XN000022-1981-12-04 — Page 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1981

DR. THONG STRESSED THAT THE CANCER PROBLEM WAS AN IMMENSE AND COMPLICATED ONE AND TO TACKLE IT PROPERLY WOULD NEED LONG-TERM CAREFUL PLANNING, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE MANPOWER AND BUDGET AVAILABLE.

+IN THIS RESPECT, WE ARE FORTUNATE IN HAVING SO MANY DEDICATED STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY TO COLLABORATE WITH US IN OUR ENDEAVOURS, HE SAID.

VAST EXPANSION OF CONTAINER PORT PLANNED

****

THE SIZE OF THE CONTAINER PORT AT KWAI CHUNG WILL BE NEARLY DOUBLED TO CATER FOR THE PROJECTED GROWTH IN HONG KONG TRADE INTO THE 1990'S.

A CONSULTANTS' STUDY COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT INDICATES THAT THE VOLUME OF HONG KONG'S CONTAINER TRADE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AT ABOUT EIGHT PER CENT A YEAR, FROM THE CURRENT LEVEL OF 1.5 MILLION TEUS (TWENTY FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS) TO REACH 2.2 MILLION TEUS IN 1985 AND POSSIBLY 3 MILLION BY 1990.

THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER PORT IS TODAY THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF ANNUAL THROUGHPUT AFTER NEW YORK AND ROTTERDAM, AND EASILY THE LARGEST IN TERMS OF THROUGHPUT PER HECTARE.

THE CONSULTANTS FOUND THAT IF NO FURTHER LAND WAS MADE AVAILABLE ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING TERMINALS, THE ULTIMATE CAPACITY OF THE KWAI CHUNG COMPLEX WOULD BE REACHED BY NEXT YEAR OR 1983.

IT HAS THEREFORE BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER MARSHALLING SPACE FOR THE EXISTING CONTAINER YARDS SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN THE SHORT-TERM AND THAT THE CONTAINER PORT AREA SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LAND FOR DIRECT TERMINAL USE AND SUPPORT FACILITIES.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT HIGH PRIORITY WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE PROPOSALS AND A TOWN PLANNING EXERCISE HAD ALREADY BEEN INITIATED TO DETERMINE THE DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SHORT-TERM MEASURES IN TERMS OF LAND USE,

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE MEASURES WOULD INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING CONTAINER PORT FOR IT TO MEET DEMAND UNTIL 1985 OR 1986, BEFORE REACHING SATURATION POINT.

THE CONSULTANTS CONCLUDED THEREFORE THAT ADDITIONAL CONTAINER BERTHS WOULD BE REQUIRED BY THAT TIME, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED THAT THREE NEW BERTHS SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED ON RECLAMATION SOUTH OF THE EXISTING TERMINALS.

THE IKE.