WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1981
JUNK BAY TOWN PLAN READY FOR GO-AHEAD
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PLANS TO DEVELOP A NEW TOWN FOR 300 000 PEOPLE AT JUNK BAY ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE AHEAD IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHEN THE GOVERNMENT'S LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE CONSIDERS RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN A RECENT MAJOR STUDY.
THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT FOR THE JUNK BAY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT BY MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA.
ACCORDING TO AN INTERIM REPORT ON THE STUDY, THE NEW TOWN CAN BE COMPLETED BY 1996, WITH SOME OF THE DWELLINGS IN THE INITIAL STAGES BEING OCCUPIED BY 1986.
THE COST OF PROVIDING AND SERVICING THE LAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AT TODAY'S PRICES IS ESTIMATED AT $6 250 MILLION, WITH LAND FORMATION AND ENGINEERING SERVICES COSTING ABOUT $2 650 MILLION- MAJOR ROAD AND MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY ACCESS ABOUT $2 020 MILLION AND THE REMOVAL OF EXISTING
INDUSTRIES AND OTHER LAND ACQUISITION COSTS ABOUT $1 580 MILLION, EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC HOUSING AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES OF ABOUT $3 700 MILLION WILL BRING THE TOTAL COST TO GOVERNMENT TO ABOUT $10 000 MILLION.
THE PROJECT MANAGER MR ROBIN SAUNDERS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT ACCESS TO JUNK BAY WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS FACING THE DEVELOPMENT.
+JUNK BAY IS A FAIRLY RUGGED AREA AND ALTHOUGH IT IS CLOSE TO EAST KOWLOON AS THE CROW FLIES, IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET TO,+ MR SAUNDERS SAID.
+EXISTING ROAD LINKS ARE POOR AND THE ONLY MAIN ROAD IN THE AREA, CLEARWATER BAY ROAD, IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS JAMS AND SNARL-UPS.+
+ANY LARGE-SCALE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA WILL HAVE TO BE PROVIDED WITH NEW CONNECTIONS BACK TO KOWLOON TO OVERCOME THIS BASIC PROBLEM.+
MR SAUNDERS SAID THAT THE MTR CORPORATION HAD BEEN APPROACHED AND WAS INTERESTED IN THE IDEA OF EXTENDING THE EXISTING LINE FROM KWUN TONG TO JUNK BAY.
+OUR VIEW IS THAT THE MTR SHOULD COME IN TO PROVIDE THE MAIN TRANSPORT BACKBONE OF OUR NEW TOWN, WITH EACH OF THE STATIONS BEING AT THE CENTRE OF A DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY, + MR SAUNDERS SAID.
/THREE STATIONS