XN000022-1984-07-04 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1984

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MR DAVY SAID THAT IN 1983, ABOUT 11 400 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ENTERED AND LEFT HONG KONG.

BY 1994 THE NUMBER WOULD INCREASE BY 45 PER CENT TO ABOUT 16 500.

+TO MEET THE DEMAND, THE PRESENT PROVISION OF 72 CLASS A AND CLASS B BUOYS, WOULD HAVE TO BE INCREASED TO MORE THAN 100.

MR DAVY STRESSED THAT THE SAFETY OF NAVIGATION MUST BE PRESERVED, AND IN ANY CHANGES PLANNED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PORT FACILITIES, PRIOR CONSULTATION WOULD BE SOUGHT WITH THE PILOTAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

HE SAID THAT A FEW YEARS AGO IT BECAME A REQUIREMENT THAT VESSELS OF 300 GROSS REGISTER TONS AND OVER SHOULD CARRY VERY HIGH FREQUENCY TELEPHONES WHEN ENTERING AND LEAVING HONG KONG.

THE NEXT REQUIREMENT WOULD BE THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPULSORY PILOTAGE AND AMENDING LEGISLATION WAS BEING PREPARED FOR THIS. INDICATIONS WERE THAT ON A PHASED BASIS, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE COMPULSORY PILOTAGE WITHIN THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS, MR DAVY SAID.

MEANWHILE, A CONSULTANT STUDY COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT TWO YEARS AGO ON AN ELECTRONIC VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY AT SEA WOULD BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

IF THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE SYSTEM, MR DAVY SAID, ALL SHIPPING ROUTES WOULD BE COVERED BY RADAR.

IT WAS MOST LIKELY THAT THE SITES WOULD BE AT SHEK KWU CHAU, NORTH EAST LANTAU, BLUFF HEAD, WAGLAN ISLAND, BLACK POINT AND OUTER ISLAND OF THE NEW MACAU FERRY TERMINAL.

+THESE WILL REQUIRE MICROWAVE RELAY SITES AT LUNG KWU CHAU AND VICTORIA PEAK. ALSO A VERY HIGH FREQUENCY DIRECTION FINDER WILL BE LOCATED TO COVER THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN APPROACHES TO HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.

AND IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO SATISFY THE DEMAND FOR CARGO AND PASSENGER FACILITIES MADE BY THE LONG ESTABLISHED RATE OF GROWTH IN BOTH THE RIVER TRADE AND LOCAL TRADE TRAFFIC, A NUMBER OF NEAR-TERM PROJECTS WERE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THEY INCLUDE:

* THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW WHARF ON HONG KONG ISLAND

FOR CHINA MERCHANTS STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY,

*

THE NEW MACAU FERRY TERMINAL COMPLEX,

*

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHINA FERRY TERMINAL ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE OCEAN CENTRE, AND

/* THE EXPANSION