ENG-1975 — Page 169

12

Public Works and Utilities

ABOUT a quarter of government expenditure goes on public works-including the construction of all types of public buildings, the formation and reclamation of land, and the provision of roads, sewers, piers and reservoirs. It is the government's greatest single financial commitment.

Public works expenditure of $1,601 million was approved for 1975-6. This was $136 million more than the previous year, despite the financial stringencies of 1975. Some $255 million is being spent on public housing, $360 million on roads, and $354 million on water supplies.

Buildings

As part of the 10-year housing programme, 15 housing blocks providing accom- modation for 55,350 people were completed during the year. Also completed were one estate welfare building, six 24-classroom primary schools, five kindergartens, two welfare halls, and one large commercial complex.

By the end of the year, work was in progress on 31 housing blocks which will accommodate about 128,400 people. Also under construction were seven 24-classroom primary schools, 11 kindergartens, five estate welfare halls, and four large commercial complexes. Site formation work, planning, or preparatory work was in hand or con- struction work was about to start on several housing estates-including the conversion and redevelopment of resettlement blocks at Shek Kip Mei Estate. These estates will provide homes for a further 62,065 people.

Expenditure on public housing and associated building work in 1975 amounted to $198 million, and on all other building projects to $215 million. Many varied projects were completed. Those on Hong Kong Island included an ambulance depot at Mount Davis, a secondary surveillance radar installation at Mount Parker, a new kitchen at Stanley Prison, the Chai Wan park, a specialist clinic to serve the eastern area of Hong Kong Island, accommodation for the Police Tactical Unit companies at Aberdeen, and a new divisional police headquarters and police station at North Point.

Among the many projects completed in Kowloon were the Kwun Tong Technical Institute, a new Kowloon District Police Headquarters building, a pathology labora- tory extension at the British Military Hospital, alterations to the casualty department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the conversion of a ward into a midwifery training school, indoor games halls at Boundary Street sports ground and Cheung Sha Wan playground, and improvements at Morse Park. The railway terminus building, multi- storey car park and railway staff quarters at the new Hung Hom terminus of the