-6-
19. Take the airport for instance.
It will cost $35 billion. Its transport links will cost another $18 billion: of this the new fixed crossing to Lantau will
account for some $5 billion. This is not so different
from the large capital projects we have built before.
The full MTR system cost $26 billion, using prices at its
various stages of construction. (The cost would be much
more in present day dollars). The Eastern Harbour Crossing alone cost another $3.5 billion.
Traditionally, we have counted on the private sector to
finance much of our infrastructure - for example all our
sea container and air cargo terminals, and some of our
most successful recent road and rail tunnels. This will
continue to be the case in future.
20. It is worth seeing these plans in the context of our new towns policy. Not so long ago, our flourishing
new towns were a gleam in the planner's eye. Now we are
setting outselves new targets. They are ambitious, as
were their predecessors. They will be accomplished in just the same matter-of-fact way. They are opportunities to seize rather than problems to agonize over.
21. But the renewal and expansion of our physical infrastructure will not alone see us through the
challenges ahead. Still more important are our human
resources and the qualities of leadership.
Here again I
am confident about the potential; but it will need real
effort to get the best results.
22. We have accomplished a great deal in the
development of our political system in the past few
years. Many people, with no previous experience of political life, have been drawn into the debate about how