Table 3.4 Post-War Construction of Major Typhoon Shelters
Year
Name
Original Size (acre)
Current Size
(acre)
Expenditure (HK$'000)
1883/1951
1952
Causeway Bay
Wan Chai
65
35
97 (1883)
46
Demolished
3,000
1960s
Sam Ka Tsuen
6
5
1965
Aberdeen
97
149
1966
Shap Long Wan
32
Demolished
8,000
1966
Shuen Wan, Tai Po
27
25
1,640
1966
Rambler Channel
40
32
1968
Yim Tin Tsai
23
970
1981
Cheung Chau
124
1982
Tuen Mun
140
1915/1992
New Yau Ma Tei
165
160
2,210 (1915)
1992
Shau Kei Wan
43
To Kwa Wan
55
37
1999
Hei Ling Chau
189
Ngong Shuen Wan
40
Demolished
Chai Wan
27
Demolished
Yung Shu Wan
12
Demolished
Kwun Tong
84
1993
Sources:
Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1965-
1966, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1966, p. 33. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1969-
1970, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1970, p. 154. Internal data, Planning and Development Office, Marine Department. Oriental Daily, 29 June 1990.
Sing Tao Daily, 30 April 1959.
"Typhoon Shelters: Tap Mun Typhoon Shelter", PWO No 2/3870/61, 1959-1967. "Typhoon Shelters: Chek Keng Typhoon Shelter", PWO No 6/3870/62, 1962-1969. "Typhoon Shelters: Nim Wan Typhoon Shelter", PWO No 8/3870/63, 1963. "Typhoon Shelters: Shap Long Typhoon Shelter", PWO No 12/3870/66, 1964-1966. "Typhoon Shelters: Lung Shuen Wan Typhoon Shelter", PWO No 3/3870/62, 1962-1974. Wah Kiu Yat Po, 19 January 1966. Wah Kiu Yat Po, 25 March 1968.
166
3.3
3.32
3.33
t
3.32 View of the old Aberdeen
Typhoon Shelter (early twentieth century).
3.33 Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter
in 1963.
3.34 Chai Wan Typhoon Shelter
in 1962.
3.35 Sai Kung Typhoon Shelter in
1960.
3.34
3.35
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.36 Expansion of Star Ferry Pier in
Central in the 1960s. The new pier
was supported on a 159-pile foundation.
3.37 Star Ferry Pier in 1970.
3.36
3.37
Part II New Land Formation (1945-1982)
Po, To Kwa Wan, Tuen Mun and Yim Tin Tsai. For details of year of construction and size, refer to Table 3.4 above.
The government also introduced a preferential resettlement scheme for boat dwellers and offered a subsidy of HK$330-465 to each household that accepted resettlement. The population of boat dwellers has been on the decline since the 1960s. It fell from 136,802 in 1961 to 79,894 in 1971, a dramatic drop of 41.6 per cent. By 2001, there were only 5,895 boat dwellers remaining. The declining boat dweller numbers were partly attributable to urbanisation.
New Piers
To determine public expenditure on pier works in Hong Kong between 1946 and 1982, figures have been compiled from the annual reports of the Public Works Department for the period 1946-1977, the 1977-1982 Hong Kong yearbooks and the annual reports of the Accountant General. Although those reports listed construction dates and expenditure amounts, the dates represented just the payment dates and the sums outlaid reflected just sums charged to the specific projects. They do not necessarily give a complete and accurate account of the works undertaken and sums spent. Nevertheless, these reports represent the most comprehensive data currently available and they serve as a valuable reference source. An initial estimate put the total expenditure figure for all works undertaken at HK$127 million. The expenditure amount was almost 38 times the $3.36 million incurred during 1885-1939, reflecting the rapid pace of urbanisation. Approximately 53 new piers were built and another nine were extended. This represented a threefold increase over the 17 new piers that were erected during 1885-1939. The new piers were not only located on both sides of Victoria Harbour; they were also put up in remote areas such as the New Territories and the outlying islands. The major
1
projects, however, were still concentrated in the urban districts; for example, the new piers at Sai Wan Ho and North Point, and the redevelopment of Star Ferry piers - all multimillion dollar projects. They were in a different league to those projects undertaken in remote parts of the territory, which involved far lesser sums.
