XN000022-1978-03-02 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1978

PWD SIGNS $26M CONTRACT FOR LAND FORMATION

****

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TODAY AWARDED A $26 MILLION CONTRACT TO THE HSIN CHONG CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD. FOR THE FORMATION OF 14.5 HECTARES OF LAND IN YUEN LONG.

THE CONTRACT, WHICH IS PART OF THE YUEN LONG DEVELOPMENT SCHEME, WAS SIGNED THIS MORNING BY MR. BERNARD NEWMAN, GOVERNMENT ENGINEER (NEW TERRITORIES), AND MR. GEOFFREY YEH, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE COMPANY.

IT IS THE THIRD CONTRACT AWARDED SO FAR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF YUEN LONG UNDER THE RURAL NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME,

THE CONTRACT WILL INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, DRAINS AND SEWERS.

MR. NEWMAN SAID THAT THE WORK WOULD BEGIN NEXT WEEK AND TAKE ABOUT 21 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

HE SAID THAT THE LAND FORMED TO THE EAST OF THE TOWN WOULD BE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING OPEN SPACES AND A NEW POST OFFICE, A MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK AND A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY SCHOOL.

THE SOUTH-WESTERN SITE NEAR THE EXISTING SPORTS STADIUM, HE ADDED, WOULD BE USED FOR A NEW SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, BASKETBALL COURTS, OPEN AREAS AND CAR PARKING SPACE WHILE THE SITE TO BE FORMED TO THE EAST OF SHUI PIN WAI WOULD BE DEVELOPED AS A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE WITH A PLANNED POPULATION OF 11,000.

FACILITIES WITHIN THE ESTATE WOULD INCLUDE A NURSERY KINDERGARTEN, PRIMARY SCHOOL, MARKET AND COOKED FOOD STALLS.

+A TRAINING CENTRE FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN SERVING THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT IS ALSO PLANNED TO BE SET UP WITHIN THE ESTATE,+ MR. NEWMAN SAID.

+THE COMPLETION OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IN DECEMBER 1980 WILL ENABLE MAJOR CLEARANCES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE TOWN TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT THOSE CLEARED WOULD BE REHOUSED AND THIS WOULD PERMIT THE COMPLETION OF THE PACKAGE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN YUEN LONG TOWN BY MID-1980'S.

THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS, BINNIE AND PARTNERS (H.K. WHO DESIGNED THE ENGINEERING WORKS, WILL SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

13