XN000022-1994-01-26 — Page 28

14

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1994

PLANS TO STEP UP HARBOUR MANAGEMENT

OPERATIONAL

THE MARINE DEPARTMENT CONSTANTLY REVIEWS ITS PROCEDURES, EQUIPMENT AND ESTABLISHMENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY REMAIN SUFFICIENT AND UP-TO-DATE IN MAINTAINING MAXIMUM SAFETY AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF THE HONG KONG WATERS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON SIU, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALBERT CHAN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN ORDER TO STEP UP HARBOUR MANAGEMENT, MR SIU SAID THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE HAD OBTAINED FUNDING TO:

NEW

SET UP A LOCAL MARINE TRAFFIC CONTROL STATION, WITH 26 POSTS, A DEDICATED LAUNCH, RADAR AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, AT MA WAN IN 1995;

SET UP A RADAR STATION AT KAU YI CHAU TO SURVEILLANCE OF THE WESTERN HARBOUR AND RADAR COVERAGE OF KWAI CHUNG AND APPROACHES;

BUY

THREE QUICK REACTION

ENHANCE RADAR PROVIDE FULL

PATROL BOATS WHICH WILL COME INTO SERVICE IN MID-1994; AND

REPLACE FIVE OBSOLETE AND COST-INEFFECTIVE PATROL BOATS MID-1996.

BY

MR SIU SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO CONSIDER PHASING OUT AND REPLACING A FURTHER OF 11 LOCAL PATROL CRAFT; EXTENDING THE PATROL CAPABILITY IN THE PRINCIPAL FAIRWAYS AND ANCHORAGES; AND SETTING UP FURTHER LOCAL TRAFFIC CONTROL STATIONS AT THE NEW PORT DEVELOPMENTS OF CONTAINER TERMINALS NINE AND 10.

THERE WERE 368 MARITIME ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR, WHICH WERE MINOR IN NATURE WITH NO CASUALTIES.

70

PER

CENT

OF

AND

THESE ACCIDENTS INVOLVED BOATS RANGING FROM LARGE OCEAN-GOING TO SMALL MOTOR SAMPANS AND INCLUDED COLLISIONS, GROUNDINGS CAPSIZES OF VESSELS.

SHIPS

0

-

J

ACCURACY OF TRADE FIGURES ASSURED.

THE GOVERNMENT IS MAKING EVERY EFFORT то ENSURE THAT THE ACCURACY OF TRADE STATISTICS WAS NOT ONLY MAINTAINED BUT ALSO IMPROVED.

THE ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES, MR MICHAEL CARTLAND, TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ROGER LUK KOON-HOO.

/HONG KONG'S