LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
The sewage from the immense developments is conveyed by over 230 kilometres of trunk sewers to treatment plants installed in the respective new towns. Domestic and industrial discharge, topography and the ecology of the receiving waters have been taken into consideration.
The new towns are served by over 500 schools, 13 hospitals with over 8 400 beds, a large number of clinics and ambulance depots, and facilities for the aged, the young and the handicapped. There are 47 post offices catering for communications needs and over 100 markets supplying daily necessities. The provision of these community facilities and services, which grow with the towns, add to the social cohesion and civic pride of the new town communities.
With the continuing improvements to facilities, it is expected that more people will be attracted to make their homes in the new towns. The number of residents is expected to grow to the design capacity of 3.5 million people. The new towns symbolise the government's commitment to provide a sound basis for the further growth and prosperity of the territory. While each new town has an atmosphere and a character of its own, there is a common theme: a strong engineering, architectural, planning and landscaping framework is there to provide the basis and flexibility for sustained development and a closely-knit social fabric.
The experience gained in 20 years of new town development was shared with overseas delegates in September at the New Town Experience Conference, co-hosted by a local organising committee, supported by the government and local professional and develop- ment institutions, and the International Urban Development Association.
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan new town embraces the areas of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island. Its population is expected to stabilise over the next 10 years at around 720 000. While new development and redevelopment continues, the gradual reduction in family-sizes and increased provision of larger flats will result in a decrease in population in some areas, resulting in no overall increase.
In addition to the district's historic elements, the new town is characterised by the location of Hong Kong's container terminals in its midst in the Kwai Chung area. In September, the first berth of the new Container Terminal 8 (CT8) was commissioned. Completion of CT8 development is expected by March 1995. Container Terminal 9 (CT9) is planned for Southeast Tsing Yi. Detailed design for the duplicate Tsing Yi South Bridge has been finalised and the bridge's completion is tied to the opening of the first berth of CT9.
Major highway projects will further extend and reinforce the principal road network. In Kwai Chung, the completion of improvements to Kwai Chung Road South and Container Port Road has substantially benefited the traffic conditions along the Kwai Chung Road Corridor between Castle Peak Road and Mei Foo Bridge. Road improvement works to Hing Fong Road and Texaco Road (Phase II), and the realignment and dualling of Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan Area 2 are progressing satisfactorily.
School children in the new town will have more choices of conveniently located schools with the addition of the Shek Yam Estate primary school in Kwai Chung and the Cheung Hang Estate primary school in Tsing Yi. The indoor recreation centres in Wai Tsuen Road, Tsuen Wan and Lai Cho Road, Kwai Chung will be welcomed by a wide range of
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