XN000022-1983-12-21 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1983

ROAD WORKS TO TAKE TWO YEARS

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WORK ON STAGE OF WIDENING TING KOK ROAD, TAI PO, WILL START AROUND APRIL, 1985, AND BE COMPLETED JUST OVER TWO YEARS LATER.

THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, SAID THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM THE REV HON P.T. MCGOVERN,

FATHER MCGOVERN ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SAY WHAT HAD HAPPENED SINCE TAI PO DISTRICT BOARD WAS GIVEN AN UNDERTAKING IN JANUARY, 1982, THAT THE PRIORITY OF CERTAIN PROJECTS, INCLUDING WIDENING TING KOK ROAD, WOULD BE REVIEWED.

MR CHAN REPLIED THAT THE PROGRAMME FOR WIDENING TING KOK ROAD WAS REVIEWED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISTRICT BOARD MEETING

IN JANUARY, 1982, BUT, DUE TO THE NEED TO CLEAR SOME 3 000 SQUATTERS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE SCHEME AND THE LACK OF A SUITABLE RESITE FOR THESE SQUATTERS, EARLY COMMENCEMENT OF THE WORK WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

THIS PROJECT, AND OTHER CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS IN TAI PO, WERE INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR TAI PO NEW TOWN, WHICH WAS PREPARED AND UPDATED ANNUALLY AFTER CONSULTATION WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND POLICY BRANCHES, AND THE VIEWS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD HAVING BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, MR CHAN SAID.

FULL CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE PRIORITY OF INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS WITHIN NORMAL ENGINEERING, PLANNING AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, AND WITH DUE REGARD TO THE NEED FOR THE OVERALL BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN.

+THE REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IS AN ON-GOING PROCESS, AND WHERE CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE A REVIEW OF THE PRIORITY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL PROJECT WITH A VIEW, PERHAPS, TO ADVANCING THE START DATE, THIS IS DONE, HE SAID.

HE SAID TAI PO DISTRICT BOARD'S VIEWS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, THEREFORE, WHEN THE 1982 EDITION OF THE TAI PO PROGRAMME WAS PREPARED, AND THE BOARD WAS APPRISED OF THE OUTCOME WHEN IT REVIEWED THIS PROGRAMME IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

THE 1983 EDITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE NEW TOWNS WAS EXPECTED TO BE REVIEWED BY DISTRICT BOARDS NEXT MONTH.

MR CHAN SAID, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TAI PO PROGRAMME, WHICH HAD BEEN NOTED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB- COMMITTEE (PWSC) OF FINANCE COMMITTEE, WORK WAS DUE TO START ON DETAILED DESIGN AND THE PREPARATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE TING KOK ROAD UPGRADING IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.

/THIS WORK