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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987
MR YAXLEY EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO EXAMINE THE ULTIMATE CAPACITY OF KAI TAK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANY WORK COULD BE DONE TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE.
+PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE RUNWAY CAPACITY AT KAI TAK WILL NOT COME UNDER STRAIN UNTIL 1995, REACHING SATURATION POINT PROBABLY AROUND 2005, HE SAID.
+OBVIOUSLY IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE MAJOR INVESTMENT WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE IN THE KAI TAK.+
HOWEVER, MR YAXLEY ALSO ADDED THAT IT MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO BRING FORWARD THIS TIMETABLE IF FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT KAI TAK INCREASED FASTER THAN CURRENT TRENDS INDICATED.
A STEERING COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, WAS ESTABLISHED IN JANUARY THIS YEAR TO EXAMINE THE WESTERN HARBOUR – LANTAU STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL PREPARED BY THE HOPEWELL HOLDINGS CONSORTIUM, HE SAID.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE INCLUDED THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE DEPUTY FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE POLITICAL ADVISER,
IN THE VIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE PROPOSAL CONCERNED MEDIUM TERM DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND THUS, IT MUST BE LOOKED AT AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPORT, THE PORTS AND ROAD DEVELOPMENTS, HE SAID.
A TEAM UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO WORK WITH THE CONSORTIUM'S PLANNERS TO DETERMINE HOW THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL COULD FIT INTO THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
+THIS CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT SHOULD RESULT IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT'S INTENDED LONG TERM DEVELOPMENTS, MR YAXLEY SAID.
CONCERNING THE MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS ARISING FROM THIS PROJECT, HE SAID THAT GOVERNMENT PLANNERS WOULD PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO SUCH FACTORS IN THEIR DELIBERATIONS, AND WOULD BEAR IN MIND THE PREFERENCE FOR A PHASED APPROACH.
IN PARALLEL WITH THIS STUDY, MR YAXLEY SAID VARIOUS OPTIONS IN RELATION TO A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
+THE PREVIOUS STUDY ON CHEK LAP KOK IS OF RELEVANCE BECAUSE THAT SITE REMAINS AN OPTION.+
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