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EDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1984-
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROAD NETWORK AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WOULD REFLECT THE GENERALLY MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION UNDER THE +RELOCATED STRATEGY AND THE FORMER AIRPORT RUNWAY WOULD BE USED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LINKS UNDE THE HARBOUR TO HONG KONG ISLAND.
THE ROAD NETWORK INVOLVES CONSTRUCTION OF 146 KILOMETRES OF NEW ROADS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN IN THE AIRPORT RETAINED+ STRATEGY - BUT THE AMOUNT OF TRUNK ROAD WOULD BE LARGER AT 71 KILOMETRES.
THERE WOULD BE 49 KILOMETRES OF NEW MTR LINE AND 39
NEW STATIONS, THE NEW LINES BEING GENERALLY SIMILAR TO THOSE PROPOSED IN THE +RETAINED+ STRATEGY EXCEPT FOR AN ADDITIONAL LINE FROM THE KOWLOON LINE VIA THE AIRPORT RUNWAY TO JOIN THE ISLAND LINE AT QUARRY BAY.
THE 52-PAGE STUDY REPORT POINTS OUT THAT REALISATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE GROWTH IS FINANCIALLY PRACTICABLE. AS EXPECTED LAND REVENUES WOULD EXCEED PUBLIC SECTOR COSTS BY A CONSIDERABLE MARGIN.
+THE DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVED ARE FEASIBLE IN PLANNING AND ENGINEERING TERMS, BUT DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS AND THE RESULTING PREPARATORY WORK WOULD HAVE TO BE PUT IN HAND IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS IF THE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE PRACTICAL MAXIMUM POPULATION LEVELS ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY 2001, IT STATES.
THE REPORT SAYS THE AIRPORT RELOCATED+ STRATEGY AFFORDED A GREATER CHANCE FOR COMPROMISE BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AND WEST KOWLOON. APART FROM THE ADVANTAGE OF COMMON ELEMENTS BETWEEN THE TWO STRATEGIES, DEVELOPMENT IN WEST KOWLOON TENDED TO BE CHEAPER, AFFORDED SAVINGS IN MAJOR WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSINGS AND FACED FEWER IMPLEMENTATION DIFFICULTIES. AGAINST THIS, DEVELOPMENT IN KOWLOON BAY FACILITATED THE USE OF AIRPORT LAND, AFFORDED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN EAST KOWLOON AND OPENED UP THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING. IT SAID THE MAXIMISATION OF THE NUMBER OF COMMON ELEMENTS BETWEEN THE TWO STRATEGIES WAS INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE 12 OBJECTIVES OF STRATEGY FORMULATION, THE RATIONALE BEING THAT IT WAS DESIRABLE FROM GOVERNMENT'S POINT OF VIEW FOR DEVELOPMENT TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ALONG A SINGLE PATH BEFORE A MAJOR TURNING POINT WAS REACHED.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE STUDY, WHICH DATES BACK TO A DECISION BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER, 1980, WAS INTENDED PRIMARILY TO CONTRIBUTE TO FORMULATION OF A LARGER STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE TERRITORY. ITS FINDINGS WOULD PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR DETAILED PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A WIDER STRATEGIC PLAN,
HE SAID SHRUG WAS ONE OF FIVE SUB-REGIONAL STUDIES THE GOVERNMENT WAS ANALYSING. IT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO 11 DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE STUDY AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS STARTING TOMORROW.
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