XN000022-1995-04-11 — Page 26

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Mr Gray said these benefits to the economy would come about only if the port continued to expand to meet the demand.

"China is developing its own container ports," he said, "but they alone will not be able to handle the huge growth in throughput forecast for the next few years.

"If we can continue to cope with demand then the chances are that we shall be able to continue to anchor our service industries here. If we fail, then they will surely follow the cargo."

The PDB Chairman pointed out that Lantau Port was not being built in isolation, it was part of the overall Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS) which was first announced amid great publicity in 1989.

The PADS study recognised the need to develop all future cargo handling facilities required for port expansion away from urban and residential areas. Indeed, one of the prime objectives was to ensure that the plan for port development would both safeguard, and contribute to an improvement in, the quality of the physical and living environment in Hong Kong.

"Since then," he said, "the project has been continually refined and modified. Many of those modifications were made to further reduce possible effects on the environment."

He added: "A recent report in the press said that the Port Development Board was planning to 'increase the volume of freight cargo trucked through the territory from 20 million tonnes in 1996 to 70 million tonnes in 2011. We are not planning anything of the kind.

"The Port Development Board's task is to advise the Government on what cargo demands will be in the future and on what port facilities will be needed to meet those demands. The demands will be there whether the facilities are built or not."

"There will be additional traffic as a result of port expansion, but this is being provided for in the planning of new road systems such as the Lantau Fixed Crossing and Route Three. We believe these will provide adequate transport facilities to cope with the opening of Lantau Port.

He continued: "We realise there will be some loss of fishing grounds at and in the vicinity of the development. I am aware that ways to replace these are being examined.