XN000022-1980-12-10 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1980

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MORE LAND FOR TUEN MUN NEW TOWN

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TODAY AWARDED A MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACT TO LEIGHTON UNIVERSAL JOINT VENTURE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ANOTHER 29 HECTARES OF LAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.

THE CONTRACT, WORTH ABOUT $204 MILLION, MARKS ANOTHER IMPORTANT PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT AND IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE CONTRACT LET FOR TUEN MUN SO FAR UNDER THE NEW TOWN'S MASSIVE $6 000 MILLION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

IT WAS FORMALLY SIGNED BY MR STAN BARDEN, PROJECT MANAGER OF THE PWD TUEN MUN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, AND MR J.G. HAMILTON AND MR Y.T. LEUNG OF THE COMPANY.

THE PROJECT INCLUDES THE RECLAMATION OF ABOUT 16 HECTARES OF LAND IN THE CENTRAL PART OF CASTLE PEAK BAY AND THE FORMATION OF ABOUT 13 HECTARES OF LAND EAST OF THE NEW TOWN.

MR BARDEN SAID, DEVELOPMENT IN TUEN MUN IS BEING CARRIED OUT MAINLY ON LAND FORMED BY RECLAMATION AND SITE FORMATION AND WORK ON A SERIES OF BUILDING, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ROAD PROJECTS IS PROGRESSING ON A WIDE FRONT.

+SINCE THE START OF THE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME BY THE PWD'S NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MORE THAN 220 HECTARES OF LAND HAVE BEEN RECLAIMED AND SERVICED FOR VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT.

+WORK IS PROGRESSING WELL ON PRODUCING ANOTHER 130 HECTARES OF LAND IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TOWN.+

CONSTRUCTION WORK HAS STARTED ON A TOWN CENTRE WHICH WILL HAVE MAJOR COMMERCIAL, COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL FACILITIES.

AT PRESENT, TUEN MUN NEW TOWN HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 90 000, MOST OF THEM LIVING IN SELF-CONTAINED PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WITH SHOPPING COMPLEXES AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.

+THE NEW TOWN WHEN FULLY DEVELOPED IN THE LATE 1980'S WILL HOUSE OVER 500 000 PEOPLE,+ MR BARDEN SAID.

COMMENTING ON THE PRESENT CONTRACT, HE SAID THE LAND RECLAIMED WOULD BE USED FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, A POLICE STATION, AN AMBULANCE DEPOT AND A FIRE STATION.

+LAND WILL ALSO BE RESERVED ON THE RECLAMATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ROAD LINKING THE EASTERN AND WESTERN PART OF THE NEW TOWN, HE ADDED.

ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 640-METRE RIVER TRAINING WALL IN WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY THE CENTRE OF CASTLE PEAK BAY AND A 753-METRE SEAWALL IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE BAY.

/M: BIODI