"J
THE SIX PROPOSED SITES WERE:
ร TOLO CHANNEL AT THE ENTRANCE TO TOLO HARBOUR IN THE EASTERN
NEW TERRITORIES;
*
#
*
A RECLAMATION SITE TO THE WEST OF LAMMA ISLAND;
A RECLAMATION SITE TO THE EAST OF CHEUNG CHAU:
A
RECLAMATION SITE OF NIM WAN IN DEEP BAY, OFFSHORE AND TO THE NORTH OF BLACK POINT;
A RECLAMATION SITE IN THE SHAM CHUN RIVER DELTA, ADJACENT TO THE BORDER; AND, LASTLY,
CHEK LAP KOK.
"THE CHEK LAP KOK SITE WAS SELECTED AS THE PREFERRED OPTION AND FEASIBILITY STUDY OF IT WAS UNDERTAKEN IN 1979 FOLLOWED BY A
A FULL MASTER PLAN STUDY IN 1982," MRS CHAN EXPLAINED.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TOLO CHANNEL SITE WHICH WAS REJECTED IN 1973 BECAUSE OF ITS POOR OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY IN TOLO HARBOUR, THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT ALL THE OTHER SITES HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN REVIEWED AGAIN.
"THE WESTERN HARBOUR SITES IN THE AREA OF LAMMA AND CHEUNG CHAU ISLANDS WERE RECONSIDERED IN THE ALTERNATIVE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT SITES STUDY IN 1989.
"THE BEST SITE IN THAT AREA WAS THEN COMPARED WITH THE CHER LAP KOK SITE DURING THE PADS STUDY WHICH COMPLETED ITS WORK LATER THAT
YEAR.
"IN 1981 83, WHILE A MASTER PLAN FOR CHEK LAP KOK WAS BEING PREPARED, THE DEEP BAY SITES AND, IN PARTICULAR, THE MORE ATTRACTIVE SITE OF NIN WAN WERE ALSO RE-EXAMINED BUT FOUND TO BE LESS DESTRABLE THAN CHER LAP KOK," MRS CHAN SAID.
AS THE NIM WAN SITE WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT IN A REPORT PREPARED BY A GROUP OF HONG KONG ACADEMICS THIS YEAR, MRS CHAN SAID THIS PROMPTED THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK YET AGAIN AT THAT SITE.
"BUT THIS REPORT AND THE SUBSEQUENT REVIEW ONLY RECONFIRMED OUR BELIEF THAT CHEK LAP KOK WAS THE CORRECT CHOICE," SHE STRESSED.
MRS CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEMS WITH NIM WAN WERE MANY AND SERIOUS AND THOSE RECOMMENDING THE SITE HAD NOT SUGGESTED HOW THEY MIGHT BE OVERCOME.
SO
THE SITE WAS
CLOSE TO THE NEW SHENZHEN AIRPORT UNDER DEVELOPMENT THAT AIRSPACE COORDINATION WOULD BE VERY COMPLEX: AN AIRPORT AT NIM WAN WOULD CREATE SERIOUS CONFLICTS WITH A VERY IMPORTANT SHIPPING CHANNEL SERVING THE PEARL RIVER; AIRCRAFT NOISE FROM SUCH AN AIRPORT WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT RESIDENTIAL, AREAS IN SHENZHEN AND TIN SHUI WAI; THE PROXIMITY OF THE MAI PO MARSHES WOULD CAUSE A SERIOUS RISK OF BIRD STRIKE FOR AIRCRAFT; THE SITE WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR PORT EXPANSION TO SHARE THE NEW TRANSPORT LINKS REQUIRED FOR THE AIRPORT; AND THE DELICATE ECOLOGY OF DEEP BAY COULD ALSO BE SERIOUSLY HARMED, SHE ADDED.
ON THIS, MRS CHAN EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID LISTEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND CONSIDER THEM THOROUGHLY, BUT HAD YET TO HEAR ANY PROPOSAL WHICH WAS A SERIOUS AND WELL RESEARCHED ALTERNATIVE TO CHER LAP KOK.