15
Wednesday, March 28, 1973
However, he hoped to place one or two commercial sites on Wan
Chai Reclamation in the Land Sales Programme for the second half of the
coming financial year.
While agreeing with the Hon. P.C. Woo that swamping the market
with land may be very desirable to bring down land coste, Mr. Robson
warned that this could cause a very rapid increase in building costs, by
over-committing the building industry.
For the same reason, it would also cause a great increase in
the cost of all public works, including that of the mass transit system.
Over-Committing
On housing, Mr. Robson said over the next ten years private
enterprise would have the opportunity of providing accommodation for
550,000 people.
These include 300,000 people to be accommodated on land made
available for private development and 250,000 people in redevelopment of old
property in the urban areza.
Referring to Lantau, Mr. Robson said a paper recommending that a
study be made for developing not only the island, but also the Sai Kung
Penins la, Ma Wan and Middle Island for recreation and tourism, had been
circulated to the Public Works Sub-Committee of the Legislative Council.
In broad terms, he said, the study would consider the potential
of the area for formal and informal recreational purposes.
/The market