ENG-2004 — Page 283

Land, Public Works and Utilities 237

The Cyberport, Hong Kong's information technology flagship, is being developed on 24 hectares of land at Telegraph Bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The Cyberport is a comprehensive development providing 95 000 square metres of Grade A office accommodation for information technology (IT) and IT-related companies, a shopping arcade, and a five-star hotel providing 173 rooms. The commercial portion of the Cyberport was completed in June 2004. The ancillary residential development, to be completed between 2004 and 2008, will provide about 2 800 units for sale in the open market.

The Southern Access Road and the public transport interchange were opened to the public in April 2002 to coincide with the completion of the first phase of the Cyberport. The other access road, connecting the northern end of the Cyberport with Sha Wan Drive, was completed and opened to the public in July 2004.

Kowloon

The West Kowloon Reclamation (WKR) provides a total of 340 hectares of land for strategic transport links, commercial development and housing development. It has a current population of about 68 900 which is expected to rise to about 154 100 by 2013. A site of about 40 hectares at the southern tip of the WKR has been earmarked for the development of a cultural district.

Following the judgment on harbour reclamation handed down by the Court of Final Appeal in January 2004, a comprehensive planning and engineering review of the Kai Tak development is required to ensure compliance

ensure compliance with the legal requirements. The review is divided into two major parts, the planning review and the engineering review. The Planning Department commissioned the Kai Tak Planning Review in July 2004 with the purpose of formulating a new development concept and preliminary outline development plan for Kai Tak. The Stage 2 engineering review will proceed after the planning review with a view to confirming a recommended outline development plan by early 2007, as the basis to revise the approved Kai Tak Outline Zoning Plans.

A comprehensive public participation programme has been launched in the Kai Tak Planning Review to foster public consensus through an open and informed process. This includes three stages of public participation to involve the public in shaping the vision for the redevelopment of the Kai Tak site, options for the outline concept plan and the draft preliminary outline development plan.

The Stage 1 Public Participation regarding the community's vision for Kai Tak took place from mid-September to mid-November 2004. Extensive public participation activities were arranged, including public forums and community workshop, consultation with professional bodies and stakeholder groups, as well as briefing sessions for statutory and advisory boards and committees.

New Towns and Rural Townships

The development of new towns in the New Territories continued in 2004. At year-end, about 3.2 million people were housed in the new towns and the nearby rural townships, enjoying a wide range of community and recreational facilities,