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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1991
ECONOMIC
LOUIS TING (HK
TIMES); IN THE MEMORANDUM THEY HAVE SAID THAT THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY ORDINANCE WILL BE MODELLED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ON THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE. WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THAT ?
THE GOVERNOR: THAT WAS JUST TO EXPLAIN TO THE CHINESE SIDE WHAT SORT OF AN ORDINANCE IT WAS GOING TO BE. IT WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE MTR ORDINANCE, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON FOR IT.
LOUIS TING: WHY IS IT MODELLED AS THE MTR AND NOT ANY OTHER ORDINANCE ?
THE GOVERNOR: BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SIMILAR OPERATION TO THE MTR IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. THE MTR BEING BUILT UNDER A BOARD AS IT WERE, SET UP SPECIALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE, THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR INDEED. IT'S GOT A MAJOR PROJECT TO MANAGE AND IT WILL BE SET UP IN VERY MUCH THE SAME WAY AS THE MTR WAS EVENTUALLY SET UP BECAUSE THERE WERE VARIOUS EARLY EXPERIMENTS WITH HOW TO RUN THE MTR AND EVENTUALLY THE PRESENT SYSTEM, THE MTR ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED AND WE WILL BE DOING A SIMILAR THING WITH THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
LOUIS TING: SECONDLY, ABOUT THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE AIRPORT. THE MEMORANDUM SAID THERE IS NO DECISION MAKING POWER AND IT SHOULD NOT DELAY THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT. THEN WHAT'S THE MEANING OF SETTING UP SUCH A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ?
THE GOVERNOR: I WOULD CALL IT SOMETHING LIKE A SOUNDING BOARD FOR A WIDE SPREAD OF OPINION. IT WILL BE CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO EXPRESS VIEWS ON THE AIRPORT AND PROJECTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AIRPORT, BUT VERY IMPORTANT INDEED THAT THAT DOESN'T BECOME THE BODY WHICH TAKES DECISIONS, THAT'S THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY THAT TAKES DECISIONS. VERY IMPORTANT INDEED THAT THAT WHOLE PROCESS OF PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS SHOULDN'T JUST BE A BREAK ON SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T DELAY THE WHOLE PROCESS. IT WILL I THINK ALSO BE A VERY USEFUL WAY IN WHICH WE CAN GET OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CALLED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT. IN MANY WAYS WE'VE GOT BOTH TOO MUCH AND TOO LITTLE INFORMATION, THERE'S A GREAT MASS OF DOCUMENTATION ON THE AIRPORT, BUT IT'S NOT BOILED DOWN INTO A FORM WHICH IS EASILY ABSORBED BY ORDINARY PROPLE AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE MORE EFFORT ON THAT. THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MAY WELL TURN OUT TO BE A GOOD WAY OF DISSEMINATING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRPORT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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