XN000022-1979-12-19 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1979

LARGEST CONTRACT FOR TAI PO DEVELOPMENT SIGNED

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THE LARGEST CONTRACT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAI PO NEW TOWN WAS SIGNED TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE CONTRACT WORTH ABOUT $75 MILLION WAS AWARDED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO GAMMON (HK) LTD.

THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY MR. J.W. THOMAS, PROJECT MANAGER OF THE TAI PO AND FAHLING DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND MR. D.A. MORRIS AND MR. H.L. CHAU OF THE COMPANY.

SPEAKING AFTER THE SIGNING CEREMONY, MR. THOMAS SAID THE CONTRACT FORMED PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO DEVELOP THE TOWN INTO A MODERN, SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITY WITH AN EVENTUAL POPULATION OF 220 000.

WORK ON THE CONTRACT WILL BEGIN NEXT WEEK AND WILL TAKE ABOUT 24 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

MR. THOMAS SAID THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE THE FORMATION OF ABOUT 44 HECTARES OF LAND IN CENTRAL TAI PO, TOGETHER WITH ASSOCIATED BRIDGE WORKS, RIVER WALLS AND MAIN DRAINAGE CULVERTS.

+WHEN COMPLETED, PART OF THE RECLAIMED LAND, ABOUT 14 HECTARES, WILL BE USED FOR A NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE NEAR ISLAND HOUSE.

+THE REMAINING AREAS WILL PROVIDE LAND FOR COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND A VARIETY OF GOVERNMENT, INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY FACILITIES ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING TOWN.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SUFFICIENT AREAS WOULD BE FORMED TO ENABLE THE FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROADS TO BYPASS THE EXISTING TOWN FOR ACCESS TO THE NEW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE AND TO REDUCE PRESENT TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON KWONG FUK ROAD.

THE LAM TSUEN AND TAI PO RIVERS WOULD BE CHANNELLED THROUGH THE NEWLY FORMED LAND AND WOULD EVENTUALLY FORM A MAJOR FEATURE OF THE PROPOSED PARKLAND AREA THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE NEW TOWN, HE SAID.

+WHEN TAI PO IS FULLY DEVELOPED, IT WILL BECOME A MODERN URBAN CENTRE WITH ALL MANNER OF FACILITIES PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING, INDUSTRY, SHOPPING AND COMMERCIAL AREAS, TOWN PARKS, CULTURAL, SPORTING AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AS WELL AS A WHOLE RANGE OF COMMUNITY AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES.+

THE WORKS FOR THE CONTRACT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE SUPERVISED BY MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

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