XN000022-1983-05-04 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1983

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HE ADDED, THE AIM OF THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS TO PROVIDE BALANCED COMMUNITIES IN THESE NEW TOWNS WITH THE FULL RANGE OF MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, EMPLOYMENT AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND TO THIS END IT WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN ASSESSING AND PLANNING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHO WILL INHABIT THESE NEW TOWNS.+

ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR BRYAN O'RORKE, MR MCDONALD TODAY FIRST VISITED TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.

THERE, HE WAS BRIEFED BY THE PROJECT MANAGER (TUEN MUN) MR S.K. KWÉI, ON MAJOR PROJECTS SUCH AS THE 1 600-BED DISTRICT HOSPITAL SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 1987 AT A COST OF $900 MILLION, THE 1 470-SEAT MULTI-PURPOSE AUDITORIUM WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED IN 1985 AT $125 MILLION, THE TOWN PARK AND THE CIVIC AND CULTURAL CENTRE.

MR MCDONALD SHOWED PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THE SO KWUN WAT MARINA, A PRIVATE PROJECT, ON WHICH THE DEVELOPER IS TO INVEST $1 BILLION OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS - A DEMONSTRATION OF CONFIDENCE NOT ONLY IN THE FUTURE OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN BUT ALSO HONG KONG.

HE LATER PROCEEDED TO TSUEN WAN WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED BY THE PROJECT MANAGER (TSUEN WAN), MR T.S. NG, ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN.

AMONG THE PROJECTS INSPECTED WERE THE TSUEN WAN BYPASS STAGE II WHICH WILL LINK WITH TUEN MUN ROAD AT CHAI WAN KOK, PROVIDING A MUCH NEEDED THROUGH ROUTE FOR TRAFFIC TO TUEN MÜN AND THE NORTH WESTERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES- THE NEW TSUEN WAN FERRY PIER INCORPORATING TWO FURTHER LEVELS, ONE FOR SHOPPING ARCADE AND PUBLIC PROMENADE AND THE OTHER FOR A RESTAURANT, AND THE TRANSPORT COMPLEX WITH 15 DEPARTURE PLATFORMS FOR BUSES EACH ACCOMMODATING THREE BUSES, SET-DOWN AND PICK-UP POINTS FOR PRIVATE CARS AND TAXIS, MAXI-CAB STANDS AND A FIVE-STOREY CAR PARK FOR ABOUT 1 000 CARS.

THE FERRY PIER AND THE TRANSPORT COMPLEX WILL BE LINKED BY AN ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN DECK WITH COVERED ROUTES TO THE EMBARKATION POINTS FOR BUSES AND PRIVATE CARS.

THE FERRY PIER AND PHASE 1 OF THE TRANSPORT COMPLEX WILL BE READY IN AUGUST WHILE THE REMAINING WORK ON THE TRANSPORT COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JULY NEXT YEAR.

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