XN000022-1984-01-04 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1984

REPORT OUTLINES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY UP TO 2001

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A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE MAIN URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG UP TO THE YEAR 2001 IS OUTLINED IN A RECENTLY COMPTED CONSULTANTS' STUDY ON HARBOUR RECLAMATIONS AND URBAN GROWTH (SHRUG' FOR SHORT).

THE STUDY AREA INCLUDES HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, NEW KOWLOON, VICTORIA HARBOUR AND LAMMA ISLAND, WHERE 72 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY'S PRESENT POPULATION LIVES AND WHERE 78 PER CENT IS EMPLOYED.

SHRUG LOOKS AT TWO STRATEGIES, ONE IN WHICH THE AIRPORT STAYS WHERE IT IS AND ANOTHER IN WHICH IT IS RELOCATED.

IT REJECTS WHAT IT TERMS ARE +WIDELY HELD VIEWS+ ABOUT THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE STUDY AREA, TWO OF WHICH WERE +ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT+ FIRST, THAT THERE IS NO MORE SCOPE FOR EXTENSIVE RECLAMATIONS IN THE HARBOUR; AND, SECOND, THAT THE MAIN URBAN AREAS ARE SO OVERCROWDED THAT ONLY BY DECANTING POPULATION AND JOBS TO THE NEW TOWNS CAN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MAIN URBAN AREAS BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED.

ON THE CONTRARY, THE STUDY SAYS EXTENSIVE RECLAMATIONS ARE FEASIBLE IN THE HARBOUR WITHOUT INCREASING TIDAL FLOWS TO AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL, WITHOUT CAUSING UNACCEPTABLE DETERIORATION IN THE WATER QUALITY AND WITHOUT CONSTRAINING PORT OPERATIONS TO AN UNSATISFACTORY DEGREE.

THE REPORT STATES THE PRACTICAL MAXIMUM POPULATION LEVEL IN THE STUDY AREA IS 4.55 MILLION BY THE YEAR 2001 WITH 2.45 MILLION JOBS IF THE AIRPORT REMAINS WHERE IT IS AND 4.35 MILLION PEOPLE AND 2.35 MILLION JOBS IF IT IS BUILT ELSEWHERE.

+DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY AREA TO THESE PRACTICAL MAXIMUM LEVELS IS FUNDAMENTALLY DEPENDENT UPON THE EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING MTR SYSTEM INTO A NETWORK WHICH SERVES ADJOINING PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AS WELL AS THE STUDY AREA, THE REPORT STATES.

IT SAYS 30 PER CENT OF THE FUTURE STUDY AREA POPULATION WIL. BE ON NEW LAND, MAINLY CREATED BY RECLAMATION IN THE HARBOUR. THE REMAINDER WILL BE IN THE EXISTING URBAN AREAS. BETTER HOUSING CONDITIONS THAN TODAY ARE ACHIEVABLE AND THE ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ASSUMES A FULL PROVISION OF SOCIAL FACILITIES AND OPEN SPACE.

+THIS IS FEASIBLE IF NEW LAND IS CREATED IN CLOSE JUXTAPOSITION TO EXISTING DEVELOPMENT, SAYS THE REPORT. ++F APPROPRIATE LEGISLATIVE STEPS ARE TAKEN THEN THE THREATS TO THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT FROM POLLUTION OR LANDSCAPE DETERIORATION CAN BE MINIMISED OR EVEN ELIMINATED.+

THE PORT IS RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GENERATORS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY+ IN THE STUDY AREA, HANDLING IN 1981 36 MILLION TONNES OF OVERSEAS TRAFFIC.

/DEVELOPMENT