12
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1979
+AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON CONSTRUCTION IS CONCERNED THERE HAS BEEN NO REDUCTION IN LEVEL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A RE-PHASING OF PROJECTS IN THE PROGRAMME THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS NON-RECURRENT ITEMS WILL REACH AN ALL-TIME RECORD IN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.+
PASSERINARARE
MR. MCDONALD REITERATED THAT SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO EASING OF PRESSURE AND +EMPLOYMENT IN THE INDUSTRY HAS INCREASED OVER LAST YEAR'S LEVEL AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE.+
REFERRING TO A SUGGESTION BY THE HON. F.K. HỤ THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO CONSTRUCTING PUBLIC HOUSING ON GOVERNMENT SITES WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE ONLY GROUND FLOOR USE, HE SAID I +IN FACT, COMPARATIVELY FEW SITES ALLOCATED TO DEPARTMENTS ARE DEVELOPED FOR GROUND FLOOR USE ONLY AS, AT LEAST IN RECENT YEARS, CONSIDERATION IS ALWAYS GIVEN TO JOINT-USER ARRANGEMENTS TO TRY TO MAXIMISE SITE UTILISATION.
+HOUSING, EITHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, IS ONE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL USE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION AS A MEANS OF ACHIEVING MAXIMUM DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL ALTHOUGH OF COURSE SOME SITES ARE TOO SMALL TO SUPPORT HOUSING OR ARE IN AREAS WHERE HOUSING OR ADDITIONAL HOUSING WOULD BE UNSUITABLE OR UNDESIRABLE.+
MR. MCDONALD EXPLAINED THAT HOUSING CANNOT SIMPLY BE PUT INTO EVERY AVAILABLE AREA AS THE INFRA-STRUCTURE AND NECESSARY AMENITIES IN MANY AREAS ARE ALREADY FULLY UTILISED AND THE
INTRODUCTION OF FURTHER RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION WOULD OVERLOAD THEM.
HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SITES WHERE A COMBINATION OF HOUSING WITH GOVERNMENT USES HAS PROVED VIABLE.
+ONE EXAMPLE IS THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY DEPOT SITE AT SHA TIN WHERE FLATS AND A COMMERCIAL COMPLEX WILL BE BUILT BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE ON A PODIUM OVER THE DEPOT, HE SAID.
+IN THE URBAN AREA, A SITE IN OF KWAN ROAD, WAN CHAI, IS BEING DEVELOPED WITH GOVERNMENT AND URBAN COUNCIL OFFICES ON THE LOWER FLOORS WITH HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY FLATS ABOVE. THE HOUSING SOCIETY IS ALSO CONSTRUCTING BLOCKS OF FLATS OVER A MARKET IN THE SAI YING PUN AREA.+
HE REASSURED MR. HU THAT CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO INCLUDING HOUSING TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM USE OF GOVERNMENT SITES WHEREVER IT IS POSSIBLE AND SUITABLE.
/13