ENG-2000 — Page 271

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

The construction of new infrastructure at Hung Shui Kiu and Ping Shan areas is being implemented in stages starting from mid-1999.

Yuen Long development will be extended southwards, covering an area of about 12 hectares mainly for residential development. Infrastructure works and site formation will be implemented in phases commencing in mid-2002 for completion by 2005.

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 568 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 at the end of 2002. It will provide 96 hectares of land for commercial, residential, government, institutional and community uses.

Phase III, for the reclamation of 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 1.1 million seedling trees were planted in 2000 and about one million will be planted in 2001.

The current population of the new town is about 257 000, and it has a design population of about 490 000. A review is being carried out on the future development of the new town. A Western Coast 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 by the end of 2002.

Tin Shui Wai

Tin Shui Wai (about 430 hectares) has risen in the north-western New Territories. over the past decade as Hong Kong's eighth new town. Built on land reclaimed from fish ponds off Deep Bay, the initial Development Zone (220 hectares) now houses about 187 000 people as an integrated, balanced community.

The rest of the reclaimed land (about 210 hectares) to the north, i.e. the Reserve Zone, has been identified for fast-pace development to meet Hong Kong's future housing demand. Construction of the engineering infrastructure to service the proposed further development has followed in stages from mid-1997. Building development has also begun on some of the formed sites. Under the current plan, the population of Tin Shui Wai is expected to increase from 187 000 in 2000 to about 300 000 people by 2009. The residents will live in a mixture of public and private housing flats.

Tin Shui Wai already has an excellent transport network and a well-designed road system. These will be further expanded in the coming years. The new town is also served by the Light Rail Transit which will be extended to cover the Reserve Zone

219