XN000022-1989-11-08 — Page 16

14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1989

"THIS 1996.

SHOULD ENABLE US TO COPE WITH THE FORECAST GROWTH UP TO THEREAFTER, THERE WILL BE SEVERE CONSTRAINTS ON ANY FURTHER GROWTH, HE ADDED,

ABOUT

DISBENEFITS

FLOWING

"IT IS IN ORDER TO MINIMISE THE ECONOMIC FROM THESE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE SET OURSELVES THE AMBITIOUS TARGET OF OPENING THE FIRST RUNWAY AT CHEK LAP KOK AS EARLY AS 1997." THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID.

POSSIBLE IN

A BILL SEEKING TO ESTABLISH THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY WAS EXPECTED TO BE PUT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND ΤΟ STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN TO RECRUIT A PERSON OF APPROPRIATE CALIBRE FILL THE POST OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO THE AUTHORITY, SIR PIERS SAID.

A COMPUTERISED MASTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WHICH WOULD ENSURE THE EFFECTIVE CO-ORDINATION OF THE MANY INTER-RELATED PROJECTS

WAS IN FACILITATING THE OPENING OF THE AIRPORT IN 1997 INVOLVED

NOW

BEING WORKED ON. HE SAID.

"IT WILL BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO SLIPPAGE IN THE PROGRAMME FOR THE PROVISION OF AIRPORT-RELATED TRANSPORT PROJECTS. SUCH AS THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND ASSOCIATED ROADS. HE ADDED.

OF

FOR THE AIRPORT ITSELF, THE IMMEDIATE TASK WAS THE PREPARATION RELATED A DETAILED AIRPORT MASTER PLAN AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF

STUDIES ENGINEERING DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT TO BE CARRIED OUT. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID.

CIVIL

"WE SHALL AT THE SAME TIME ACQUIRE PRELIMINARY ON-SITE WORKS, HE ADDED.

LAND AND COMMENCE

SIR PIERS NOTED THAT THERE WERE PRUDENT CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT THE RISKS AND PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN SUCH AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING

REFERENCES WITH

MADE TO THE LARGE DEMAND FOR LABOUR RESULTING FROM THESE DEVELOPMENTS. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WOULD BE ABLE TO COPE, AND THE LIKELY EFFECTS ON OVERALL DEMAND IN THE ECONOMY AND ON INFLATION.

"WE ARE ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THESE PROBLEMS. CLEARLY, WE NEED TO SPREAD OUT THE CONSTRUCTION WORKLOAD AS FAR AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE THE PRESSURE ON COSTS.

GIVEN "MOREOVER.

THE LARGE ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR LABOUR FOR MANY YEARS TO COME AGAINST THE SLOW INCREASE IN LABOUR SUPPLY, WE HAVE

FIND WAYS TO

THE OF USING OUR LABOUR RESOURCES IN

MOST EFFECTIVE

MANNER, HE SAID.

"WE MUST INCREASE LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH THE USE OF ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT, AND THROUGH BETTER TRAINING OF OUR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. HE ADDED.

THE FINANCIAL ...................