XN000022-1981-09-23 — Page 3

IN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1981

THREE STATIONS WITHIN THE TOWN WOULD ENABLE MOST RESIDENTS TO WALK TO A STATION. COMMERCIAL AND SHOPPING FACILITIES WOULD ALSO BE CONCENTRATED NEAR THE STATIONS. THE GRANT OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AT STATIONS, SIMILAR TO THE MTR ISLAND LINE, WOULD PAY FOR THE EXTENSION.

MR SAUNDERS SAID THERE WOULD STILL BE A NEED FOR ROAD TRANSPORT. THE STUDY PROPOSED THAT THE MAIN ROAD LINK TO KOWLOON WOULD BE A DUAL-BORE, FOUR-LANE TUNNEL CONNECTED TO JUNK BAY ROAD, ALONG WITH ROAD IMPROVEMENTS IN KWUN TONG.

SPEAKING ABOUT THE NEW TOWN ITSELF, MR SAUNDERS SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE STEEP TERRAIN, THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PLACE ON LAND RECLAIMED FROM THE SEA.

+FORTUNATELY THERE APPEARS TO BE AMPLE MATERIAL AVAILABLE LOCALLY FOR USE AS FILLING, AND ANY HILLSIDE PLATFORMS WE CREATE CAN CONVENIENTLY BE INCORPORATED INTO THE TOWN,+ HE SAID.

JUNK BAY WAS LIKELY TO BE A COMPACT, HIGH-DENSITY TOWN, SO THE SITE COULD CATER FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE NEED TO EXTEND THE RECLAMATION FAR OUT INTO THE BAY.

MR SAUNDERS SAID THAT JUNK BAY HAD COMPARATIVELY FEW EXISTING COMMUNITIES AND THE PLANNERS HAD MANAGED TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE IR PLANS WITHOUT DIRECTLY AFFECTING MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS.

IT WAS PLANNED TO FILL IN THE BAY IN FRONT OF RENNIE'S MILL TO MAKE A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA FOR PERHAPS 20 000 PEOPLE. THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR ROAD ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES TO BE IMPROVED.

MR SAUNDERS SAID THAT BECAUSE FLAT LAND IN JUNK BAY WAS LIMITED TO ABOUT 40 HECTARES, IT WAS PROPOSED TO CREATE 95 HECTARES OF LAND BY PLATFORM FORMATION, AND ANOTHER 283 HECTARES BY RECLAMATION, USING MATERIAL FROM THE PLATFORMS.

SPEAKING OF HOUSING, MR SAUNDERS SAID IT WAS PLANNED TO HAVE ABOUT HALF THE POPULATION -- ABOUT 150 000 - IN PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING BY 1996. THE REMAINDER WOULD BE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME AND PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT.

+PEOPLE OF COURSE NEED JOBS AND A FULL RANGE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, AND THESE WILL NOT BE OVERLOOKED, HE SAID. +WE PROPOSE TO SET ASIDE ENOUGH LAND FOR INDUSTRIES AND OFFICES TO MEET THE EXPECTED DEMAND FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS. WE EXPECT THAT MANY JUNK BAY RESIDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO WORK OUTSIDE THE TOWN, BUT WE BELIEVE THE IR NUMBERS WILL BE JUST ABOUT BALANCED BY THOSE COMMUTING INTO JUNK BAY, HE SAID.

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