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To meet the projected demand, Dr Pryor said the Planning Department, in association with other departments and also from studies by specialist consultants, had over the past five years assessed the potential suitability of land for various kinds of development throughout the territory.
"This work forms part of the Review of the Territorial Development Strategy (TDS) which is now in its final stages of completion.
"The general conclusion is that there should be sufficient land resources in the territory to meet forecast long-term needs but that both land-based sites and harbour reclamations will be required, with each area fulfilling a particular role," he said.
Dr Pryor, in responding to points of concern recently raised by various bodies over harbour reclamations, defended the Government's proposals on the basis that such proposals were the outcome of a very careful and comprehensive series of studies, involving a series of extensive public consultation programmes.
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"The planning of such projects at all levels of planning has taken account of such matters as impacts on tidal flows, water quality, urban design, transport needs and land use objectives. Harbour reclamations have a key role to play both as part of the Airport Core Projects (ACP) - such as the West Kowloon Reclamation- and for the restructuring of congested parts of the Metro Area," he said.
Dr Pryor, however, equally accepted that further development in suitable parts of the New Territories can be expected. He pointed out that over the past 20 years, substantial resources had been deployed to develop the new towns and infrastructure in the New Territories with the consequence that the balance of population had shifted substantially.
In 1986, about 78 per cent of the population lived in the Metro Area with the balance of 22 per cent in the New Territories. By this year, the relative proportions were 69 per cent and 31 per cent respectively. By 2011, the balance could be about 56 per cent and 44 per cent respectively.
"It is clear that the TDS does not concentrate Hong Kong's future growth in the Metro Area and that the New Territories is getting its fair share of development," Dr Pryor concluded.
End/Friday, August 4, 1995