are invited to give their views, suggestions and proposals on the South Seberang Prai (SPS) district local plan which is now open for public opinion.

State Town and Country Planning and Housing Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the publicity campaign launched last week would be available for viewing at the SPS district office or the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) website.

“Any views or suggestions could be channelled to the government via filling up a form at the district office or through the MPSP website. The people have until Sept 8 to submit their views,” he said at the SPS district office yesterday.

Wong said the district’s focus would be in Batu Kawan and Bandar Tasik Mutiara in view of the upcoming second Penang bridge nearby.

“The plan is for the next 20 years and it will state the details for land usage and physical deve- lopment in SPS.

“Among the development issues addressed in the plan are the weak economic growth in the district, unorganised workshop activities, traffic congestions, pollution from breeding farms and landfills and flood problems,” he said, adding that the plan also addressed econo-mic, eco-tourism, environment and land issues.

While the local plan for SPS has just been unveiled, its neighbouring districts like Central Seberang Prai and North Seberang Prai are near completion, Wong said.

“The local plans for the two other districts are at advanced stage. Once they are completed, they will be submitted to the state planning committee before being endorsed by the state. We hope to complete them within a year.”

The SPS district, which encompasses an area of 24,334 hectare or 22.9% of Penang, has a
population of 150,000 people.

As reported in China Press

檳州城鄉策劃及房屋部委員會主席黃漢偉今早巡視威南縣的地方規劃及發展藍圖展時，呼吁民眾或非政府組織，踴躍前往參觀威南未來12年的發展大計，並積極提供寶貴意見，以更州政府得以更有效推行各項惠民的發展計劃。

他說，威南是檳州5個縣中，最后一個推展地方發展藍圖的縣，檳島的2個縣已成草擬工作，而威北及威中則在最后的草擬階段。

他強調，地方發展規劃及藍圖將影響整個區域未來發展的大計，與人民未來生活息息相關，因此，
大家應該在這為期15天的展示期間內，踴躍往了解自己地區的未來發展，及時提供本身意見。
他說，展覽大計旨在提供民眾一個與政府一起參與地方發展計劃的平台，讓民眾了解政府將在有關地區展開的各種計劃。

他說，任何人或團體若對有關藍圖有意見，可以通過既有的表格提出意見，或可以自行提呈完善的備忘錄或計劃書，以便在進行最后階段的草擬工作是加以考量。

他指出，威南縣佔檳州總面積的22.9%，但是人口稀少，而土地面積大，還有非常大的發展空間。
據了解，威南區目前的人口將近20萬，65.09%土地是農業地、21.28%是產業發展地、9.1%為水供地、4.53%森林區。

加強4大領域擺脫發展最慢排名

威南的農場因規劃不週，影響外界對當地的印象。威南地方規劃及發展藍圖，著重加強威南區的生產力、經濟發展、提升人民生活素質及資源管理，以擺脫檳州5個縣中發展最慢的縣區排名。
作為檳州第二大的縣區，威南佔檳州總面積的4份之一，土地大人口少是威南發展步伐比其他區慢半拍的因素之一，多年來州政府著重發展其他區域而忽略威南的發展也是導因之一。

然而，隨著毗連霹靂北部的北部經濟走廊及第二大橋在威南峇都交灣的落實，威南的未來發展可說是指日可待，只要一切按部就班進行，威南的經濟發展及人民生活水平必可直追他縣。
從目前正在威南縣署展示的2008-2010年威南縣地方規劃及發展藍圖中，可以窺見當局正努力朝改善地方既有問題，及以現有資源加強地方發展前進。

據發展藍圖列出的威南區規劃中所面對的問題包括：威南城市及鄉村經濟來源缺乏穩定性、小型工業沒有次序、威南城市及鄉村缺乏吸引力及城市形象不夠鮮、沿著大道旁的雞鴨農場影響外界對當地的印象、城市內的交通阻塞，及農場及垃圾場嚴重污染。