XN000022-1985-10-30 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1985

TURNING TO THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN THE URBAN AREA, SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGY WAS AIMED AT SUSTAINING LONG-TERM URBAN GROWTH.

+IN PREPARATION FOR THE EARLY 1990'S, DETAILED PLANNING AND ENGINEERING STUDIES ON NEW GROWTH AREAS AROUND THE HARBOUR ARE NOW UNDER WAY.

+INITIALLY, RECLAMATION WILL TAKE PLACE AT KELLETT BAY ON THE WESTERN SHORE OF HONG KONG ISLAND TO PROVIDE LAND FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND AT HUNG HOM BAY TO PROVIDE LAND FOR EXPANSION OF THE KCR TERMINAL, FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES MUCH NEEDED IN THIS PART OF KOWLOON.+

AS FOR NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT, SIR EDWARD SAID ADVANCE ENGINEERING WORK FOR THE TIN SHUI WAI NEW TOWN WAS COMING ALONG WELL AND FORMATION WORK WAS DUE TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR TO PROVIDE LAND TO HOUSE 135 000 PEOPLE.

+BY 1995, THE POPULATION OF THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES, INCLUDING TUEN MUN, WILL HAVE RISEN TO OVER 700 000,

+TO CATER FOR THE EXPECTED TRAVEL DEMANDS IN THIS REGION, WORK ON THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM WILL COMMENCE EARLY NEXT YEAR THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO START RUNNING IN 1988,+ THE GOVERNOR SAID.

SIR EDWARD SAID MAJOR ENGINEERING WORKS AND PUBLIC HOUSING CONSTRUCTION WERE ALSO UNDER WAY IN JUNK BAY, AND THE FIRST RESIDENTS OF THE NEW TOWN WOULD MOVE IN BY EARLY 1987.

+ THE TOWN WILL ACCOMMODATE UP TO 155 000 PEOPLE BY ABOUT 1994, AND WILL BE LINKED TO EAST KOWLOON BY A NEW ROAD TUNNEL ON WHICH WORK WILL START NEXT YEAR.

+THERE IS GOOD PROGRESS ALSO ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF SHA TAU KOK, WHERE PRIORITY IS BEING GIVEN TO RE-HOUSING OVER 3 000 RESIDENTS LIVING IN UNSATISFACTORY ACCOMMODATION, SIR EDWARD SAID.

THE MOMENTUM OF NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS BEING REINFORCED BY LARGE INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, SIR EDWARD SAID THE PORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDY, TO WHICH HE REFERRED LAST YEAR, WAS NOW REACHING ITS CONCLUSION.

+ IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT HONG KONG MAINTAINS ITS CAPACITY TO HANDLE PROMPTLY AND EFFECTIVELY THE CARGOES WHICH PASS THROUGH OUR PORT.

/+THIS STUDY