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government marine facilities, as well as maintenance dredging of the harbour and tidal sections of some major river channels. The public and government marine facilities being maintained by the Civil Engineering and Development Department include 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, 8 kilometres of quay at public cargo working areas, 10 kilometres of breakwaters, 117 kilometres of seawalls, 302 piers and public landing steps, 99 dolphins (mooring structures), 14 100 hectares of fairways and 3 590 hectares of anchorage areas.
The department has always employed the latest technologies, such as cathodic protection for reinforced concrete, replacing timber fenders by rubber and plastic fenders, and aerial photogrammetric technique for monitoring rubble mound breakwaters and seawalls, to enable effective maintenance of the port facilities.
The department is now developing a computerised port maintenance information system so that the maintenance can be implemented in a more effective
way.
International Transportation and Logistics Hub
Logistics is an important sector of the economy, accounting for about 5.2 per cent of Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product. Hong Kong is Asia's premier international transportation and logistics hub, and for many years has maintained its position as the world's busiest container port and busiest international air cargo centre. These achievements are due to the people who run the services and facilities -the investors as well as the efficient workforce. It is also the result of a productive blend of private and public sector cooperation.
Hong Kong's port and airport are efficient, reliable and well-connected. These are important assets which facilitate the development of the logistics industry. In the case of air cargo, the airport handles an average of 59 000 tonnes of cargo every week. With its dual runways, the airport has ample capacity to handle anticipated increases in demand.
Hong Kong is also home to the most productive and efficient container terminals and the biggest private terminal operator in the world. A comprehensive network of container line services connects the port of Hong Kong with over 500 destinations worldwide. With Container Terminal 9 at Kwai Chung fully commissioned at the end of 2004, Hong Kong's container terminals have a total handling capacity of more than 18 million TEUS.
Necessary measures continued to be taken during the year to further strengthen the air transport infrastructure. The Government's Economic Development and Labour Bureau concluded four new Air Services Agreements (ASAs) in 2004, bringing the number of ASAS to 54 and providing more opportunities for airlines to expand services. In August, the Express Cargo Terminal of Hong Kong International Airport, capable of handling 160 000 tonnes of express cargo a year, started operation.
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