The pier redevelopment works in Central in the 1950s were regarded as sizeable port projects in the aftermath of the Second World War. The Central reclamation undertaken in 1951 entailed complicated engineering, even though it occupied an area of just nine acres. The works included the demolition of the Star Ferry piers in 1954; Queen's Pier, Murray Pier222 and Hong Kong Macau Ferry Pier in 1955; the demolition and redevelopment of Victoria Public Pier No 12 in 1957223; and the demolition of vehicular ferry piers in 1961224. On 1 October 1954, works began simultaneously on the new Star Ferry piers in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island. The two U-shaped piers each had four berths and were developed in two phases. The first stage was completed in
1957 and the whole project was finished in 1958. The new Star Ferry Pier in Kowloon was erected on top of a pedestal made up of 132 piles, while the pier on Hong Kong Island was built on a 159-pile pedestal. The old piers were able to maintain service at five-minute intervals during peak hours, with the ferries carrying 40 million passengers
annually when the new Kowloon Star Ferry Pier was under construction. The Star
Ferry Pier project on Hong Kong Island had an extra problem to deal with - the relocation of the 21-inch-diameter water pipelines on the east wing of the new pier. The west wing of Star Ferry Pier in Kowloon and the east wing of Star Ferry Pier on Hong Kong Island were completed as scheduled at the end of 1956.225.
In the initial years after the war, the bulk of pier works were reconstruction projects. Information on such projects is scarce and the redevelopment of the Star Ferry piers was one of the most prominent projects. After the mid-1960s, the government shifted the development emphasis to new districts such as Kennedy Town, Kwun Tong,
170
171
Table 3.5 New Pier Works and Expenditure (1947-1982)
Year
Work Item
Size
Expenditure (HK$)
Year
1947-1948
1947-1948
Repair-ferry piers
Repair-Wilmer Street pier
1969-1970
1969-1971
1947-1948
Repair-French Street refuse boat pier
1969-1971
Work Item
Construction-Cheung Sha Wan livestock pier
Construction-North Point Fire Station pier
Construction-Shek Pik pier
Size
Expenditure (HK$)
388,786
405,908
291,123
1947-1948
Repair-Murray Pier
1969-1972
Construction-Kwun Tong passenger ferry pier
3,282,857
1948-1949
Construction-fishermen's wharf in Kennedy Town
1,875 sq ft
1969-1972
Construction-Tai Kok Tsui passenger pier
3,098,178
1948-1949
Reconstruction-Hung Hom pier
1971-1972
1951-1952
Construction-Tai O pier
200 ft long by 30 ft wide
1971-1972
Construction-Aberdeen Fisheries Office pier
Roofing-Tai O pier
88,000
1952
Construction-Tai Lam Chung pier
130 ft long by 30 ft wide
1971-1975
Extension-Kennedy Town old abattoir pier
962,000
1953
1954
Reconstruction-Queen's Pier
Construction-Peng Chau pier
200 ft long by 80 ft wide
1972-1974
Construction-Sa Lo Wan pier
500,000
82 ft long by 18 ft wide
1972-1974
Construction-Sai Wan pier, Cheung Chau
543,000
1954-1956
Construction-Ma Tau Kok pier
1,996,346
1955-1958
Reconstruction-Star Ferry Pier
150 ft long by 50 ft wide
10,433,740
1972-1975
1973-1974
Construction-Ma Tau Kok pier
493,000
Extension-Sam Mun Tsai pier
120,000
1956
Construction-Stewart Road pier
105 feet long
136,730
1973-1975
Construction-Pak Sha Wan pier
1,644,000
1957
1957-1958
1958
Construction-Tap Mun pier
Construction-Kat O pier
1974-1978
Extension-Cheung Chau ferry pier
5,728,720
1976-1977
Roofing-Ma Wan pier
110,000
1958-1959
Extension-Chi Ma Wan prison pier
Construction-Sok Kwu Wan pier
136,394
1977-1979
Reconstruction-Hung Hom passenger pier
7,012,172
87,354
1977-1979
