27
Wednesday, June 21, 1972
BENEFITS FROM OIL REFINERY
The District Commissioner, New Territories, the Hon. D.C. Bray,
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said today that an oil refinery would represent "a very large capital
investment and a corresponding demonstration of confidence in Hong
Kong by a major international company.
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Mr. Bray was speaking in an adjournment debate in the Legislative
Council on the matter of a proposed oil refinery at Lamma Island raised
by the Hon. K.S. Lo.
He said an oil refinery could bring benefits to Hong Kong, both
in the form of direct revenue if it was decided to make a levy on aspects
of the refinery operation, and indirect spin-off benefits such as the
repair of tankers serving the refinery.
There was also the question of the reserve supply of fuel which
would become available, he said.
There was a need, he said, for Hong Kong to safeguard against
any interruption in normal supplies and "an oil refinery would be of very
real assistance in enabling us to keep such stocks.'
Mr. Bray said that pollution, provided certain things were done,
did not prohibit the construction of an oil refinery.
The District Commissioner said it was possible to build a modern
oil refinery to environmental standards which were better than the overall
Colony standards in respect of air pollution and water pollution caused by
effluent from the refinery itself.
/However,