XN000022-1976-03-13 — Page 3

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1976

HE AGREED WITH MR. MCDONALD THAT IT WAS PARTICULARLY FITTING THAT THE EXHIBITION SHOULD BE HELD IN THE LEK YUEN HOUSING ESTATE - NOW NEARING COMPLETION BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE P.W.D.

LEK YUEN IS THE FIRST OF ELEVEN HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATES WHICH WILL HOUSE 300,000 OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN'S PROJECTED POPULATION OF 500,000 PEOPLE BY 1985.

+THE ESTATE HAS A PRIORITY QUOTA RESERVATION OF FLATS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS,+ SAID MR. NG. IT OCCUPIES AN ENORMOUS AREA, AND HAS ALL KINDS OF MODERN FACILITIES TO MAKE IT AS SELF-CONTAINED AS POSSIBLE.+

IN HIS INTRODUCTORY SPEECH AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT WITH THE RECENT GENERAL REVIVAL OF INTEREST AND ACTIVITY IN PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, IT WAS ALSO HOPED THAT THE EXHIBITION WOULD PUBLICISE THE GOVERNMENT'S DESIRE TO INVOLVE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN THE NEW TOWN — INCLUDING THOSE WHO MIGHT NOW BE CONTEMPLATING TENDERING FOR THE AREA 48 SHA TIN DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR THE COMMERCIAL PREMISES IN THE LEK YUEN ESTATE.

+THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN PROJECT IS OF THE ORDER OF $4,000 MILLION, AND MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT HAS ALREADY COMMENCED WITH SUCH PROJECTS AS THE $400 MILLION PARAMATTA INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT IN AREA 14, AND THE $200 MILLION WORLD-WIDE PROPERTIES SCHEME AT HUNG MUI KOK.+

HE ALSO NOTED THAT CONSTRUCTION WAS NOW WELL ADVANCED ON THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB'S INTERNATIONAL STANDARD RACECOURSE AT SHA TIN, DUE TO OPEN IN 1978.

SPECIFICALLY, MR. MCDONALD SAID, THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS WOULD SEE:

* THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY TRUNK ROAD FROM THE SECOND LION ROCK TUNNEL THROUGH SHA TIN TO HO TUNG LAU, WITH FIVE MAJOR ROAD INTERCHANGES PROVIDING CONNECTIONS TO THE RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS, AND TO THE NEW RACECOURSE-

*

*

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THE START OF WORK ON THE WO CHE HOUSING ESTATE, WHICH WOULD HOUSE ANOTHER 34,000 PEOPLE=

THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN INTERIM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND THE TRUNK MAINS FOR A MAJOR SEWERAGE SYSTEM FOR THE NEW TOWN- AND

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SHA TIN (NORTH) FRESH WATER SERVICE RESERVOIR, AND THE LAYING OF FRESH WATER AND SALT WATER TRUNK MAINS,

/+WORK WILL