Construction-second North Point passenger pier and roofing of
10,043,745
1958-1959
Construction-Kei Ling Ha Hoi (Three Fathoms Cove) pier, Tolo Harbour
80 ft long by 120 ft wide
184,270
pedestrian walkway
1977-1982
1959
Construction-Tsing Yi pier
109,998
1959
Construction-new Cheung Chau pier
255,096
1979-1980
Reconstruction-new Sham Shui Po pier to replace the old Pei Ho Street pier and first stage Sham Shui Po reclamation Construction-Mui Wo ferry pier
6,260,202
6,523,689
1959-1973
Construction-North Point/Kowloon City vehicular ferry piers
5,812,656
1980-1981
Construction-new North Point vehicular ferry pier
22,568,237
1960
Construction-Tung Chung pier
30 ft long by 80 ft wide
339,746
1980-1981
Construction-Chai Wan temporary ferry pier and public square
6,216,171
1960
Construction-Ma Wan pier
172,625
1981-1982
Construction-Sai Kung town centre pier and seawall
1,474,707
1961
Construction-Blue Pool pier
180 ft long
156,000
1981-1982
1961
1961
Extension-Tsim Bei Tsui pier
Construction-Nam Sam Wai pier
82,000
1981-1982
1982
Construction-Tai Miu Wan (Joss House Bay) pier and reclamation
Construction-Tso Wo Hang pier, Sai Kung
Construction-Sai Wan Ho pier
829,247
811,973
19,470,991
1961-1962
Construction-Kwun Tong public pier
175 ft long by 45 ft wide
365,411
Total
126,660,847
1961-1962
1961-1963
1961-1963
1961-1963
1962
Construction-Sha Tau Kok pier
Construction-Lai Chi Chong pier Construction-Sham Chung pier Construction-Shek Kwu Chau pier
80 ft long by 30 ft wide
591,369
Sources:
80 ft long by 30 ft wide
80 ft long by 30 ft wide
42 ft long by 18 ft wide
Construction-Kai Tak Airport pier
42 ft long by 18 ft wide
1962-1963
Construction-Peng Chau pier
359,653
1962-1963
Construction-North Point passenger pier
2,015,743
1962-1963
Construction-Yung Shue Wan pier
612,906
1965-1967
Construction-Waglan Island pier
551,122
1965-1967
Construction-Wong Shek pier
346,719
1965-1967
Construction-Ko Lau Wan pier
383,939
Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Director of Accounting Services, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1974-1982. Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Accountant General, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1971-1974. Accounts of the Colony and Annual Report of the Accountant Genera 1, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1962-1971. Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1950-1951, Hong Kong Government Printer, 1951.
Annual Report by the Accountant General for the Year Ended the 31 st March 1950, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co Ltd, 1950. Annual Report of the Accountant General Together With the Accounts and Finance of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1956-1959.
Annual Report of the Accountant General With the Accounts of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1959-1962. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Accountant General, Hong Kong Government Printer, 1951-1956. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1951-1978. Hong Kong Annual Report of the Director of Public Works and Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1949-1950. Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1978-1983.
1965-1967
Construction-Kennedy Town Abattoir pier
720,000
1965-1967
Construction-Tiu Keng Leng pier
106,132
1966-1968
Works at Aberdeen marine police pier and nearby roads
725,000
1967-1969
Construction-Yau Kom Tau and Tsing Yi North ferry piers
244,000
}
1967-1970
Construction-Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir pier
388,786
1968-1969
Roofing-Kwun Tong pier
105,000
1968-1970
Construction-Chek Keng pier
230,500
1968-1970
Construction-Ap Chau pier
144,906
!
