Provision of infrastructure for rural areas and nin towns
Question No. 8
Secretary for
Reply by on. G. Barnes, CBE, Lands & Works, to question by Hon. TAI Chin-wah at Legislative Council on 10 February 1988
8. MR. TAI asked:
Question
:
In view of the disparity in the provision of infrastructure such as road network and sewage system between rural areas and new towns, will Government inform this Council whether it is satisfied that the estimated cost of $35 million in 1988-89 for the purpose of improving the urban fringe and rural areas in the New Territories is realistic, bearing in mind the
ever-increasing costs and the large number of necessary capital works items?
SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS:
sir.
яс
C
The answer to this question is both yes and no. The $35 million, comprising $17 million for local public works and $18 million for urban fringe improvements, is for funding a programme of only fairly small-scale works which are relatively easy to implement and not involving major capital expenditure or land acquisition. In view of the fact that this programme was established for the first
time only this year, the amount provided is probably
realistic until we see what sort of progress we can make
with it.
achieve,
These minor works however clearly will not be enough on their own to achieve the sort of wide-scale improvements in the rural areas that we would all like to so, in that sense, $35 million a year is clearly not
enough. There are other items, however, currently in the
Public Works Programme which will contribute in the future to improving the infrastructure of particular parts of the rural areas. Apart from the major flood protection and drainage schemes works planned for the Northern New
billion dollars and
Territories which could cost
حيم
stet