TNAG-1157-FCO40-1437-Visits-by-FCO-Ministers-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 22

HICH

MICK 026/3

Mr. Contents

(11

Brief Descriptive Notes for

Lord Belstead's Helicopter Familiarisation Tour

of New Towns and Public Housing

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Tuesday the 7th of December 1982

1.

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and

atts

is so date about $14,200 million has been spent by Government Non neob New

on building new fois in the New Territories and it is estimated that a total of $85,500 million will eventually be spent to complete the new towns : This figure does not of course include private development.

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It is expected that in about fifteen years time there will be more than 3.3 million people living in the New Territories three times the present population. The majority of this population will live in public housing or Home Ownership flats.

TSUEN VAN This first-generation new tow is expected to be the home of one million people by the turn of the century, and will provide job opportunities for 450,000 workers when fully developed. Of the present population of 650,000 people, 60.2 per cent are living in public housing.

The outlying development plan area for the town includes 2,670 hectares of land.

Present major projects in the tow include the construction of the Tsuen Wan Bypass, to link up with Tuen Mun Road, the building of Taing Yi North Bridge, Tsing Yi town centre, and the expansion scheme for the Kwai Chung Container Port.

A huge parks and recreation project is also under way, involving the construction of two parks - one at Gin Drinker's Bay and the other at Tao Kung Tam.

The estimated expenditure for the current financial year for Tsuen Wan is $600 million and it is expected that a total of about $17,789 million will be spent to complete the development.

TUEN MUN This industrial town, with an outlying development plan area of 2,000 hectares will be home for 520,000 people by the turn of the century, more that triple the size of its present population of 150,000.

There are plans to develop the town into a cultural and civic centre for the western New Territories and initial works are already underway to implement these.

There are five public housing estates in the district with a number of others being planned.

The major mode of transport within the new town is a proposed light rail system with links to Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.

Then the second carriagway of the Tuen Mun Road is fully completed in 1983, it will provide a modern high speed road to the northwest New Territories. Present private projects in Tuen Mun include the Tap Shek Kok Power Station, the 'A' Power Station which was opened by the Prime Minister in October of this year. ▲ cement

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