1969
Roofing-Tsing Yi public pier
玉集
3.39
3.38
3.38 Pier works at To Kwa Wan in October 1963.
3.39 Panoramic view of Jordon Road Vehicular Ferry Pier, with Hung Hom and Tsim Sha
Tsui in the background. The northern shore of Hong Kong Island could be seen in
the far distance.
*
3.40
3.41
3.40 North Point Ferry Pier (built in 1962-63), with North Point Estate shown in the left hand corner of the
photograph.
3.41 North Point Vehicular Ferry Pier was constructed during 1959-1973. It was one of the largest pier
projects at the time, costing over HK$5.8m.
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.42 The Sham Chung pier built in the early 1960s.
Table 3.6
Outlying District Ferry Services-Average Daily
Passenger Journey Statistics (1971 & 1975)
Ferry Run
1971
1975
Hong Kong - Tsuen Wan
8,291 (1972)
19,031
Hong Kong - Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo)
7,097
9,159
- Peng Chau
Hong Kong - Cheung Chau
5,822
8,833
Hong Kong - Tai O
942
931
Wilmer Street - Yung Shue Wan
736
1,378
Wilmer Street - Sok Kwu Wan
613
532
Tsuen Wan - Tsing Yi
5,228
Inter-island ferry service
1,126
1,175
Tai Po Kau - Tap Mun
472
554
Ma Liu Shui - Wu Kai Sha
1,119
Source:
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Cheung Sha Wan, North Point, Tai Kok Tsui, Aberdeen and Chai Wan.
In March 1976, a Subcommittee on Piers was formed by the Marine Department, the Transport Department, the Port Works Division, the Highways Office, the Environment Branch, the New Territories Administration and The Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Co Ltd. Its mandate was to set the pier development blueprint for the period 1976- 1986. The objective was to manage waterborne transport in Hong Kong waters systematically and to determine its development direction, as well as to evaluate the impact on central harbour ferry services by the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the potential impact of the Mass Transit Railway, which was due to open in 1980226.
The subcommittee selected 20 piers for priority development: a temporary landing at Mei Foo Sun Chuen, a temporary landing near Central Government piers, a permanent ferry pier at Tsuen Wan, a new Silvermine Bay ferry pier, a ferry pier at Peng Chau, the redevelopment of Jubilee Street pier and Jordon Road ferry pier, the extension of the North Point vehicular ferry pier, an additional ferry pier at Cheung Chau, improved facilities at Sok Kwu Wan and Yung Shue Wan piers, a ferry pier at Ma Liu Shui, a passenger ferry pier at Wu Kai Sha, improved landing facilities at Po Toi Island, the second passenger pier at North Point, an additional pier at Kwun Tong, a pier to replace Wilmer Street pier, a permanent pier at Mei Foo, new ferry piers at Shau Kei Wan and a permanent pier at Sam Ka Tsuen227. One by one, these development projects were realised starting from 1976. The systematic management of waterborne transport was an indispensable component of the territory's modernisation.
Beginning in the 1980s, the large-scale pier works were concentrated in the urban areas. The erection of a new vehicular ferry pier at North Point in 1980 involved an outlay of HK$22.57 million, while the construction of a ferry pier in Sai Wan Ho in 1982 cost HK$19.47 million. The construction cost of just these two piers exceeded the total outlays on piers in the 1950s and the 60s. The newly built piers on the outlying
"Standing Committee on Waterborne Transport, Report of the Sub-Committee on Piers", Civil Engineering Office internal documents, File 1001 III Piers (General Policy and Ruling), 1976, Appendix II.
islands were relatively small in size as their primary role was to serve the local residents. Such role is corroborated by data presented in Tables 3.6 and 3.7, which show the average daily passenger journey figures for the outlying district and inner harbour ferry services. In 1975, the outlying district services between Hong Kong and Tsuen Wan only carried an average of 19,031 passenger journeys per day, equivalent to just 13 per cent of the average daily figure of 145,332 passenger journeys recorded by the Edinburgh Place-Tsim Sha Tsui ferry run. For some remote locations such as the Tai
Po Kau-Tap Mun ferry run, the average daily figure was only 472 in 1971.
