XN000022-1995-03-29 — Page 52

- 28

The occurrence of several major public works projects, including extensive harbour reclamations. within such a short time span and in such a small area in and around Victoria Harbour, can cause both unsightlyness and inconvenience. But we should not allow these temporary problems to overshadow the long-term benefits to Hong Kong. When all the current and committed projects are completed, Hong Kong will be much better off in terms of land supply and infrastructure and the environment, including visual impact; and the benefits will accrue well into the next century.

In Hong Kong, reclamations have always been a major way of supplying much needed land for housing and infrastructure development both to improve the quality of life and to sustain economic growth. We approve reclamation projects only when we are fully satisfied with the results of very comprehensive studies to assess feasibility, and in particular the impact on the environment and marine traffic.

Those who suggest the harbour is shrinking may have forgotten that the harbour has already expanded westwards very considerably. Most of the traditional dockyards and godowns in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island are gone. Beyond the container port at Kwai Chung we will be developing a new one on Northeast Lantau, initially for terminals 10 and 11, and providing new cargo-handling facilities at Tuen Mun for the fast-growing river trade.

The current reclamation programme is the product of a series of extensive studies which began in the early 1980's with the Study on Harbour Reclamations and Urban Growth and continued through the Territorial Development Strategy, the Port and Airport Development Strategy and Metroplan. In moving our proposals forward, we have consulted widely to make sure that public views are taken into account each step of the way.

Some people seem to be under the impression that the bulk of the reclaimed land will be used for commercial or residential development. This is not true. Of the 1,100 hectares of reclamation under construction or planning, only 27% will be used for commercial or residential development. In the case of schemes currently being implemented, almost 40% of the new land on the West Kowloon Reclamation is set aside for the Airport Railway, the West Kowloon Expressway and other new roads connecting the Western Harbour Crossing. Commercial or residential development will only take up 26% of the land there. The same applies to the Central and Wanchai Reclamation. It will produce land for the HK Terminal of the Airport Railway, the extension of the Convention Centre and a major new road to relieve traffic congestion. Only 23% of the new land there will be used for commercial or residential purposes, including hotels which, as a few Members have said, will be needed in the next few years to serve the tourist industry.