SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1981
CONSULTANTS COMPLETE STUDY
OF NORTH WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES
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NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS, A CONSORTIUM OF FIVE ENGINEERING AND PLANNING FIRMS, HAVE JUST COMPLETED A NINE-MONTH LONG STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES.
THE STUDY HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT ENGINEER/NEW TERRITORIES, AND FOLLOWS PREVIOUS IN HOUSE+ STUDIES CARRIED OUT BY GOVERNMENT COVERING THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT.
THE CONSULTANTS' REPORT IN FIVE VOLUMES IS BEING CIRCULATED TO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR COMMENT BEFORE BEING REFERRED TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE FOR ACCEPTANCE IN PRINCIPLE.
THE TWO OVERRIDING THEMES OF THE STUDY HAVE BEEN TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT WITH THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO DECIDE HOW BEST TO PROCEED WITH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES AND HOW THIS REGION MIGHT BEST CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OF THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER STUDIES.
THE CONSULTANTS HAVE EXAMINED STRATEGIES WHICH ALLOW FOR A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES.
THEY RECOMMEND INITIALLY THE EARLY COMMITMENT BY GOVERNMENT TO A +BASE STRATEGY+ WHICH PROVIDES FOR ORDERLY +NATURAL+ GROWTH IN THE STUDY REGION, AS A CONTINUATION OF EXISTING TRENDS, UP TO A POPULATION OF ABOUT HALF A MILLION PEOPLE BY 1996.
THEY ALSO SUGGEST HOW MAJOR GROWTH MIGHT TAKE PLACE, BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW URBAN-TYPE SETTLEMENTS CONTAINING UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 680 000 PERSONS. THESE COULD BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES OF ABOUT 340 000 EACH, THE FIRST OF WHICH WOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY SELF-CONTAINED TO STAND BY ITSELF SHOULD THE NEED ARISE TO CALL A HALT TO FURTHER STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AT THAT STAGE.
TO ALLOW A RANGE OF OPTIONS, THE CONSULTANTS HAVE PROVIDED GOVERNMENT WITH A NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS WITH ULTIMATE POPULATIONS OF BETWEEN ABOUT 470 000, AND 1 150 000 PEOPLE FOR THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES BY THE YEAR 1996.
THEY RECOMMEND THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROCEED IMMEDIATELY WITH THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BASIC +INFRASTRUCTURE+ TO COPE WITH THE BASE POPULATION OF 470 000, BUT TO MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR DECISIONS BEING DELAYED ON ANY STRATEGIC GROWTH STRATEGY UNTIL AN OVERALL VIEW ON A TERRITORY-WIDE GROWTH STRATEGY CAN BE TAKEN.
/THE +BASE