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CONFIDENTIAL
2230
064142
MDHIAN 0260
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 347 6
OF 171015Z OCTOBER 89
HKC062/1
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD, FROM DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR
WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS TO GOVERNOR, HONG KONG
2ND MIPT: RELOCATION OF HMS TAMAR TO STONECUTTERS
CARMEN LUK, TVB:
WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF TAMAR WHEN LARGE-SCALE RECLAMATION GETS UNDERWAY IN WANCHAI AND CENTRAL?
CHIEF SECRETARY:
WELL AS YOU HEARD THE GOVERNOR SAY IN HIS SPEECH YESTERDAY, WE'VE MADE A DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE CENTRAL-WANCHAI RECLAMATION AND THE GOVERNOR ALSO MENTIONED THAT SITES WILL BE AVAILABLE, I THINK IN 1993, IN THAT AREA. I SHOULD, I THINK, SET THIS IN SOME SORT OF CONTEXT. WE HAVE ALWAYS, AS FAR AS MILITARY LAND IS CONCERNED, IF THERE HAD BEEN A NEED TO DEVELOP FOR AN ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL PURPOSE ANY PARTICULAR AREA OF HONG KONG ON WHICH THERE WERE MILITARY FACILITIES, WE HAVE AS A MATTER OF COURSE REPROVISIONED THEM ELSEWHERE. THERE ARE VERY CLEAR EXAMPLES IN THE CENTRE OF KOWLOON WITH KOWLOON PARK WHICH USED TO BE WHITFIELD BARRACKS,
NOW A SPLENDID PARK. AND CLOSER TO HOME, IN VICTORIA BARRACKS WHICH IS ALSO TO BE A PARK. AND SO THAT IS A WELL ESTABLISHED PRINCIPLE. WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS TO MOVE THE TAMAR NAVAL BASE ON TO STONECUTTERS'S. THAT WORK WILL START AROUND 1992 AND WILL BE REPROVISIONED AS A NAVAL-BASE FOR THE ROYAL NAVY AT THAT TIME. THAT WILL ENABLE US TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE CENTRAL-WANCHAI RECLAMATION WHICH IS A VERY EXCITING PROJECT AND WILL PRODUCE LARGE AREAS OF COMMERCIAL LAND.
IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BENEFITS FROM THE STRATEGY AS A WHOLE, CLEARLY, CENTRAL AND WANCHAI RECLAMATION OFFERS US A VERY LARGE POTENTIAL REVENUE FROM THE SALE OF COMMERCIAL SITES THERE.
CARMEN LUK, TVB:
HAS CHINA BEEN CONSULTED BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION?
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