XN000022-1992-01-31 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1992

CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 TO BE SITED AT TSING YI

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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT CONTAINER TERMINAL 5. 9 (CT9) WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AT TSING YI AND SUITABLE MEASURES OULD BE TAKEN TO OVERCOME ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRANSPORT PROBLEMS WHICH LIGHT ARISE FROM THE SITING OF THE TERMINAL IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

EXPLAINING THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND BEHIND THE DECISION AT A RESS CONFERENCE, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN STRESSED THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUED ECONOMIC ROWTH ΤΟ PLAN AHEAD SO THAT ADEQUATE PORT FACILITIES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.

"THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH TSING YI RE-AFFIRMS OUR POLICY EXPANDING OUR PORT FACILITIES TO MATCH THE DEMANDS UPON IT," SHE POINTED OUT.

OF

OF ALL

IT HAS ONLY BEEN MADE AFTER VERY CAREFUL REVALUATION POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES AND A CRITICAL REVIEW OF PORT CARGO DEMANDS,

BASED ON THE CURRENT TREND IN CONTAINER GROWTH, TERMINAL NO.

8 SHOULD COME ON STREAM IN THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR; TERMINAL NO. 9 WOULD BE REQUIRED TWO YEARS LATER, DURING 1995.

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BEFORE 1997, WHEN THE TSING. MA BRIDGE WOULD PROVIDE ACCESS LANTAU, THE ONLY VIABLE LOCATIONS FOR THESE TERMINALS WERE ON STONECUTTERS ISLAND (WHERE TERMINAL NO. 8 IS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION) AND SOUTH-EAST TSING YI.

"THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TERMINAL AT TSING YI WILL ENABLE US TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE ONLY DEEP WATER SITE AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE BRIDGE TO LANTAU OPENS IN 1997.

FACILITIES ON

"WHETHER IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO OPEN ANY PORT LANTAU DURING 1997, AS OUR LONGER TERM CARGO FORECASTS SUGGEST WILL BE NEEDED, WILL NOT BECOME CLEAR UNTIL A PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT STUDY IS COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

"30 PORT FACILITIES ON TSING YI ARE VITAL IF HONG KONG IS TO CONTINUE TO SERVICE ITS TRADE WITH THE WORLD, AND THAT OF THE RAPIDLY INDUSTRIALISING PEARL RIVER DELTA. IF WE FAIL TO HANDLE THAT TRADE, THE ECONOMIC DISBENEFITS WOULD AMOUNT TO MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, SHE SAID.

THOSE DISBENEFITS WOULD EVENTUALLY COME THROUGH AS LOSSES IN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSEQUENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON PEOPLE'S STANDARDS OF LIVING.

IN ORDER TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE OF THE NEED FOR CONTAINER TERMINAL NO. 9 BY MID-1995, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO EXAMINED:

THE ABILITY OF MID-STREAM CONTAINER HANDLING SERVICES TO EXPAND TO COMPENSATE FOR SHORTAGES IN TERMINAL CAPACITY; AND

/* THE ABILITY