MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1983
+FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS THEREFORE, WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN A STUDY PROCESS WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO MAKE THESE MAJOR DECISIONS IN THE SOUNDEST POSSIBLE WAY AND IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE APPROACH WE HAVE ADOPTED, I BELIEVE, PUTS US IN THE FRONT RANK OF THOSE ENGAGED, WORLDWIDE, IN THAT MOST DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX OF TASKS, LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT PLANNING,+
MR CHAN SAID THE PROCESS BEGAN WITH A DEFINITION OF THE PRIMARY GOAL. THIS WAS TO FORMULATE A LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WHICH WOULD ENABLE OUR NEEDS AS A COMMUNITY TO BE MET UP TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. THE STRATEGY WAS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND AND ASSOCIATED TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS.
MR CHAN CONTINUED +NEXT WE CONSIDERED VARIOUS OBJECTIVES WE MIGHT SEEK TO ACHIEVE THROUGH OUR STRATEGY. THESE OBJECTIVES FALL INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES. ONE CATEGORY COVERS INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES WHICH AIM AT THE MINIMISATION OF COSTS AND THE MAXIMISATION OF BENEF ITS.
+FOR EXAMPLE, ONE SUCH OBJECTIVE MIGHT BE TO KEEP PUBLIC SECTOR COSTS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. ANOTHER MIGHT BE TO MINIMISE THE NET COSTS OF TRANSPORT OPERATIONS. IN FACT SIX OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR QUANTITATIVE EXAMINATION.
+THE OTHER EQUALLY IMPORTANT CATEGORY OF OBJECTIVES COVERS A RANGE OF SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH A GIVEN STRATEGY WOULD ENHANCE THE PRIMARY ECONOMIC ROLES OF THE TERRITORY IN THE WIDER REGION. ANOTHER MIGHT BE TO HAVE A STRATEGY WHICH WILL PROVIDE A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN THE FACE OF CHANGING ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
+NOT ONLY DOES THE SETTING OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN THIS WAY GIVE DIRECTION TO DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, IT ALSO ASSISTS THE PROCESSES OF SHAPING AND EVALUATING OPTIONS, AND, THEREFORE, THE ULTIMATE SELECTION OF THE PREFERRED STRATEGY.+
WHAT +DEMAND SIDE STUDIES HAD SHOWN, WAS THAT BY THE YEAR 2001 THE POPULATION OF THE TERRITORY WOULD BE ABOUT 7.1 MILLION, COMPARED WITH ABOUT 5.3 MILLION NOW. ABOUT 6.2 MILLION SHOULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN DEVELOPMENT AREAS ALREADY EXISTING OR PLANNED NOW.
THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION FOR WHICH NEW AREAS WOULD HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED WOULD THEREFORE BE ABOUT 870 000 PEOPLE.
AS REGARDS EMPLOYMENT, THE WORKFORCE WAS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM ABOUT 2,4 MILLION IN 1981 TO ABOUT 3.4 MILLION IN 2001. WHILE A SHIFT TOWARDS MORE EMPLOYMENT IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR WAS EXPECTED, HEAVY DEPENDENCE ON MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY JOBS WAS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. THERE WERE ALSO REASONABLY CLEAR NEEDS FOR THE EXPANSION OF OUR CONTAINER PORT, THE PROVISION OF AN ADDITIONAL RAIL TERMINAL, INCREASED AIRPORT CAPACITY AND BETTER CROSS-BORDER LINKS WITH CHINA,
/+ANOTHER MAJOR