XN000022-1994-04-28 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1994

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. FORECASTS SHOW IT WILL REACH 41 PER CENT BY 2011.

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

THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO REDUCE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE TERMINAL ON THE TUEN MUN AREA. THIS WILL BE IN LINE WITH CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA AS A WHOLE.

AMONG THE MEASURES ALREADY PLANNED ARE THE CAREFUL ALIGNMENT OF ROADS AND THE USE OF SPECIAL ROAD SURFACE MATERIALS TO CUT DOWN TRAFFIC NOISE.

THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO UPGRADE THE LOCAL ROAD NETWORK TO TIE IN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND AVOID CONGESTION BY TERMINAL TRAFFIC. THIS WILL INCLUDE WIDENING A SECTION OF LUNG MUN ROAD AND BUILDING A NEW BYPASS ALONG THE CASTLE PEAK FOOTHILLS.

THE

AT 1993 PRICES. MILLION TO PROVIDE CUSTOMS,

THE ESTIMATED COST IS $892 MILLION GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND ANOTHER $39 IMMIGRATION AND FIRE SERVICE FACILITIES.

PLANNERS HAVE CONSULTED THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD OVER THE TERMINAL SINCE AUGUST 1990 AND HAVE TAKEN LOCAL CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND THE ENVIRONMENT INTO ACCOUNT.

THE GOVERNMENT WILL GAZETTE THE TERMINAL UNDER THE FORESHORE AND SEA-BED (RECLAMATION) ORDINANCE AND THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE. IT WILL CONSULT THE DISTRICT BOARD AT REGULAR INTERVALS DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS.

THE TERMINAL DEVELOPER WILL HAVE TO ASSESS CAREFULLY THE LIKELY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE TERMINAL AND PROVIDE ACCEPTABLE MITIGATION MEASURES.

THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY REPORT IN 1988 RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR A RIVER TRADE TERMINAL. IN MARCH 1992, THE RIVER TRADE CARGO ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE REPORTED THAT THE NEED WAS BECOMING PRESSING.

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

THE MULTI-PURPOSE TERMINAL WILL ENABLE THE OPERATORS TO SORT, STORE AND CONSOLIDATE RIVER TRADE CARGO. THEY CAN THEN TRANSFER IT TO BIGGER VESSELS AND TRANSPORT IT TO CONTAINER TERMINALS OR OTHER PORT FACILITIES FOR ONWARD TRANSHIPMENT.

BE

THE LOCATION OF THE RTT MEANS THAT MOST RIVER VESSELS WILL ABLE TO AVOID THE BUSY MA WAN CHANNEL. THEY WILL ALSO AVOID OCEAN- GOING VESSELS USING KWAI CHUNG AND THE NEW LANTAU PORT.

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