The Control Yuan has attached great importance to post-disaster reconstruction in Hualien following a major earthquake that struck the eastern country during the Lunar New Year holiday in February. It therefore dispatched a team of four CY members on a visit to the region March 29-31 to inspect ongoing recovery efforts. The team also visited neighboring Taitung to examine county construction and related affairs.
On the first day of their visit, the CY members headed to Hualien’s Guangfu Township Office to accept in person petitions from residents. They received seven petitions in all, including related to property damage caused by landslides, tax disputes, and purchase applications for state-owned land. In response, the CY members instructed the Hualien government to handle county residents’ complaints in a timely manner, communicate with them effectively and help them to resolve their difficulties.
Afterwards, the CY members were briefed on the post-disaster situation, including the latest damage report, progress on reconstruction and resettlement efforts, and how donated funds were being put to use. They also learned more about implementation of Hualien’s Rural Rejuvenation Plan, such as the resources and assistance provided by the county government, the ecological park aspect of the plan, and overall progress and results of the plan.
On March 30, the CY members inspected Taitung Forest Park as well as Chin-Tsun Recreational Park and its fishing harbor, voicing approval for the county government’s allocation of budgets for the park’s post-typhoon reconstruction and the maintenance of public facilities. They also expressed the hope that the county government would provide tourists and residents with even better quality recreational facilities and services. Furthermore, they lauded the county government for taking advantage of Taitung’s special coastal features and effectively promoting surfing tourism to the county by attracting the World Surf League to hold its longboard championships there last year—namely the 2017 Taiwan Open of Surfing.
On the final day of their inspection visit to the region, the CY members headed to Green Island to gain a better understanding of the current situation regarding the township’s administrative operations, as well as its tourism development planning and promotion. They also visited the newly-built medical building to learn more about the local healthcare situation. The CY members said they looked forward to the island continuing to move in the direction of sustainable development that takes into account environmental protection as well as the preservation of local cultural heritage.