240. To relieve the acute shortage of building sites in the Colony, and to supplement the recommendations made in the Abercrombie report, the problem of removing a hill in Hung Hom situated between Chatham Road and Ma Tau Wei Road and depositing the spoil in the Hung Hom reclamation was investigated. Only half the hill will be cut down in the first instance to provide 4 acres of flat building land adjacent to Ma Tau Wei Road suitable for building low-cost housing. In addition, the spoil excavated from the hill will be used to reclaim 20 acres of land from the sea, thus providing a total area of 24 acres of flat land as compared with the original 4 acres of hilly site. Similar investigations were carried out for forming housing sites on Pipers Hill and depositing the spoil in the Cheung Sha Wan reclamation.
241. Land boring and marine boring gangs were maintained in the field during the year. The land boring team, under the direction of the Laboratory Superintendent, investigated various building sites throughout the Colony, and also continued drilling at Pipers Hill to determine the levels to which the hill can economically be excavated.
242. The marine boring gang, apart from minor works, were engaged on investigations of the sea bed in Kowloon Bay in connexion with the Development of Kai Tak Airport. They worked under the direction of the Consulting Engineers engaged for this project.
243. Other minor works carried out or commenced were:
(a) the construction of a Radar Beacon on Tathong Rock as a navigational aid to shipping.
(b) the construction of 3 additional ramps and dolphins at Kennedy Town to facilitate the landing of fish, poultry, pigs, cattle etc.
(c) the construction of a landing stage near Blake pier for the handling of mails to and from the General Post Office.
50