ENG-1993 — Page 316

PORT DEVELOPMENT

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While Hong Kong awaits the new facilities on Lantau, the port must handle ever- increasing amounts of cargo. To cope with this demand, two new container terminals have been planned close to the present container port at Stonecutters Island (Terminal 8) and Southeast Tsing Yi Island (Terminal 9).

The first berth at Terminal 8 started operations in July 1993 and three more berths will come into operation by early 1995.

The Terminal 8 project involves the reclamation of 111 hectares of land to the north of Stonecutters Island. Of this, 58 hectares will house the four-berth terminal, while 53 hectares will be used for back-up facilities.

As with Hong Kong's other seven terminals, private companies are designing, building and operating Terminal 8. The government awarded the development rights to a consortium formed by Modern Terminals Limited, Hong Kong International Terminals Limited (the two major terminal operators at Kwai Chung), and China Ocean Shipping Company.

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In November 1992, the government announced the offer of development and operating rights for Terminal 9 to a consortium comprising Modern Terminals Limited, Hongkong International Terminals Limited and the Tsing Yi Container Terminal Consortium. The terminal will comprise 60 hectares containing four berths, with a total capacity of 1.6 million TEUs a year the same start-up capacity as Terminal 8. A further 26 hectares will be available for back-up purposes and 39 hectares for industrial and community use.

It was originally planned that the first berth at Terminal 9 would be operating by mid-1995, when Terminal 8 is expected to be at full capacity. Although there has been some difficulty in meeting the August 1993 date for starting construction work, plans to minimise the delay and to mitigate its effects are being developed. (For further details on the port, see Chapter 15.)

Port Development Board

As the majority of port facilities and services are provided by private companies, Hong Kong has never created a port authority. However, with a development as massive and extensive as the new Lantau port, there is a need for a co-ordinating body to keep development plans up to date and to act as a link between the private and government bodies involved. The Port Development Board (PDB) fills that role.

Set up in April 1990, the board has a non-official chairman and advises the Governor, through the Secretary for Economic Services, on all aspects of port planning and development.

Specifically, the PDB's brief is to assess development needs in the light of changing demand, port capacity, productivity and performance. It considers the competitiveness of Hong Kong compared with other major regional ports.

The board recommends strategies for creating new port facilities and co-ordinates government and private sector involvement in developing them. It acts as a focal point for ideas and opinions expressed by port operators or anyone affected by port expansion.

Originally, the PDB had three committees to help it plan for special needs in the port: the Ship Repair Facilities Committee, the River Trade Cargo Activities Committee and the Mid-Stream Operations Committee. In 1991, board members endorsed the setting up of the Port Land and Transport Committee, and the Container Handling Committee.