January_1971 — Page 9

news review

M$30 million port planned

The Malaysia Government is considering a plan to build a M$30 million port to handle bulk cargo at Pasir Gudang, 25 miles south of Johore Bahru.

The Minister of Transport, Dato Abdul Ghani Gilong, announced recently that the first stage of a survey on the feasibility of the project had been completed by the consultants, Wallace and Evans. Within their terms of reference, the consultants had concluded that traffic from north and central Johore justified the establishment of the port.

Consultants to undertake the engineering studies would soon be appointed by the Govern- ment. The Minister said that the cost to build one palm oil jetty and one berth would be M$12 mil-

lion.

Land transactions booming

A record 70,278 documents affecting land were lodged for registration in the Hong Kong Land Of fice during 1970. The figure exceeds by 14,796, or nearly 27 per cent., the previous record of 55,482 set in 1969.

Mr. W. Hume, the Registrar General, said re- cently that mortages totalling 16,343, excluding building mortgages, were registered during the year, compared with 12,479 in the previous year. Total sums of money secured by these mortgages in 1970 amounted to HK$1,496 million, as against HK$880 million in 1969.

The increase in the number of building mort- gages registered from 121 in 1969 securing HK$140 million, to 145 last year securing HK$208 million was further evidence of the continuing impetus in new building development, Mr. Hume said.

800,000 sq.ft. Watson's Estate opened

Watson's estate three adjoining 14-storey buildings at North Point, Hongkong, providing some 800,000 sq.ft. of industrial and commercial floor space

was declared officially open on Jan- uary 6.

Built for A.S. Watson and Co. Ltd. and design- ed by the architectural department of Harriman Realty Co. Ltd., the estate covers a site of 80,000 sq.ft. and houses the factories, offices and show-

Far East BUILDER, January 1971

Watson's Estate, North Point

TERIES 17:

† TURIN HOTCAS

rooms of more than 50 companies. It was complet- ed in two stages, blocks A and C being built in 1966 and block B in 1970.

Contained in the estate is Watson's own soft drink factory, its main office and its pharmaceutical and wine and spirit warehouses.

Face-lift for old buildings

'The new law will enable the authorities to give the much-needed face-lift to some of the older buildings situated in the older parts of the city area which have not as yet been designated for urban renewal or redevelopment'.

This statement from the Singapore Ministry of Health accompanied the introduction of a new law enabling local health authorities to compel owners of dilapidated premises to give their buildings or houses a face-lift.

Under the new act, health authorities are em- powered to require owners or occupiers of any house or building which 'is in an unclean, grimy, neglected, unkept or sanitary condition' to clean and renovate it both inside and outside with paint or whitewash. It also provides, in the case of rent- controlled premises, for the owner to recover from the tenant, the costs and expenses incurred in car- rying out any work inside the premises - in equal instalments over a period of 24 months.

Another major provision relates to the dumping of refuse and garbage into streams, rivers, canals and drains, as well as the pollution of reservoirs, lakes and catchment areas.

Housing and recreation projects at Jurong

Jurong Town Corporation is about to invite tenders for the first stage of its second low-cost housing scheme which will provide 12,000 two- and three-room homes in blocks between 10 and 20 storeys high. Cost of the scheme is estimated at S$96 million.

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