ENG-1993 — Page 255

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

Construction work is underway on the first major district open space in Tseung Kwan O, near the Po Lam housing estate. On completion in early 1994, the project will provide extensive sports facilities and sitting-out areas.

At Sai Kung, reclamation of Sai Kung Creek is in progress to provide land in 1994 for a rural public housing site.

Islands District

Hong Kong's ninth new town is beginning to rise at Tung Chung and Tai Ho on northern Lantau Island, to provide a supporting community for the new airport at nearby Chek Lap Kok.

A comprehensive development

incorporating residential, industrial and commercial facilities and all the necessary supporting infrastructure is being designed to modern international standards.

The new town will comprise about 760 hectares of land. As well as playing a pivotal role at the gateway to Hong Kong, it will respond to the need for further development space. The contract for the first phase of the development at Tung Chung was in progress during

the year.

The new town will comprise two discrete urban development areas at Tung Chung and Tai Ho, with proposed populations of 150 000 and 50 000, respectively, by the year 2011. Residential and commercial developments will be concentrated in the town centre and two district centres in Tung Chung and Tai Ho, each incorporating a Lantau Line railway station and public transport terminus. The town centre will provide the retail, commercial and cultural core of the new town. Other necessary retail and commercial facilities will be distributed in the district centres serving Tung Chung and Tai Ho, and local centres within housing areas. Land will be reserved at Siu Ho Wan for airport-related industrial uses. A number of major utilities, including a water treatment works centre, a sewage treatment works centre, a railway depot and a refuse transfer station, will also be located at Siu Ho Wan.

There will be four phases of development for the new town between now and 2011. The first phase, which is earmarked as one of the Airport Core Programme projects, will be completed by 1997 to coincide with the opening of the new airport and will accommodate about 20 000 residents at Tung Chung. Site formation work, involving substantial reclama- tion, is in progress.

Elsewhere, the design of the North Lantau sewage treatment works was nearing completion. Work is expected to commence on site in 1994, and is scheduled for completion in 1996.

Improvements to the living environment and facilities for residents and visitors to the Islands District continued during 1993.

In Cheung Chau, site clearance for the rural public housing estate and Home Ownership Scheme in Sin Yan Tseng had started, with site formation work to be completed in mid-1995. This rural public housing development, planned for completion in 1998, will provide about 400 housing units for some 1 550 residents.

Foundation work for the first rural public housing estate on Peng Chau was completed and building works began in mid-1993. Planning was also in hand for a fire station in Peng Chau, with construction to begin in 1994–95. Construction of a sewage treatment plant will start on the island in January 1994.

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