XN000022-1989-10-12 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1989

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"KWAI CHUNG, AS YOU KNOW, IS ALREADY THE BIGGEST CONTAINER PORT 14 PER IN THE WORLD, AND THE GROWTH HAS BEEN QUITE SUBSTANTIAL CENT GROWTH PER ANNUM OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS," HE SAID.

THIS DEMAND HAD PROMPTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINER TERMINAL HIS POLICY AS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN 7. THE TERMINALS 8 AND 9 1 ADDRESS YESTERDAY, WOULD BE SITUATED AT STONECUTTERS ISLAND AND YI.

THIS WOULD MEAN ALL THE POTENTIAL AREAS HARBOUR LIMITS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTAINER BASICALLY HAVE BEEN USED UP, SIR DAVID NOTED.

TSING

WITHIN THE PRESENT PORTS WOULD THEN

QUANTUM ΤΟ

"IT'S FOR THAT REASON THEREFORE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A LEAP TOO IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PORT IN THE SAME WAY AS WE HAVE DO FOR OUR AIRPORT. AND THAT WILL BE OUT INTO THE WESTERN HARBOUR.

"SO

THE NEW PORT

IT'S THOSE TWO FACTORS TAKEN TOGETHER WHICH LED US TO STRATEGIC DECISION THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP, IN TANDEM, A AND A NEW AIRPORT, ' HE SAID.

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ON A NEW PLACES

THE CHIEF SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT ANY DECISION AIRPORT WAS A PROBLEM THAT REQUIRED TIME, NOT ONLY HERE BUT IN AROUND THE WORLD.

SIR DAVID SAID THE DECISION ON A NEW AIRPORT INVOLVED A TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.

IN NOT.

FOR HONG KONG

"I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REALISE TOO THAT THE 1983 WAS NOT SIMPLY WAVERING AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD GO

DECISION AHEAD OR

BECAUSE

THERE WAS A VERY CONSCIOUS DECISION TAKEN IN '83, BUT OF OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AT THAT TIME AND OUR FORECAST OF OUR FUTURE FINANCIAL POSITION, WE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE THE DECISION GO AHEAD IN '83," THE CHIEF SECRETARY EXPLAINED.

IN THE TWO YEARS THAT THE PADS STUDIES TOOK DIFFERENT STUDIES, SOME OF WHICH WERE VERY COMPLEX, AT, SIR DAVID SAID.

סיף

PLACE, SOME 50 HAD BEEN LOOKED

COULD BE NO REASON OR

FOR THE.

"WE HAVE HAD TO GET THIS DECISION RIGHT. THERE QUESTION OF

A DECISION AND THEN FINDING FOR ONE MAKING ANOTHER, EITHER FOR THE ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS OR SITUATION IN THE HYDROLOGICAL STUDIES OR THE THAT WE WERE THWARTED.

AERONAUTICAL STUDIES,

THIS VAST EXPENDITURE, "THEREFORE IT IS PRUDENT OF US, WITH INVOLVED, TO TAKE THOSE TWO YEARS AND COME UP WITH WHAT WE BELIEVE NOW' TO BE A VERY SOLIDLY BASED DECISION," THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID.

NO DEVELOPMENT,

LESS DOWN ΤΟ NARROWED

LAP KOK AND

AIRPORT AND THESE WERE THE RETENTION OF KAI TAK AIRPORT, CHEK

IN DECIDING THE NEW THAN 47 SCENARIOS WERE LOOKED THREE OPTIONS

AND PORT

AT,

THE WESTERN HARBOUR

——

/HAVING DISMISSED