2
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
ANOTHER 1 000 HECTARES OF NEW LAND, SIR GEOFFREY WAS TOLD, WOULD THUS BE REQUIRED FOR A FURTHER 900 000 PEOPLE.
HE WAS INFORMED THAT TWO POSSIBLE GROWTH PATTERNS HAD BEEN IDENT IF IED. ONE WOULD PLACE ABOUT 470 000 PEOPLE ON NEW RECLAMATIONS IN THE WESTERN HARBOUR AREA AND ABOUT 480 000 IN THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES. THE OTHER WOULD PLACE ALL OF THE 900 000 PEOPLE ON NEW RECLAMATIONS IN THE WESTERN HARBOUR AREA.
HE LEARNED THAT BOTH PATTERNS WOULD ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT AND OTHER FACILITIES TO SUPPORT KEY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.
DETAILED PLANNING AND ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF THE PROPOSED HARBOUR RECLAMATIONS WILL BEGIN IN 1985 WHILE A PORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDY IS BEING CONDUCTED.
WHEN THE LAUNCH ARRIVED NEAR THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR, SIR GEOFFREY WAS GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT.
AS IT SAILED PAST KAI TAK AIRPORT'S RUNWAY, HE WAS BRIEFED
ON THE PROSPECT OF A FURTHER CROSS-HARBOUR LINK.
NEAR HUNG HOM AND TSIM SHA TSUI EAST, HE WAS BRIEFED ON VARIOUS NEW DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING THE WHAMPOA DOCKYARD REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME, THE PROPOSED HUNG HOM BAY RECLAMATION, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A $430 MILLION CULTURAL CENTRE.
DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE SHORES OF WAN CHAI AND CENTRAL WERE ALSO EXPLAINED.
IN THE VICINITY OF THE WESTERN HARBOUR AREA, HE LEARNED ABOUT PROJECTS SUCH AS THE EXPANSION OF THE CONTAINER TERMINAL, THE PROPOSED GREEN ISLAND RECLAMATION AND THE PROPOSED WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION.
AFTER THE TOUR WHICH LASTED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, SIR GEOFFREY DISEMBARKED AT THE QUEEN'S PIER.
SECRETARY OF STATE DEPARTS
***
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE AND LADY HOWE, LEFT HONG KONG FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.
SEE ING THEM OFF AT THE AIRPORT WERE THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE AND LADY YOUDE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S. Y. CHUNG, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ROGER LOBO, AND THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER,
MR CHRISTIAN ADAMS.