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programme. It has been decided that, in the next phase of
development, more resources should be devoted to reclaiming sizeable
areas of land around the harbour. These would provide space to
facilitate urban renewal and restructuring and to construct more
transport links. It has also been decided that more resources will
need to be devoted in the future to developing the essential economic infrastructure of the territory, particularly port
facilities and, possibly, a new airport to replace Kai Tak.
Consultants have therefore been engaged to review all development
studies so far undertaken and to prepare a strategy for port and
airport development and their relationship with the proposed new
harbour reclamations. A comprehensive study of the future transport
structure is also being undertaken. When these studies are
completed the aim will be to develop a master plan to bring together
all the preferred options in a co-ordinated strategy.
(b) Public Works Programme
The
58. In the meantime the Hong Kong Government continue to invest
heavily in capital works on the basis of current programmes. approved provision for the 1987/88 financial year is HK$5.8 billion,
excluding public housing, and the commitment to new projects
starting during the year is HK$6 billion. About a half of the
provision is for highways, civil engineering and environmental
protection projects and a further 30 per cent for building items.
Major projects planned to start during the year include the Eastern
District Hospital, already mentioned, the final stage of the Island
East Corridor road and sewage treatment and disposal facilities in
North West Kowloon. The amount available for new starts in the
financial year 1988/89 is also expected to be about HK$6 billion.
(c)
New Towns
59. Good progress continues to be made with the development of
the new towns, with expenditure on them continuing to run at about HK$3 billion a year. The first public housing estate in the extension of Sha Tin at Ma On Shan has been receiving residents and
the first housing estate in Junk Bay is also ready for occupation.
When completed in the mid-1990s, the total population of all the new
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