WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1976
23
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DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT WORKS
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THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE CITED THE +DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS+ TO VITAL COMMUNICATIONS LINKS BEING UNDERTAKEN IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THESE INCLUDE THE ROAD LINKS BETWEEN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA OF KWUN TONG AND THE CONTAINER TERMINAL (WHICH IS NOW HANDLING 39 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF OUR IMPORTS AND 53 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF OUR EXPORTS, EXCLUDING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS), BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHATIN AND BEYOND TO TAI PO (WITH ITS NEW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE), BETWEEN KOWLOON AND THE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR TUEN MUN, AND THE IMPORTANT RAIL LINK BETWEEN KOWLOON AND CHINA,
HONG KONG'S COMMUNICATIONS OVERSEAS WILL BE STRENGTHENED BY THE IMPROVEMENTS TO CARGO HANDLING ARRANGEMENTS PLANNED FOR THE HARBOUR, BY THE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS BEING UNDERTAKEN AT THE AIRPORT, AND BY THE START PLANNED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MAIL CENTRE AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE NEW GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING WHICH SHOULD BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.
PROVISION HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO ASSIST THE WORK OF THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS IN DEFENDING OUR TRADING RIGHTS IN OVERSEAS MARKETS, AND IN ATTRACTING OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT AND TOURISTS TO STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY,
TURNING TO SOME MAIN AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID ON HONG KONG ISLAND THE MAIN EMPHASIS WAS INEVITABLY ON THE WORKS NECESSARY TO LIFT THE MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE MID-LEVELS.
+THUS PROVISION IS INCLUDED FOR CONTINUING TO WIDEN POKFULAM ROAD, FOR IMPROVING THE ROAD THROUGH ABERDEEN AND FOR A START ON THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL AND THE ROADS LEADING TO
IT. WORK WILL ALSO START ON IMPROVEMENTS TO VARIOUS JUNCTIONS IN THE MID-LEVELS AND PLANNING WILL START ON THE DESIGN OF THE WESTERN LINK BETWEEN POKFULAM ROAD AND CONNAUGHT ROAD WEST.+
ON THE PROVISION OF MORE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID THERE WERE FURTHER PLANS FOR RECLAMATIONS AT ALDRICH BAY AND ABERDEEN, FURTHER DRAINAGE WORKS AT KOWLOON BAY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SHAM SHUI PO AREA.
ADDITIONAL LAND AMOUNTING TO 155 ACRES WILL ALSO BECOME AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE REPROVISIONING OF THE FACILITIES AT VICTORIA BARRACKS IN HMS TAMAR AND OF RAF KAI TAK AT SEK KONG WITH EFFECT FROM 1978 AND 1979 RESPECTIVELY.
/AS TO