XN000022-1981-04-16 — Page 3

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1981

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IN JANUARY 1980, THE CONSULTANTS FORMULATED A PROGRAMME OF IMPLEMENTATION COMPATIBLE WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH LANTAU AND THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER PLANNING AND DESIGN STUDIES FOR THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT SHOULD PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO ENSURE THE POSSIBILITY OF TIMELY AVAILABILITY OF THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.

ACCORDING TO PRESENT PROPOSALS, THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT

IS EXPECTED TO BE DEVELOPED IN TWO PHASES.

+AN 840-HECTARE SITE FOR PHASE (SINGLE RUNWAY OF

PAVED LENGTH OF 3 600 METRES) AND PHASE II (ADDITIONAL RUNWAY OF PAVED LENGTH OF 2 800 METRES) IS EXPECTED TO BE CREATED BY LEVELLING 310 HECTARES OF LAND FROM THE ISLANDS OF CHEK LAP KOK AND LAM CHAU AND BY RECLAIMING ANOTHER 530 HECTARES OF LAND FROM THE ADJOINING WATERS, MR CHAN SAID.

+SITE PREPARATION WILL INVOLVE LARGE SCALE EXCAVATION FROM THE HILLSIDE ON NORTH LANTAU AND CHEK LAP KOK (100 MILLION CUBIC METRES), DREDGING AND DISPOSAL OF MARINE DEPOSITS FROM THE PROPOSED AIRPORT SITE (21 MILLION CUBIC METRES) AND PLACING OF FILL (77 MILLION CUBIC METRES). THIS IS TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN AIRFIELD AND SUPPORT FACILITIES.+

AN IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME PROVIDED BY THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT STUDIES AIMS AT COMMENCING SITE PREPARATION WORK IN EARLY 1984 AND COMMENCING OPERATION OF PHASE OF THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT IN 1990 WITH PHASE 1 FOLLOWING WHEN REQUIRED.

THE COST OF CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT IS ESTIMATED AT HK$5 500 MILLION FOR PHASE 1 AND HK$1 700 MILLION FOR PHASE II.

+MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS,+ SAID MR CHAN.

+ALONG WITH_THE AIRPORT STUDIES, PROGRESS IS ALSO BEING MAINTAINED ON THE DETAILED DESIGN OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES ON NORTH LANTAU.→

MORE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR NEW TERRITORIES

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MORE SUPERVISED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO MAKE LIFE THERE MORE ATTRACTIVE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SHA TIN JOCKEY CLUB PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL AND SQUASH COURTS, SIR MURRAY SAID EXPENDITURE ON RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAS BEEN

INCREASED FROM $21 MILLION TO $98 MILLION THIS YEAR.

AND IN SHA TIN ALONE, SEVEN MAJOR RECREATIONAL PROJECTS WILL START THIS YEAR.

SIR MURRAY SAID THE OPENING OF THE SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX COINCIDED WITH A DETERMINED EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. ASSISTED BY SOME VERY GENEROUS PRIVATE DONATIONS, TO MAKE GOOD THE LACK OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

/+IN RECEM