XN000022-1978-02-18 — Page 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1978

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PLAN FOR MARKET TOWNS OF NT

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL SOON EMBARK ON A $1,300 MILLION PROJECT TO DEVELOP THE MARKET TOWNS OF SHEK WU HUT AND FANLING.

THE PROJECT FORMS PART OF THE RURAL NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AND WILL BE PHASED OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.

TENDERS FOR THE FIRST CONTRACT OF THE PROJECT, COVERING SITE FORMATION AND DRAINAGE WORKS IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN PART OF SHEK WU NUI, ARE BEING INVITED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT BRANCH OF THE P.W.D.

MR. BERNARD NEWMAN, GOVERNMENT ENGINEER (NEW TERRITORIES) SAID TODAY WORK ON THIS PROJECT WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN APRIL AND WOULD TAKE ABOUT 14 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

THE WORK WOULD INCLUDE THE FORMATION OF ABOUT 16 HECTARES OF LAND IN AN AREA FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE TANNERIES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE FIRST STAGE OF A MAJOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT SCHEME.

HE SAID THAT PART OF THE LAND WHICH WOULD BE FORMED BY JULY WOULD INITIALLY BE USED AS A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA TO ACCOMMODATE THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY OTHER SHEK WU HUI AND FANLING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WHICH WOULD BEGIN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR.

THESE PROJECTS, MR. NEWMAN SAID, WOULD INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS.

SITES WOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, MARKETS, A COMMUNITY CENTRE, HOSPITAL AND STADIUM.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE OBJECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS TO CREATE A BALANCED COMMUNITY IN THE TWO MARKET TOWNS FOR A DESIGNED POPULATION OF 168,000.

TENDERS FOR THE WORKS TO BE CARRIED OUT IN FANLING WILL BE CALLED LATER IN THE YEAR.

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