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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
Construction of over 60 hectares of wetlands to the north-east of the Tin Shui Wai Reserve Zone is in progress and is scheduled for completion in 2003. The wetland is being provided as an ecological mitigation measure for the land formation of the Reserve Zone and will form a buffer between the new town and the Ramsar site at Mai Po Marshes. The Hong Kong Wetland Park project is the first of its kind in Hong Kong and will provide a range of fresh and salt-water habitats for establishing wildlife. Phase 1 of the project, providing an Exhibition Pavilion, has already been completed. Phase 2 includes an Outdoor Park with a Visitor Centre and associated facilities. The park, scheduled to be completed by end-2005, is expected to become an attraction for local and overseas tourists.
Tung Chung
Hong Kong's ninth new town taking shape on the northern shore of Lantau Island is designed as a supporting community for the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. The new town, served by a high-speed road link and the Mass Transit Railway, is being developed on about 760 hectares of land to modern international standards, with residential and commercial developments and all necessary supporting infrastructure.
Phase 1 of the new town development was included in the Airport Core Programme and was completed in 1997 to accommodate about 20 000 residents in Tung Chung. Site formation and infrastructure works for Phase 2 were also completed. Works on Phase 3A started in March 1999 and were completed in late 2002. Improvements to Tung Chung Road between Pai Mei and Lung Tseng Tau commenced in mid-2002 for completion in late 2003.
The Government will grant a franchise for the finance, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a cable car system linking Tung Chung and Ngong Ping. The franchise will be awarded on a build-operate-transfer basis for 30 years. This cable car system, expected to be completed in the second half of 2005, will add to the range of tourist attractions in Hong Kong. Upon completion of the system, visitors will be able to enjoy an approximately 5.7-kilometre ride between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping and admire the scenic views of Lantau and the airport. The cable car system will also provide an additional linkage among different attractions on Lantau, including the outdoor seated bronze Buddha, which is believed to be the largest of its type in the world.
North-East New Territories and North-West New Territories New Development
The planning and development study on the North-East New Territories is scheduled to be completed in 2003. The study has established the feasibility of developing Kwu Tung North (497 hectares) and Fanling North (192 hectares) as New Development Areas to house populations of 100 000 and 80 000, respectively.
A planning and development study on the North-West New Territories is nearing completion. It has identified the Hung Shui Kiu area as a suitable New Development Area to accommodate a total population of about 160 000 and to provide container back-up sites. The total development area is about 435 hectares.
Islands District
Development works on other islands continue mainly to improve the living environment of existing residential districts. Reclamation, road and drainage works at
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