ENG-1985 — Page 122

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PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Facilities in the existing wholesale markets are becoming inadequate for handling the ever increasing quantities of imported fresh vegetables, fruit, poultry, eggs, freshwater fish and crustacea. Marketing activities have spilled on to adjacent public streets, causing obstruction and traffic congestion. To improve the situation, plans are going ahead to establish new wholesale markets in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island to centralise the wholesale marketing of fresh foodstuffs. In the interim, the government has introduced a number of temporary wholesale markets at Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon for freshwater fish, poultry and imported vegetables, and at Western District on Hong Kong Island for fruit.

Mining

At the end of 1985, one mining lease and three mining licences for extraction of feldspar and kaolin were in operation. Details of the leases and licences are published twice a year in the Government Gazette.

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The Mines Division of the Labour Department enforces legislation and safety regula- tions relating to mining and explosives. It processes mining and prospecting applications; inspects mining and prospecting areas, stone quarries, blasting sites and explosives stores; and issues shotfirers' blasting certificates. The division also controls the possession, conveyance, storage, manufacture and use of explosives in Hong Kong including delivery of explosives from government depots to blasting sites. In addition, it manages government explosives depots that provide bulk storage facilities for imported explosives.

All the tunnelling works from Admiralty to Chai Wan for the Mass Transit Railway Island Line project were completed during the early part of the year and this section of the Island Line was opened on May 31. The Hong Kong Explosives Depot continued to serve the remaining three tunnelling sites west of Admiralty Station until it was closed on September 1. Storage space was provided for about 3.4 tonnes of fireworks for a display in February to mark the Lunar New Year. Approval was given for continued importation and use in Hong Kong of Chinese-manufactured explosives and blasting accessories, after storage and firing tests were undertaken by the Mines Division. The consumption of explosives during the year was 3 783 tonnes.

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