XN000022-1988-03-01 — Page 6

5.

PADS STUDY LAUNCHED

* * *

TUESDAY, MARCH 1 1988

1

A $44 MILLION STUDY TO PRODUCE A LONG TERM PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (PADS) FOR HONG KONG WAS LAUNCHED TODAY (TUESDAY) FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF A CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT BY THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR GRAHAM BARNES.

SIGNING ON BEHALF OF THE CONSULTANTS WAS MR JOHN WHITEFIELD, DIRECTOR OF MOTT, HAY AND ANDERSON HONG KONG LIMITED WHO ARE WORKING IN ASSOCIATION WITH SHANKLAND COX.

HAD FARED

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MR BARNES SAID HONG KONG MIRACULOUSLY WELL WITH WHAT MANY HAD CONSIDERED FAR TOO LITTLE PLANNING, CERTAINLY MUCH BETTER THAN MANY COUNTRIES WHICH HAD ATTEMPTED TO PLAN MUCH MORE.

"SO THE AIM OF THIS STUDY TOO MUST NOT BE TO CHANNEL HONG KONG INTO AN ENORMOUS BOOM OR BUST SPECULATION PREDICATED ON A SUPPOSEDLY EVER-RISING PROSPERITY GRAPH, BUT TO PROVIDE A RANGE OF RATIONAL AND FEASIBLE COURSES OF ACTION AND A PROPER APPRECIATION OF CONSEQUENCES AND COSTS OF EACH.

THE

"THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST HEAVILY AND EARLY IN BOTH PORT AND AT SOME STAGE THE AIRPORT IS BEYOND DOUBT. BUT THE EXTENT ΤΟ WHICH INVESTMENT CAN BE MADE TO SERVE THE TOTAL ECONOMY COULD WELL ВЕ CRITICAL TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

"WITH THIS IN MIND A CRITICAL PART OF THESE STUDIES WILL BE THE INTERCHANGE WITH COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY AND ALSO THE METROPLAN," MR BARNES SAID.

THE ENTIRE STUDY WOULD TAKE 22 MONTHS то COMPLETE THAT TIME, THERE WOULD BE CERTAIN MILESTONE EVENTS FOR HIGH LEVEL DECISIONS AND GUIDANCE.

BUT,

OVER

WHICH

WOULD

CALL

IN PARTICULAR, WE WILL NEED TO COME TO AN EARLY DECISION ON WHERE TO SITE CONTAINER TERMINALS 8 AND 9 IN ORDER TO KEEP APACE WITH OUR RAPIDLY ESCALATING PORT TRADE.

"THE NEED FOR AN EARLY STRATEGY FOR BACK-UP LAND FOR THE CONTAINER PORT IS ALSO A CRITICAL SUB-ITEM, MR BARNES SAID.

"

THE STUDY WILL ASSUME A TIME HORIZON OF 2011 AND WILL PRODUCE ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES FOR TWO BROAD SCENARIOS. THE FIRST COMPRISES PORT EXPANSION AND THE RETENTION OF THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE SECOND COMPRISES PORT EXPANSION AND THE RELOCATION OF THE AIRPORT.

UNDER THE AIRPORT RELOCATION

EXAMINED.

SCENARIO, TWO OPTIONS WILL BE

/ONE WILL