XN000022-1984-01-11 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1984

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THE SHING MUN RIVER WATER QUALITY HAD IMPROVED RAPIDLY AS

A RESULT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND DREDGING WORKS AND ONE COULD NOW SEE SMALL FISH JUMPING ON THE SURFACE.

A CENTRAL PARK WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT A COST OF OVER $50 MILLION AND THERE WERE LOTS OF AMENITY SPACES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.

ON MEDICAL SERVICES, MR CHOW SAID SHA TIN HAD SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.

THE 1 400-BED PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL WOULD OPEN IN MAY AND WOULD BE THE LARGEST HOSPITAL IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, IT WOULD PROVIDE EXCELLENT FACILITIES SERVING THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

BESIDES THE TWO EXISTING CLINICS ALREADY SERVING SHA TIN ANOTHER THREE CLINICS AND A PRIVATE HOSPITAL WERE UNDER PLANNING.

HE SAID THE TOWN CENTRE, OCCUPYING 20 HECTARES, WOULD BECOME THE FOCAL POINT OF ALL ACTIVITIES IN SHA TIN WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED

IN TWO YEARS.

A GOVERNMENT BUILDING THERE HAD JUST BEEN OCCUPIED BY 19 DEPARTMENTS AND BY SHA TIN DISTRICT BOARD.

THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE BEING DEVELOPED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS DUE FOR COMPLETION THIS YEAR AND WOULD OFFER FOR LETTING 90 000 SQUARE METRES OF FLOOR SPACE.

PARK.

THE WHOLE AREA WOULD BE LANDSCAPED TO MATCH WITH THE CENTRAL

MR CHOW SAID, DUE TO ITS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, THERE WERE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS IN PLANNING SHA TIN AS A NEW TOWN.

THE SURROUNDING HILLS MADE SMOKE DISPERSION DIFFICULT AND THE

LOW LYING AREAS WERE SUBJECT TO FLOODING AT TIMES.

SHA TIN COULD NOT BE PLANNED AS A PORT WITH HARBOUR FACILITIES AND GODOWNS, AND INDUSTRIES LIKELY TO INDUCE AIR POLLUTION COULD NOT BE ALLOWED.

SEWAGE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE REQUIRED SPECIAL TREATMENT BEFORE BEING DISCHARGED.

THERE COULD NOT BE A POWER STATION OR INCINERATOR.

REFUSE HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED AWAY AND AN EXPENSIVE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT WAS NEEDED.

HE SAID DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS GOVERNMENT HAD SPENT $5.2 BILLION ON DEVELOPING SHA TIN AND THIS FINANCIAL YEAR AND NEXT ANNUAL EXPENDITURE WOULD REACH A PEAK OF AROUND $1.5 BILLION PER ANNUM.

THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, ACCORDING TO CURRENT ESTIMATES, WOULD COST $16 BILLION.

+SUCH A HUGE SCHEME IS UNMATCHED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, + MR CHOW CONCLUDED.

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