ENG-1999 — Page 276

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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Fanling and Sheung Shui

Fanling and Sheung Shui sustain a population of about 230 000 people on about 780 hectares of land. The population is expected to increase to about 260 000 upon full development.

The construction works for some of the flood control schemes for the River Indus are progressing, with completion dates to tie in with the Shenzhen River regulation. project so as to ease the risk of flooding by 2002. The first stage of the river training works began in September 1998.

Yuen Long

The current population in Yuen Long new town is about 164 000 and it is expected to grow to around 280 000 upon full development. Development is spreading to the Tuen Mun-Yuen Long Corridor. The rural area is being rejuvenated and new infrastructure provided. The construction of new infrastructure at Hung Shui Kiu and Ping Shan areas is being implemented in stages, commencing in mid-1999 for completion in 2003.

Yuen Long development will be extended to Yuen Long South covering an area of about 12 hectares of land, mainly for public housing development. Site formation and infrastructure works will be implemented in phases, commencing in early 2001 for completion by 2004.

Tseung Kwan O

The development of Tseung Kwan O new town, which started in 1982, is divided into three phases. Phase I has been substantially completed, with about 564 hectares of land formed. Engineering infrastructure has been provided to cater for private and public housing and associated community facilities.

Phase II, which includes the reclamation and engineering infrastructure for the town centre north and central areas, will be completed in mid-2002. The southern part of Siu Chik Cha has also been reclaimed. It will provide 93 hectares of land for commercial, residential, government, institutional and community uses.

Phase III, for the reclamation of the town centre south, is in progress and the provision of 95 hectares of serviced land for the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate has been completed.

In preparation for further industrial development, about 104 hectares of land south of Tseung Kwan O will be developed for deep waterfront industries and potentially hazardous installations. Reclamation work is in progress.

A landscape restoration and improvement programme for the designated green belt and conservation areas was initiated in 1998. About one million seedling trees were planted in 1999 and about 1.2 million will be planted in 2000.

The population of the new town exceeded 250 000 at end-1999. Studies are being carried out to investigate whether Tseung Kwan O can accommodate a population of 520 000, or even more, by 2010. The Western Coastal Road, which will provide additional road capacity between the new town and the metro area, is under study, while the MTR Tseung Kwan O extension is being constructed for completion in 2002.