XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

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IN THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF THREE BASIC SCENARIOS, THAT IS, WITH KAI TAK AIRPORT RETAINED, A NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK AND A NEW AIRPORT IN THE GENERAL AREA EAST OF LANTAU ISLAND, THE PADS CONSULTANTS HAVE PRODUCED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON PORT DEVELOPMENT.

"THESE OPTIONS WILL BE PROGRESSIVELY REFINED DURING THE NEXT NINE MONTHS AND BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR DECISIONS ON THE AIRPORT AND PORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WILL HAVE BEEN TAKEN,

** HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE SUB-REGIONAL PLANNING STUDIES COVERING HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND TSUEN WAN UNDER THE METROPLAN, MR BARNES SAID IT HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT SUCH A STRATEGY WAS VITALLY NECESSARY.

THIS WAS SO IN VIEW OF THE OVERALL PATTERN OF CHANGE WHICH WILL BE PRODUCED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PADS, THE MAJOR URBAN RECLAMATIONS, REDEVELOPMENT BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND OTHERS OF OBSOLETE AREAS OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND OF THE OLDER PUBLIC HOUSING ESATES BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

"ALSO, METROPLAN IS ABOUT THE ONLY MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN GIVE ANY HOPE OF REALISATION TO OUR PLANNING OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM AFTER THE PERIOD COVERED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY 2 AND OF THE UPGRADING OF THE GENERAL URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

"SO THE METROPLAN STUDY, WHICH WE INITIATED PRIMARILY FOR URBAN RENEWAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT REASONS, BECOME STRATEGIC AS WELL, MR BARNES SAID.

HAS NECESSARILY

HE ADDED THAT THE METROPLAN WAS EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLEX AS ITS IMPLEMENTAION WOULD INVOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND TOWN PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS, EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION, LAND ADMINISTRATION AND CO-ORDINATION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA.

NEW LEGISLATION ON TOWN PLANNING

PROPOSALS FOR NEW DRAFT LEGISLATION ON TOWN PLANNING IS EXPECTED TO BE FINALISED IN APRIL NEXT YEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY),

MR BARNES SAID ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE PRESENT TOWN PLANNING · ORDINANCE NEEDED REVISION WAS THAT IT MADE NO PROVISION FOR THE PREPARATION OF PLANS FOR OR OTHER CONTROLS ON RURAL LAND USES.

"BUT IT