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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1977
100,000 SQ. FT. OF INDUSTRIAL SPACE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR ******
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL HAVE ABOUT 100,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR IN ITS SHEK KIP MÉI FACTORIES.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HON. DEREK JONES, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN IN THE LÉGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR. JONES SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE RECENT APPROVAL OF FURTHER SITES FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO BUILD FLATTED FACTORIES, THE AUTHORITY HOPED TO PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL
100,000 TO 150,000 SQUARE FEET OF FLATTED FACTORY SPACE PER ANNUM FROM 1979 ONWARDS.
REFERRING TO THE PRODUCTION BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID IT WAS CONSIDERABLY HARDER TO ESTIMATE,
THE BEST GUESS THAT COULD BE MADE NOW OF THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ACCOMMODATION LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE WOULD BE ABOUT NINE MILLION SQUARE FEET IN 1977, 12 MILLION IN 1978, 15 MILLION IN 1979, 11 MILLION IN 1980 AND 12 MILLION IN 1981, MR. JONES SAID.
BY WAY OF COMPARISON, HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PREVIOUS HIGHEST RATE OF AVAILABILITY OF FACTORY SPACE WAS 10.8 MILLION SQUARE FEET IN 1972, WHICH WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR.
HE EXPLAINED THAT PROJECTED FIGURES WERE BASED ON ESTIMATES OF EXISTING VACANT LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ACCOMMODATION, TOGETHER WITH FURTHER SPACE LIKELY TO BE MADE AVAILABLE IN BUILDINGS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IN BUILDINGS WHICH COULD BE BUILT ON INDUSTRIAL LAND ALREADY SOLD, OR WHICH WAS LIKELY TO BE SOLD, IN TIME FOR BUILDING TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE FIGURES WERE BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WOULD BE A STEADY RATE OF BUILDING OVER THE PERIOD AND THAT DEVELOPERS WOULD BUILD TO THE MAXIMUM.
WHETHER THIS WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN, HE SAID, WOULD LARGELY DEPEND ON THE DEMAND FOR FACTORY SPACE.
THE SECRETARY ADDED THAT STAGES I AND II OF THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT 4.8 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF LAND (NOT ACCOMMODATION) OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOR SALE TO INDUSTRIES THAT COULD NOT OPERATE IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS.
+FURTHER AREAS OF LAND MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL INDUSTRIES, DEPENDING ON WHETHER WORTHWHILE PROPOSALS ARE MADE FOR OPERATIONS THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADE THE TECHNOLOGY OF HONG KONG INDUSTRY, HE SAID.
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