FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1986
15
FLOATING MEETING FOR RURAL LEADERS
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THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE TODAY (FRIDAY) ARRANGED A SPECIAL RURAL COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMEN MEETING ABOARD A GOVERNMENT LAUNCH TO ENABLE THEM TO LEARN ABOUT DEVELOPMENT IN DEEP BAY IN CONNECTION WITH THE TIN SHUI WAI PROJECT.
OFFICIALS ABOARD THE CLEMENTI BRIEFED RURAL LEADERS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED MARINE BORROW AREA AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE VICINITY.
YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR JAMES WILSON, SAID THE DEEP BAY MARINE BORROW AREA WAS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN MORE THAN 12 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF EARTH TO FILL THE FISH PONDS AND LOW-LYING AREAS OF TIN SHUI WAI, WHICH WOULD BE DEVELOPED INTO A NEW TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF 146 000 PEOPLE IN THE 1990'S.
+ THE FIRST PLOT OF LAND FOR PUBLIC HOUSING IS EXPECTED TO BECOME AVAILABLE IN TIN SHUI WAI IN LATE 1988, AND THE FIRST INTAKE OF PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN EARLY 1991, TO BE FOLLOWED BY PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT,+ HE SAID.
PRELIMINARY CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS, COSTING ABOUT $100 MILLION, STARTED IN NOVEMBER 1984 AND WERE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN TIME FOR THE START OF THE MAIN SITE FORMATION IN EARLY 1987, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ACCESS ROAD LINKING THE SITE TO CASTLE PEAK ROAD, A WORKS AREA OF ABOUT TWO HECTARES FOR THE MAIN FORMATION CONTRACT AND DIVERSION OF THE TAI RIVER THROUGH A LARGE CULVERT.
+AS FOR THE SITE FORMATION, PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS INDICATED THAT SEA-DREDGED MATERIAL IS LIKELY TO BE MORE ECONOMICAL AND WOULD PRESENT LESS LOGISTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS THAN LAND SOURCES,+ SAID MR WILSON.
+ IT WOULD ALSO AVOID A LOT OF ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS SUCH AS CLEARANCES, LAND RESUMPTION AND NUISANCE FOR PEOPLE WHEN OBTAINING EARTH FROM LAND-BASED SOURCES, HE ADDED.
+ INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT SO FAR INDICATED THAT IN THE DEEP BAY AREA, THERE IS SUFFICIENT SUITABLE MATERIAL AVAILABLE AND PRE-QUALIFICATION OF TENDERS FOR THE MAIN SITE FORMATION CONTRACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE RECLAMATION CONTRACT IS EXPECTED TO START IN EARLY 1987,+ HE SAID.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE MARINE BORROWING DECISION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 1984 TO EXAMINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF MARINE FILL, TRANSPORTATION AND METHODS OF FILLING, MR WILSON SAID.
/+IT PROVIDED