THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1989
NO SHORT CUTS IN DECIDING ON NEW AIRPORT: CS
THE DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS NEEDED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ON A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT ARE EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING BUT THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SIR DAVID SAID 1989 WOULD BE AN EXCITING YEAR FOR THE ΤΟ MAKE ON GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF THE MAJOR DECISIONS IT WOULD HAVE
AIRPORT AND PORT MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL ACTIVITIES, OF WHICH THE NEW WAS ONE.
PORT HAD
HE STRESSED THAT THE DECISION ON THE NEW AIRPORT AND TO BE HANDLED WITH THE GREATEST CARE AND WITH THE BEST INFORMATION OBTAINABLE AS ITS EFFECT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY WELL BEYOND 1997 AND INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.
WOULD LAST
"WE ARE FIRMLY ON COURSE TOWARDS A DECISION BEFORE THE THIS YEAR, AND ARE COMMITTED TO THAT TIME-TABLE," HE SAID.
END OF
OUTLINING THE DEVELOPMENT ON
OPTIONS REPLACEMENT AIRPORT, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS TOO EARLY TO TAKE ON WHICH WOULD BE THE BETTER OPTION.
THE DIFFERENT
OF THE A VIEW
WORKS FOR "WE HAVE TO DECIDE NOT ONLY ON THE WHOLE PACKAGE OF
AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF EACH OPTION, BUT ALSO THE ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL THE DIFFERENT PROPOSALS, HE SAID.
4
SIR
SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON, DAVID SAID IT MUST BE RECOGNISED THAT WHILST MUCH DEVELOPMENT COULD PROCEED ON THE BASIS OF INCREMENTAL DECISIONS, A NEW AIRPORT EXPENDITURE A QUANTUM LEAP INVOLVING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF THE TAXPAYERS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
REQUIRED BY BOTH
AFFECT THE
AIRPORT AND PORT WILL "THE LOCATION OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY," HE SAID.
"IN A SENSE, BUILDING A NEW AIRPORT AND PORT IS LIKE PUT BACK IN A HEART TRANSPLANT EXCEPT THAT THE HEART IS PLACE," HE SAID.
"WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGEST PROJECT HONG KONG," HE ADDED.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE PROJECT COST OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND 32 TOLO HIGHWAY.
HAVING A DIFFERENT
EVER UNDERTAKEN IN
WOULD BE 12 TIMES THE TIMES THE COST OF THE
"IT INVOLVES SPENDING AT LEAST $40 BILLION,
OF A YEAR'S THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO 80 PER CENT EXPENDITURE," SIR DAVID SAID.
PROBABLY MUCH MORE.
TOTAL GOVERNMENT
/"WE MUST