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WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1983
CARGO HANDLING CAPACITY BE ING EXPANDED
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THE CAPACITY OF ALL PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS AND PUBLIC WATERFRONTS WOULD BE EXPANDED BY 25 PER CENT BY 1986, SUFFICIENT TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THIS WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY EXTENDING TWO OF THE SIX EXISTING PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS, AT TSUEN WAN AND RAMBLER CHANNEL, AND BY BUILDING A SEVENTH CARGO AREA LOCATED IN CHAI WAN, MR YEUNG SAID.
THE EXTENSION PROJECT WOULD BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR WHILE THE NEW AREA WAS EXPECTED TO BE IN OPERATION BY 1986, MR YEUNG SAID IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS BY THE HON WONG PO-YAN.
TOTAL THROUGHPUT IN 1982 AT THE SIX PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS AND THREE PUBLIC WATERFRONTS OPERATED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT REACHED 4.9 MILLION TONNES, ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE IR MAXIMUM CAPACITY UNDER THE SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT IN FORCE LAST YEAR.
MR YEUNG SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT COMPLACENT ABOUT THE PROVISION OF THE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES.
+THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE IS ACTIVELY EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF BUILDING A FURTHER THREE PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS,
+BUT GIVEN THE SCARCITY OF SUITABLE WATERFRONT SITES AND THE RELATIVELY LONG LEAD TIMES INVOLVED IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE SEEK TO MAXIMISE THE CAPACITY OF EXISTING FACILITIES BY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF CARGO HANDLING OPERATIONS, MR YEUNG POINTED OUT.
'THE NEW BERTH ALLOCATION SYSTEM INTRODUCED LAST JANUARY HAD BROUGHT ABOUT A FASTER AND LARGER TURNOVER OF VESSELS USING THE PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS AND PUBLIC WATERFRONTS, HE ADDED.
IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, 25 000 VESSELS BERTHED AT THESE WATERFRONTS, COMPARED WITH 20 500 IN THE SAME PERIOD IN 1982.
THE SURCHARGE ON BERTHING FEES HAD SUCCESSFULLY REDUCED THE BERTHING PERIOD OF MOST VESSELS TO WITHIN TWO DAYS, AND HAD ALSO PREVENTED PROLONGED OCCUPATION OF WATERFRONT BY IDLE LIGHTERS, HE SAID.
THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE WAS CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE NEW BERTH ALLOCATION SYSTEM IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXPERIENCE GAINED OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WITH A VIEW TO PROPOSING NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS, MR YEUNG ADDED.
/ON THE