ENG-2001 — Page 275

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

New Towns and Rural Townships

The development of new towns in the New Territories continued in 2001. At the end of the year, about 3.1 million people were housed in the new towns and the nearby rural townships, enjoying a wide range of community and recreational facilities, including schools, markets, shopping centres, parks and open spaces and convenient transport links.

Engineering design and construction works on land formation and infrastructure of the development are overseen and co-ordinated by the TDD.

Landscape Design and the Natural Environment

Extensive landscape works continued to be implemented in conjunction with the developments, providing a green framework for the new neighbourhoods. Trees are planted along roadsides to provide shade and colour and attention is given to the provision and design of sitting-out areas and walkways for the enjoyment of the public. The TDD has planted numerous bauhinia trees in various areas to promote the HKSAR's floral emblem.

Ecological restoration works have also been undertaken in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment Studies to mitigate the impact of engineering works. Recent works of this type include the creation of wetland wildlife habitats associated with river training works in the north-western New Territories and the ongoing construction of a major wetland area near Tin Shui Wai.

The large-scale afforestation programme continued in the hinterland of the new towns and urban development areas, reducing water run-off from hillsides, preventing siltation of drainage systems and enhancing the countryside. Nearly 10 million trees have been planted over the last five years, with more than three million planted in 2001.

Tsuen Wan

Tsuen Wan new town embraces the areas of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island. It covers a total development area of about 2 450 hectares and has a population of about 746 000. The population is expected to rise to about 780 000 by 2010. The new town has Hong Kong's container terminals in its midst in the Kwai Chung area. The Container Terminal 9 is under construction in south-east Tsing Yi for completion at end-2004.

Major highway projects are being constructed or planned to further extend and reinforce the main road network. These include the Tsing Yi North Coastal Road, the Route 9 between Tsing Yi and Cheung Sha Wan, and the remaining section of Route 5 between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok. The KCRC West Rail is under construction and will have one station in Tsuen Wan West.

Since 1996, about 1.2 million trees have been planted over 136 hectares of hill slopes on Tsing Yi Island under the TDD's afforestation programme to complement the Tsing Yi Nature Trails, to enhance the landscape, and to restore the vegetation cover after hill fires.

Sha Tin

Sha Tin new town embraces the areas of Sha Tin and Ma On Shan. It covers a total development area of about 2 000 hectares. It is already home to about 623 000

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