XN000022-1990-10-31 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1990

RESTRUCTURING **THIS WILL BE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE

KOWLOON TO THE RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING AND SOMEWHAT QUIETER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.

"IT IS

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROBABLY METROPLAN WILL BENEFIT," MR BARNES SAID.

OF A FOR NEW

CHANGE FROM WHICH THE

SAID THERE IN SUMMING UP THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, NOTHING "MAGIC" ABOUT THE 1997 TARGET DATE FOR BUILDING THE AIRPORT,

WAS

BRITISH

"THE VIEW THAT THE AIRPORT MUST BE BUILT IN THE PERIOD OF THE ADMINISTRATION FORMS NO PART OF GOVERNMENT'S THINKING."

THE

AS SOON

THE AND ON THE SHORTEST PERIOD

THE AIRPORT AS TWO

WERE THE NEED TO BUILD FACTORS PRACTICABLE BECAUSE OF THE GROWING CONGESTION AT KAI TAK THE BEST ADVICE AT THE TIME, SEVEN YEARS WAS NECESSARY FOR COMPLETION OF THE CORE PROJECTS.

THE CORE PROJECTS INCLUDED ONE RUNWAY AT CHEK LAP

THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND LANTAU EXPRESSWAY, EXPRESSWAY.

KOK, THE NORTH THE WEST KOWLOON

THE SIR DAVID SAID THE DECISION TO BUILD THE AIRPORT WAS NOT A SUDDEN AS THE LONG TERM NEED FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT WAS DEFINED IN SEVENTIES.

PERIOD, THE

ONE EARLY

PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXHAUSTIVELY "OVER THE INTERVENING

LOCATION REVIEWED FROM EVERY ANGLE: FROM FORECAST OF DEMAND, THROUGH

DISBENEFITS OF DOING TO COST AND THE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, NOTHING. THE DECISION IN OCTOBER 1989 COULD HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS SURPRISE.

BEFORE THE OF SENIOR

BRIEFINGS FOR MANY EMINENT VISITORS WERE ALSO GIVEN LONG DECISION TO PROCEED WAS ANNOUNCED. THIS INCLUDED A GROUP OFFICIALS FROM THE MAINLAND WHO WERE GIVEN A FULL PRESENTATION ON PADS IN MARCH 1989.

SIR

KONG HONG TRADITIONAL OUT THAT THE POINTED DAVID CONSULTATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS HAD BEEN FOLLOWED.

THE

STYLE

OF

PLACES

IF

ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF CONSULTATION FOLLOWED IN SOME OTHER WHICH INVOLVES FORMAL PUBLIC INQUIRIES COULD HAVE SEVERE PENALTIES APPLIED IN HONG KONG.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY CITED THE MUNICH AIRPORT, WHICH FINISHED AFTER A DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN IN 1969 TO PROCEED WITH PROJECT; AND THE STANSTED AIRPORT IN THE UK WHICH ABOUT SINCE 1964 AND WAS NOT DUE TO OPEN UNTIL NEXT YEAR. "SOMEHOW THAT STYLE OF DOING THINGS DOESN'T QUITE SEEM TO HONG KONG'S 'GET UP AND GO' IMAGE," SIR DAVID SAID.

WAS STILL NOT

THE BEEN ARGUED

FIT INTO

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