XN000022-1983-05-05 — Page 4

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1983

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SIR PHILIP SHOWED GREAT INTEREST IN THE POPULATION CENSUS WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT IN 1981 AND THE ONGOING SERIES OF GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS.

HE WAS TOLD THAT A BY-CENSUS WAS BEING PLANNED FOR 1986.

BEFORE CONCLUDING HIS TOUR, SIR PHILIP MET STAFF FROM ALL BRANCHES OF THE DEPARTMENT AND DISCUSSED THEIR WORK WITH THEM.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ON HONG KONG

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THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE OF THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY STARTED A NEW GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF HONG KONG WHICH WILL PROVIDE BASIC GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION OF COMPARABLE QUALITY TO THAT AVAILABLE IN THE MOST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.

REVEALING THIS TODAY (THURSDAY), THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER, DR EDWARD BRAND, SAID THAT GOOD GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION WAS FUNDAMENTAL TO A WHOLE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES CONCERNED WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT, LAND USE PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT.

*IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN PROVIDING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUND CONDITIONS FOR ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING DRAINAGE, WATER SUPPLY, SITE FORMATION WORKS, RECLAMATION AND QUARRYING, HE SAID.

THE EXISTING GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE TERRITORY WAS COMPILED BETWEEN 1967 AND 1971 BY GEOLOGISTS FROM THE INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BODY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

+THE SCALE OF THIS MAP IS 1:50 000, WHICH IS NOW TOO SMALL TO SHOW ACCURATELY ALL THE IMPORTANT GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND DETAIL REQUIRED FOR THE PRESENT DAY NEEDS OF HONG KONG, DR BRAND SAID.

→THE MAP IS ALSO WELL OUT OF DATE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF LAND DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.

THE NEW GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WILL AIM TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF COLOURED GEOLOGICAL MAPS DEPICTING BOTH THE BEDROCK AND THE SUPERFICIAL MATERIALS WHICH OVERLIE THE BEDROCK AT A SCALE OF 1:20 000. THE TERRITORY WILL BE DIVIDED INTO 14 AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAPPING, BASED ON THE POPULAR LANDS DEPARTMENT TOPOGRAPHIC MAP SERIES, AND EACH SET OF NEW GEOLOGICAL MAPS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PUBLISHED REPORT DESCRIBING IN DETAIL THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA.

+THE SURVEY WILL BE CARRIED OUT PRIMARILY BY INTENSIVE FIELD MAPPING SUPPLEMENTED BY AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION. AS PART OF THE SURVEY, A LARGE NUMBER OF GEOLOGICAL ROCK SPECIMENS WILL BE COLLECTED AND CATALOGUED, DR BRAND SAID.

/+SOME DRILLING