FRIDAY, MARCII 27, 1987
+ INITIALLY, WE ARE STUDYING ANALYSES OF ALL THE KNOWN MAJOR PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS TOGETHER WITH THE KNOWN OPPORTUNITIES, MAINLY IN TERMS OF NEW LAND FOR SOLVING THEM.
+SECONDLY, WE MUST STUDY THE STRATEGIC DEMANDS ON THE METROPOLITAN AREAS IN TERMS OF HOUSING REQUIREMENTS, AIRPORT, PORT AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS AND IN THE REVISION OF PLANNING STANDARDS.
+ THE THIRD STAGE IS AN ATTEMPT TO PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER PHYSICALLY ON MAPS AND CHARTS WITH INDICATIONS OF THE MAIN WORKS AND THEIR LIKELY STAGINGS.
+AT THIS STAGE, I BELIEVE WE WOULD DERIVE CONSIDERABLE BENEFIT FROM A PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE WILL AIM TO PRODUCE A PUBLISHABLE OUTLINE DOCUMENT AND PERHAPS ORGANISE SEMINARS UK DISCUSSIONS TO CANVASS COMMENTS ON IT, HE SAID.
THE LATE STAGES WOULD PE TO SORT OUT THE IDEAS, MAKE BROAD ESTIMATES OF THE RESOURCES INVOLVED AND DERIVE FROM THEM A PROGRAMME OF WORKS AND OPERATIVES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THEM, HE ADDED.
+ I AM VERY ANXIOUS TO PRODUCE A MASTER PLAN WHICH IS SUBJECT TO CHANGES TO MEET THE DYNAMISM OF HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IF THE MASTER PLAN HAD ITSELF TO RE PUBLISHED, HE SAID.
MR BARNES ALSO POINTED OUT SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES IN THE URBAN AREAS.
THESE INCLUDED INCINERATORS AND PETROLEUM DEPOTS SITED NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS THE REMAINING SQUATTER AREAS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL BLACK-SPOTS, AND POLLUTION OF HONG KONG WATERS.
J
TO TACKLE THESE PROBLEMS, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGIC STUDIES HAD SHOWN THAT FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF PRESENT AND COMMITTED NEW TOWNS SCHEMES, THERE WOULD BE A GREATER ADVANTAGE OF INVESTMENT IN, AND CAPITALISATION ON PAST INVESTMENT IN, THE URBAN AREAS AND THE NEIGHBOURING NEW TOWNS THAN IN FURTHER NEW TOWNS, BOTH IN TERMS OF PUBLIC DEMAND AND ALSO IN TERMS OF THE COST BENEFIT OF GOVERNMENT CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
MR BARNES ADDED THAT A PLANNING COMMITTEE TO WORK OUT REMOVALS AND PLANNING CONTROLS FOR WHAT WERE KNOWN AS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS WAS NOW WORKING UNDER HIS CHAIRMANSHIP.
+THIS IS A MASS OF ACTIVITY, SOME PHYSICALLY STARTING AND MUCH IN THE COURSE OF PLANNING.
+THE WORKS COMPARED WITH NEW TOWN WORKS ARE MORE DIFFICULT IN THAT ALMOST ALL HAVE SOME ADVERSE EFFECTS ON SOME PERSON OR INTEREST, AND WILL TAKE PLACE OVER A LONG PERIOD.
/+WHAT WE