+
13 -
Answering critics who advocate shelving port expansion and developing other service industries, he said: "Most of the service industries are here purely because of the success of the port. If the port business goes elsewhere then, so will the service industries."
"I know that there are environmental concerns over port expansion, but these have already been addressed by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee of the Advisory Council on the Environment. The committee has endorsed the building of Terminals 10 and 11."
"People are also worried that expanding the port will mean more container lorries on the road. It is true that the Government is planning new road networks to serve Lantau Port, but, there are also plans for rail links and there is a growing trend to ship containers by river.
"This is why a River Trade Terminal is being planned close to Tuen Mun and facilities to accommodate feeder vessels and barges at the new terminals are incorporated in the design."
Mr Forsgate explained that the established practice in container shipping is for large, deep-sea vessels, which are becoming increasingly larger, to call at hub ports from where containers are distributed to smaller ports by feeder vessels. "We see Hong Kong's role as the hub port for this region," he said.
"People must realise that Hong Kong has been, and remains, a port-based economy. That will continue to be true well into the next century. The simple fact is, if the port does not expand then neither will the economy," he said.
End/Wednesday. February 15, 1995
Two of the world's largest container ships call at HK
Two of the world's largest container ships made their maiden voyages to Hong Kong on the same day, completed their cargo work and set sail in less than 20 hours.
At a ceremony to welcome the arrival of one of the vessels this (Wednesday) morning, the Deputy Director of Marine, Mr Ian Dale, presented a memento to Captain Masakazu Ichikawa on board the M/V NYK Altair before she left at 11 am today.