XN000022-1976-11-03 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1976

MR. CHAN SAID THAT MORE THAN 100 HECTARES OF THE TOWN AREA HAD NOW BEEN FORMED AND MUCH OF IT WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED, PROVIDING A NUCLEUS OF INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.

WORK WAS PROGRESSING WELL ON RECLAIMING ANOTHER 60 HECTARES FROM CASTLE PEAK BAY TO PROVIDE NEW LAND FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING, EDUCATIONAL, COMMUNITY AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR SOME 98,000 PEOPLE -- ABOUT ONE-FIFTH OF THE NEW TOWN'S EVENTUAL POPULATION.

MR. CHAN EXPLAINED THAT THE RECLAMATION HAD BEEN PLANNED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO FORM NEW LAND REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC HOUSING FIRST, SO THE HOUSING PROGRAMME COULD PROCEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

HE SAID THAT RECLAMATION OF ONE SITE ON THE SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF THE BAY NEAR THE TUEN MUN WHOLESALE FISH MARKET WOULD BE READY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, TO ALLOW THE START OF WORK ON AN ESTATE FOR ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE.

HE ADDED THAT THE LARGER PUBLIC HOUSING SITES ON THE CENTRAL PART OF THE RECLAMATION SHOULD BE READY LATE NEXT YEAR. THE ESTATES ON THESE SITES WOULD PROVIDE HOMES FOR 80,000 PEOPLE, WITH A FULL RANGE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, OPEN SPACE, COMMUNITY HALLS, SHOPS AND MARKETS.

THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE ALSO SAW WORK IN PROGRESS ON THE MASSIVE NEW TAI HING ESTATE, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY PROVIDE HOMES FOR 47,000 PEOPLE.

STAGE ONE OF THE ESTATE IS BEING BUILT BY THE P.W.D.'S ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE, AND INCLUDES FLATS FOR 29,000 PEOPLE- A SECONDARY SCHOOL- AN ESTATE PRIMARY SCHOOL- ́A COMMERCIAL COMPLEX= AND RECREATIONAL AND WELFARE FACILITIES.

SITE FORMATION FOR THE SECOND STAGE IS NOW UNDERWAY, AND HOUSING AUTHORITY CONTRACTORS WILL BEGIN BUILDING WORKS NEXT YEAR, FOR COMPLETION IN 1979/80.

FROM TUEN MUN, THE PARTY THIS AFTERNOON PROCEEDED BY LAUNCH ALONG RAMBLER CHANNEL, OBSERVING DEVELOPMENTS AT TSUEN WAN AND TSING YI. THEY WERE BRIEFED ON THE WAY BY MR. EDDIE SHORT, THE P.W.D.'S PROJECT MANAGER FOR TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN.

TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN COVERS SOME 2,536 HECTARES AND COMPRISES THREE DISTRICTS - TSUEN WAN AND KWA | CHUNG ON THE MAINLAND, AND THE ISLAND OF TSING YI.

MR. SHORT SAID WORK WAS NOW PROGRESSING ON A WIDE FRONT WITH SOME 40 MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS UNDERWAY.

THESE INCLUDED SITE FORMATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THREE HOUSING ESTATES, SIX SCHOOLS, POLICE STATIONS, FIRE STATIONS, AN AMBULANCE DEPOT, A POLYCLINIC, A SEWAGE SCREENING PLANT, AND CARGO HANDLING AREA, AS WELL AS A SERIES OF RECREATIONAL GROUNDS AND ROAD NETWORKS.

/HE SAID