CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG TO IMMEDIATE DTI
TELNO OTTER 245
OF 301029Z OCTOBER 90
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, TOKYO
CONFIDENTIAL
Mir Stone
HKC
182 12
CORRECTED VERSION
DTI FOR ADAMS, HEAD OF PEP
195
W
MY TELNO OTTER 244: HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT
Pa
197
016112
MDHIAN 6848
1. DR HENRY (HANK) TOWNSEND, HEAD OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM OF BECHTEL FOR THE WHOLE AIRPORT PROJECT, TELEPHONED ME TODAY 30 OCTOBER TO FOLLOW UP MY CONVERSATION WITH SIR DAVID FORD REPORTED IN MY TUR (AND AS FORECAST IN PARA 4 OF THAT TELEGRAM). TOWNSEND SAID THAT SIR D FORD HAD TAKEN UP THE POINTS I HAD RAISED WITH HIM AT A MEETING LATER THAT SAME DAY (29 OCTOBER) OF THE AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC COMMITTEE (ADSCOM), WHICH MEETS WEEKLY AND WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SECRETARY OF WORKS, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORT, SECRETARY OF ECONOMIC SERVICES, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AND TOWNSEND HIMSELF. IT HAD BEEN SUGGESTED THAT TOWNSEND SHOULD TELEPHONE ME TO GIVE FURTHER ELABORATION ON WHY A PRE-EMPTIVE BID BY AJC FOR THE AIRPORT PLATFORM WOULD BE UNWELCOME AT THIS STAGE.
2. THEIR FIRST CONCERN WAS THAT GREINER/MAUNSELL'S PLANNING WAS NOT FAR ENOUGH ADVANCED TO KNOW WHAT SHOULD BE BUILT. IT WOULD BE EARLY NEXT YEAR BEFORE THEY KNEW E.G. THE WIDTH OF RUN-WAY SEPARATION, DEPTH OF WATER, AMOUNT OF RECLAMATION.
3. MOREOVER GREINER/MAUNSELL HAD NOT YET CONSIDERED SUFFICIENTLY THE PHASING OF THE RECLAMATION: WHERE BUILDING HAD TO BEGIN ON IMMEDIATELY RECLAIMED LAND MORE EXPENSIVE METHODS WOULD HAVE TO BE USED THAN FOR LAND WHICH HAD MORE TIME TO SETTLE.
4. ADDITIONALLY, THE GREINER/MAUNSELL WORK WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE A REALISTIC ESTIMATE OF THE COSTS OF THE PLATFORM WORK: PRICES COULD VARY BY A FACTOR OF 1.5
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