XN000022-1974-11-27 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1974

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A SECOND FERRY PIER FOR NORTH POINT 2

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PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS HAVE ALREADY STARTED BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY AND THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY BUILDING SOME OF THE NEW PIERS AT ITS OWN EXPENSE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON SAID TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. ROGER LOBO AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. ROBSON STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THE DISCUSSIONS WERE AT A VERY EARLY STAGE.

MR. LOBO HAD ASKED WOULD GOVERNMENT GIVE APPROVAL WITHOUT DELAY FOR FERRY COMPANIES TO CONSTRUCT NEW PIERS OR IMPROVE EXISTING PIERS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, IN CASES WHERE THE NEED FOR SUCH PIERS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE AN URGENT NECESSITY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT FACILITIES.

MR. ROBSON SAID: THERE ARE NOW FOUR ITEMS CONCERNED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OR EXTENSION OF FERRY PIERS IN CATEGORY ALL AND FOUR OTHERS IN CATEGORY B OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME.

HE POINTED OUT THAT BEFORE THE COMPANY COULD COMMIT ITSELF, IT HAD TO ASCERTAIN THE VIABILITY OF EMBARKING ON SUCH EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE TYPE OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH IT COULD ASSOCIATE WITH THE PIERS CONCERNED.

HE SAID : +THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY IS, AT PRESENT, LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A SECOND NORTH POINT FERRY PIER.+

MR. ROBSON GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT ONCE FIRM PROPOSALS HAD BEEN FORMULATED AND PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNMENT REGARDING THIS OR ANY OTHER FERRY PIERS, THEY WOULD BE PROMPTLY DEALT WITH.

CONVERSION OF FORMER ESTATE ROOF-TOP SCHOOLS

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ABOUT 70 FORMER ROOF-TOP SCHOOLS IN THE OLD TYPE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WHICH HAVE BEEN VACATED ARE BEING CONVERTED FOR OTHER USES.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. IAN LIGHTBODY, TODAY WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. KO SIU WAH IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS WILL BE DEMOLISHED IN THE ESTATE REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS, HE SAID, AND SOME HAVE BEEN OFFERED TO THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE.

PLANS ARE ALSO BEING DRAWN UP FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S CONSIDERATION TO COVERT THE REMAINDER INTO SELF-CONTAINED DOMESTIC FLATS, TO HELP RELIEVE OVERCROWDING IN THE ESTATES, MR. LIGHTBODY ADDED.

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