4.
Transport infrastructure
Road and rail transport links to the new airport will clearly be necessary and a fixed crossing to Lantau Island will be needed to carry such links. The total estimated
cost of all transport infrastructure is HK$27 billion (at 1989 prices), about 50% of which would be funded by the Hong Kong Government and the rest by the private sector.
5. Lantau Urban Development
The Hong Kong Government will be responsible for creating the land and providing the infrastructure for residential, commercial and industrial areas on Lantau at an estimated cost of HK$15 billion. Like the port, this development will be phased over a lengthy period in response to demand.
Overall cost in relation to the Hong Kong Government's
financial position
On the basis of the detailed financial studies conducted so far, the total expenditure likely to fall to the Hong Kong Government over the next 15 years is expected to be about HK$50 billion. The cost of the projects will continue to be refined in the light of further studies. If the Hong Kong Government thought that the projects or their costs were becoming unmanageable, they would of course re-examine
them.
The Hong Kong Government's reserves currently stand at over HK$72 billion. This excludes the SAR Government's Land Fund which stands at about HK$20 billion and will probably double between now and 1997. The Hong Kong Government will not, of course, pay for its share of the costs simply by spending its reserves but will maximise the amount derived from
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