15
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1990
THAT
AT
TIME THE GOVERNOR
INDICATION A CLEAR GAVE GOVERNMENT'S THINKING ON THE PROJECT AND SIGNALLED A FIRM DECISION 1989, SIR DAVID SAID.
"WE FULLY BRIEFED MANY EMINENT VISITORS TO HỌNG KONG PROJECT LONG BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO GO AHEAD WAS MADE LAST
"INCIDENTALLY
OF
IN
ON THE
YEAR.
SENIOR
THESE VISITORS INCLUDED A GROUP OF OFFICIALS FROM THE MAINLAND WHO WERE GIVEN A FULL PRESENTATION ON PADS BY ME AND POLICY SECRETARIES IN MARCH 1989," SIR DAVID SAID.
NEW TARGET
ON QUESTION OF THE TIMETABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MAGIC ABOUT THE 1997 DATE FOR BUILDING THE AIRPORT AND IT HAD NO POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
"THE VIEW THAT THE AIRPORT MUST BE BUILT IN THE PERIOD OF
THINKING. BRITISH ADMINISTRATION FORMS NO PART OF GOVERNMENT'S FACTORS LED US TO THE TARGET DATE," SAID SIR DAVID.
"FIRST WE NEEDED TO BUILD THE AIRPORT AS SOON BEARING IN MIND THE GROWING CONGESTION AT KAI TAK.
THE TWO
AS PRACTICABLE
·
WAS
"SECONDLY OUR BEST ADVICE AT THE TIME WAS THAT SEVEN YEARS
CORE PROJECTS. THE SHORTEST PERIOD NECESSARY FOR COMPLETION OF THE THAT BROUGHT US TO 1997," HE SAID.
SAID OF THE
EXPLAINING WHAT HE MEANT BY THE CORE PROJECTS, SIR DAVID WERE THE PROJECTS WHICH WERE ESSENTIAL TO THE OPENING AIRPORT BY THE TARGET DATE.
THESE
"THEY INCLUDE ONE RUNWAY OF THE CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT, THE NORTH WEST KOWLOON LANTAU EXPRESSWAY, THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, AND THE EXPRESSWAY, HE SAID.
H
OPERATING
TAK, BY THE
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FIRST RUNWAY AT CHEK LAP KOK 24 HOURS A DAY, AND WITHOUT THE CONSTRAINT OF THE CURFEW AT KAI WOULD PROVIDE AMPLE CAPACITY TO MEET OUR AIR TRAFFIC DEMAND MID-1990S.
IS "IT FOLLOWS THAT THE COMPLETION DATE FOR THE SECOND RUNWAY
WHILE THE FLEXIBLE.
AS
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT HAS EXPLAINED,
PROVIDE DESIGN OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND THE EXPRESSWAYS WILL
TO MAKE A FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY, WE DO NOT NEED DECISION ON THE TIMING OF THAT RAILWAY FOR A FEW MONTHS YET," HE SAID.
BE
ON LANTAU SIR
DAVID SAID THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT WOULD OF COURSE CONTINUE TO BE BASED ON DEMAND, IT WOULD THEREFORE
THE PRIVATE INCREMENTAL AND IT WOULD ALSO BE LARGELY FINANCED BY SECTOR.
THAT WHILST
WE HAD A PROGRAMME FOR SIR DAVID STRESSED COMPLETION OF THE CORE PROJECTS IT WAS NOT SET IN STONE.
"AS
THE MORE
BECOMES INFORMATION
AVAILABLE REVIEWED AND REFINED TO REFLECT THE OPTIMUM TIME FRAME EACH PROJECT CAN BE COMPLETED AT A REASONABLE COST.
PROGRAMME
WITHIN
IS WHICH
/"I USE