The location of piers reflected the radiating influence of the city's core districts.
The more remote the pier locations, the more extensive the city's coverage. The piers
built between 1946 and 1982 were scattered throughout the territory. Some of the major works undertaken reflected the city nucleus and the locations of districts earmarked for priority development. The pace of urbanisation could be gauged from the rising levels of expenditure on pier works and the trend of expansion. After 1980, the multifold increase in public works expenditure appeared to be paving the way for the massive development that took place at the end of the twentieth century.
Fairway Dredging
During the 36 years between 1946 and 1982, the volume of material removed
through fairway dredging and reclamation exceeded the quantity collected over the
176
177
Table 3.7
Inner Harbour Ferry Services-Average Daily Passenger Journey Statistics (1971 and 1975)
Table 3.8 Recurrent Expenditure on Port Maintenance (1949-1982)
(unit: HK$)
Ferry Run
1971
1975
Financial Year
Seawalls and Piers
Seawalls, Piers and Refuse Dumps
Seawalls, Piers and Fairway Dredging
Total
Edinburgh Place-Tsim Sha Tsui
152,285
145,332
1949-1950
128,718
Edinburgh-Hung Hom
4,668
1950-1951
119,996
Jubilee Street-Jordon Road
86,136
62,380
1951-1952
117,280
1952-1953
192,546
Central-Sham Shui Po
58,876
40,433
1953-1954
217,301
Central-Tai Kok Tsui
54,938
20,059
1954-1955
206,235
Central-Kwun Tong
12,160
1955-1956
195,613
Central-Mei Foo Sun Chuen
7,172
1956-1957
188,263
North Point-Kwun Tong
62,835
45,262
1957-1958
219,186
North Point-Kowloon City
33,813
27,612
1958-1959
213,131
1959-1960
222,713
Wan Chai-Jordon Road
54,621
21,160
1960-1961
199,783
Wilmer Street-Sham Shui Po
30,052
23,472
1961-1962
222,274
Shau Kei Wan-Kwun Tong
20,933
1962-1963
262,151
Shau Kei Wan-Sam Ka Tsuen
8,644
1963-1964
264,561
Wan Chai-Hung Hom
North Point-Hung Hom
28,475
44,202
12,488
1964-1965
267,907
1965-1966
31,592
314,149
1966-1967
431,587
Source:
"Standing Committee on Waterborne Transport, Report of the Sub-Committee on Piers". Civil Engineering Office internal documents, File 1001 III Piers (General Policy and Ruling), 1976, Appendix I.
1967-1968
476,042
1968-1969
517,975
1969-1970
531,509
1970-1971
672,767
1971-1972
1,049,499
[
period of 56 years, from 1883 to 1939. Two million cubic yards of silt was excavated before the war, and the dredged volumes rose to 4.698 million cubic metres (6.14
million cubic yards) for the 1946-1982 period. The cost of excavation leapfrogged to over HK$1.2 million, compared with the HK$608,000 expended between 1883 and 1939. The figure provided for 1946-1982 is only a rough estimate as dredging outlay was lumped under the expenditure heading of seawalls and pier works after 1975- 1976. Thus, it is not possible to determine accurately the actual spending on dredging operations.
Dredging was mostly carried out at the mouths of nullahs and drain outfalls. Other major work areas included piers, dust boat stations, anchorages and typhoon shelters. Since the end of the 1950s, a recurrent fairway dredging maintenance programme has been in place. The significance of dredging at drain outfalls, piers, typhoon shelters
and major navigational fairways to maintain a deep and wide Victoria Harbour may be judged by the extensive areas dredged and the large volumes of marine mud scooped up by dredgers. The importance of dredging the Central Fairway has been evident since 1968. During 1946-1982, about 1,000,000-1,600,000 cubic metres of sediment
Sources:
Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Director of Accounting Services, Hong Kong. Government Printer, 1974-1982. Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Accountant General, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1971-1974. Accounts of the Colony and Annual Report of the Accountant General, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1962-1971. Annual Report by the Accountant General for the Year Ended the 31st March, 1950, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co., Ltd., 1950. Annual Report of the Accountant General Together with the Accounts and Finance of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1956-1959. Annual Report of the Accountant General With the Accounts of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1959-1962. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Accountant General, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1951-1956.
