XN000022-1994-03-08 — Page 10

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1994

A GOVERNMENT CONSULTANCY STUDY HAS RECOMMENDED CAREFUL ALIGNMENT OF

ROADS, SPECIAL ROAD SURFACE TREATMENTS AND INSULATION AGAINST NOISE TO MITIGATE EFFECTS ON LOCAL RESIDENTS.

IN ADDITION, THE PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPER WILL BE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WHICH WILL ALSO COVER DUST AND DREDGING OF MARINE MUD DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.

THE DEVELOPER MUST ALSO PROPOSE APPROPRIATE MITIGATION MEASURES TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE ANY WORK ON SITE CAN BEGIN.

THE GOVERNMENT'S CONSULTATION WITH THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PLANNING PROCESS.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IF THE RIVER TRADE TERMINAL WAS NOT BUILT,

THE LOCAL ECONOMY WOULD LOSE MORE THAN $13 BILLION BETWEEN 1997 AND 2006.

THE PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD ESTIMATES THAT THE 20.7 MILLION TONNES OF FREIGHT CARRIED BY RIVER IN 1993 WILL DOUBLE BY 2001 AND QUADRUPLE BY 2011.

THERE IS ALSO A GROWING NEED FOR DEDICATED CONTAINER HANDLING FACILITIES FOR RIVER TRADE.

ALTHOUGH CONTAINERISATION ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 10 PER CENT OF RIVER CARGOES IN 1991, THE PROPORTION INCREASED TO 20 PER CENT IN

1993 AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH 41 PER CENT BY 2011.

RIVER CARGO HANDLING FACILITIES, MAINLY PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS, ARE EXPECTED TO REACH CAPACITY BY 1996.

IF THE RIVER TRADE TERMINAL IS NOT BUILT THE CUMULATIVE LOSS OF RIVER SHIPMENT CARGO BETWEEN 1997 AND 2011 COULD REACH

MILLION TWENTY - FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS OF CONTAINERISED FREIGHT AND 15.2 MILLION TONNES OF BREAK-BULK CARGO.

THE GOVERNMENT WILL GAZETTE THE TERMINAL UNDER THE FORESHORE AND SEA-BED (RECLAMATION) ORDINANCE AND THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE.

THE NEED FOR A RIVER TRADE TERMINAL WAS RECOGNISED IN THE PADS (PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY) REPORT IN 1988.

THE RIVER TRADE CARGO ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE OF THE PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD, IN MARCH 1992, REPORTED THAT THE NEED WAS BECOMING PRESSING.

WHEN THE GOVERNMENT, IN APRIL 1992, CALLED FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN BUILDING AND OPERATING THE TERMINAL, SEVERAL PRIVATE COMPANIES RESPONDED.

THE MULTI-PURPOSE TERMINAL WILL ENABLE THE OPERATORS TO SORT, STORE AND CONSOLIDATE RIVER TRADE CARGO.

IT CAN THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO BIGGER VESSELS AND TRANSPORTED TO CONTAINER TERMINALS OR OTHER PORT FACILITIES FOR ONWARD TRANSHIPMENT.

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