CHAPTER 14
LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
EFFICIENT delivery of a wide range of infrastructure is essential to sustaining Hong Kong's continued success. In 1996–97, some $23.5 billion worth of public works projects were under management. In the past decade, expenditure on the Public Works Programme (PWP) has grown at an average rate of 6 per cent per annum in real terms, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with the demands of an increasingly sophisticated society.
Eight of the 10 Airport Core Programme (ACP) projects have been substantially completed. The ACP transport corridor linking Hong Kong Island with Tung Chung new town opened to traffic in May 1997. The corridor comprises the Western Harbour Crossing, the West Kowloon Expressway, Route 3 (Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Sections), the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Expressway. The other two ACP projects, namely the new airport at Chek Lap Kok and the Airport Railway, are expected to be completed in April and June 1998 respectively.
With the running down of the ACP projects, new projects have been identified for injection into the PWP. These include a significant number of projects to provide land and associated infrastructure for housing. A review is currently being conducted of projects which require the government to acquire or clear land, and to ensure that important projects, such as those related to housing, will be given high priority.
Container Terminals, 9, 10 and 11 and other key port projects are under active planning. The first berth of Container Terminal 9 is planned to come into operation in late-1999, with Container Terminals 10 and 11 coming on line early next century. The programme for the development of these key port projects, together with typhoon shelters, mid-stream sites and river trade terminals, is co-ordinated to ensure the timely completion of new facilities.
Various measures have been taken to improve slope safety. The accelerated five- year Landslip Preventive Measures (LPM) Programme spanning 1995 to 2000 is progressing, with some 170 substandard slopes being upgraded each year. A new 10- year LPM Programme to upgrade another 2 500 substandard slopes will begin after the current five-year programme is completed. A new slope catalogue, and a register of maintenance responsibility, are being prepared and will be available to the public in 1998 and 1999 respectively to help ensure proper maintenance of slopes. To support this programme, more manpower resources and funding will be allocated for the various maintenance departments. In addition, the guidelines on the division of maintenance responsibility among various departments are being reviewed through the interdepartmental Standing Committee on Slope Safety. Existing legislation is being reviewed, and, where necessary, new or amended legislation suggested, to
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