XN000022-1985-10-10 — Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1985

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'CONTAINER PORT A MIRACLE OF DEVELOPMENT'

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE CONTAINER PORT WAS ONE OF THE MIRACLES OF HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT.

+ IT IS A MERE 10 YEARS SINCE THIS LAND WAS RECLAIMED, FROM THE SEA IN AN ACT OF FAITH IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND ITS HARBOUR. HOW WELL THAT CONFIDENCE AND FAITH WAS JUSTIFIED+.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE MODERN TERMINALS LIMITED'S NEW SPORTS CENTRE, HE SAID THE TERMINAL, THE THIRD LARGEST CONTAINER HANDLING TERMINAL IN THE WORLD, HAD SIX BERTHS, 2 300 METRES OF QUAY AND 88 HECTARES OF BACK-UP FOR CARGO HANDLING, CONTAINER STORAGE AND CONTAINER FREIGHT STATIONS,

SIR DAVID SAID THAT TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND, THE KWA! CHUNG CREEK RECLAMATION WOULD PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 15 HECTARES OF BACK-UP SPACE THAT WOULD BE COMPLETED BY MID-1987.

NEGOTIATIONS WERE ALSO UNDER WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITIONAL TERMINAL WITH THREE BERTHS, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO THE SPORTS CENTRE, SIR DAVID SAID IT SHOWED CLEARLY THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MODERN TERMINAL LIMITED RECOGNISED THE CONTRIBUTION OF OUR SKILLED AND EFFICIENT WORKERS TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TERMINAL, WHICH WAS AN EXAMPLE OTHER EMPLOYERS COULD WELL FOLLOW.

HE CONGRATULATED THE ARCHITECT OF THE CENTRE, MR ALAN WRIGHT, FOR HIS BOLD AND CREATIVE APPROACH WHICH PRODUCED AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE AND SPACIOUS SPORTS CENTRE.

SIR DAVID HOPES FOR DECISION SOON ON NEW CONTAINER TERMINAL

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY THAT HE HOPED A DECISION WOULD BE REACHED WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS+, ON NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE OPERATOR AND THE GOVERNMENT ON A NEW CONTAINER TERMINAL INVOLVING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION ON PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS ON THE EXTENSION TO THE TERMINAL, SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE GOING ON EXTREMELY WELL AND HE HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE +A FINAL CONCLUSION, THAT WE WERE GOING AHEAD, OR AT LEAST THE OPERATORS WERE GOING AHEAD, WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS FROM NOW+.

/+1 HOPE ...