XN000022-1979-02-27 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1979

BIG PROJECTS IN NEW TOWNS WILL GO ON, SAYS SNT

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THE NEW TOWNS PROGRAMME HAS GAINED +AN INEXORABLE MOMENTUM+ WHICH WILL SEE THE CONTINUATION OF A WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS IN ALL THE DEVELOPING AREAS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES,

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS DIRECTING 150 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AT THE MOMENT WHILE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS 11 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

MANY OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, HE ADDED, TOOK THREE OR FOUR YEARS TO COMPLETE AND WERE INTERLOCKED WITH OTHERS SO THAT WORK ALREADY UNDER WAY WOULD CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID: THE WORK WILL GO ON - NEXT YEAR RECLAMATION, ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS AND DRAINAGE WORK, A CONTINUING GROWTH OF THE FOREST OF PILES AND CONCRETE WALLS RISING FROM THE LAND WITH AN INEXORABLE MOMENTUM.+

HE DESCRIBED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S BUILDING PROJECTS AS EQUALLY STRIKING WITH ABOUT HALF OF ITS $600 MILLION CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR THIS FINANCIAL YEAR BEING SPENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AS AT NOVEMBER 1978, ON-GOING CONTRACTS LET BY THE AUTHORITY WILL ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY $950 MILLION WITH $550 MILLION OF THIS BEING SPENT IN THE NEW

TERRITORIES,+ HE NOTED.

+WORK IS GOING ON AT 11 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES IN SHA TIN, TUEN MUN, TSUEN WAN AND TAI PO, WHICH WILL PROVIDE HOMES FOR 280,000 PEOPLE.+

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID ALL THIS REQUIRED LARGE AREAS OF LAND NOT ONLY FOR THE NEW HOMES AND SCHOOLS AND OTHER MODERN AMENITIES, BUT FOR INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE JOBS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEW TOWNS.

TO MEET THIS NEED BETWEEN NOW AND 1983-84, THE GOVERNMENT HAD A TARGET OF PRODUCING AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 80 HECTARES OF LAND A YEAR FOR INDUSTRIAL USE, INCLUDING THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES, MUCH OF IT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

HE SAID THAT INDUSTRY HAS BEEN MOVING TO THE NEW TERRITORIES AT AN ACCELERATED PACE. IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, IT WAS FORECAST THAT 2.5 MILLION SQUARE METRES OF FACTORY FLOOR SPACE WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG - WITH 1.6 MILLION SQUARE METRES OF IT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES,

/HE SAID