1972-1973
1,421,860
1973-1974
1,717,829
1974-1975
1,543,618
1975-1976
1,381,713
1976-1977
1,386,744
1977-1978
1,532,447
1978-1979
1,381,674
1979-1980
1,533,655
1980-1981
3,354,186
1981-1982
1,847,892
775,841
12,520,365
11,036,598
24,332,804
Challenges for an Evolving City
178
Table 3.9 Harbour Dredging Works (1946-1982)
1
Vol. of Sediment
Year
Dredged (cubic metre)
Cost (HK$)
1946-1947
1947-1948
54,698
1948-1949
1949-1950
98,303
206,321
110,950
Main Dredged Area
Dust boat stations, Dairy Farm wharf in Causeway Bay
Pitt Street, Saigon Street, Eastern Street, Fleming Road dust boat station, Yau Ma Tei dust boat station, Kai Tak Airport, Causeway Bay, Watson Street, Waterloo Road pier, Custodian Wharf, Mong Kok ferry pier, Nelson Street, Mackies Wharf, North Point
Drain outfalls and dust boat stations (98,303)
Fleming Road, French Street, Saigon Street, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai, Fleming Road dust boat station, Nelson Street nullah, Kai Tak Airport, Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, Proserpine Rock
1950-1951
168,300
135,846
Blocked nullahs (168,300)
1951-1952
137,700
117,280
Tai O, Cheung Chau, Causeway Bay
1952-1953
94,095
17,328
Blocked nullahs
1953-1954
103,275
40,304
Drain outfalls (103,275)
1954-1955
120,870
53,805
Silt built up on seawalls, nullah and stormwater drains
Disposal Site
Kwun Tong
North Point
Aberdeen, Staunton Creek, Kat O
Kwun Tong and along
the shores of harbour
Causeway Bay, Kellett Island
Kwun Tong
Kwun Tong
Cheung Sha Wan, Sung Wong Toi, Ma Tau Kok, Central reclamation scheme
The new Star Ferry Pier
and Hung Hom
1955-1956
145,350
19,651
Outfalls of nullahs and stormwater drains, Stewart Road ferry pier
1956-1957
149,175
31,575
Nullahs and stormwater drains, Hung Hom seawall, Tsuen Wan reclamation site and Kai Tak Airport
1957-1958
150,705
53,913
1958-1959
126,225
36,019
Tsuen Wan seawall trenches, Hung Hom, Central reclamation, Tsing Yi Typhoon Shelter, nullahs and North Point government supplies pier
Drain outfalls (126,225)
Cheung Sha Wan, Chai Wan Houng Hom, Kennedy Town
Cheung Sha Wan,
Kwun Tong, Hung Hom, Central
Year
Vol. of Sediment Dredged (cubic metre)
Cost (HK$)
Main Dredged Area
Disposal Site
1976-1977
232,090
1,386,744*
Western end of Victoria Harbour in connection with the Western reclamation scheme (184,730); Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter eastern fairwayand nullahs, sewerage drains and outfalls of seawater pumping stations (47,360)
1977-1978
1978-1979
1979-1980
1980-1981
1981-1982
Total
1,532,447*
Stonecutters Island, fairways leading to the ferry pier and public pier at Cheung Chau
1,381,674*
Anchorage to the south of Stonecutters Island
1,533,655*
3,354,186*
1,847,892*
12,256,237
4,698,039
* Total outlays on the maintenance of seawalls and piers, and fairway dredging
The original unit of measurement used in 1946-1976 for dredged silt volumes was cubic yard. The volumes have been converted into cubic
metres at the rate of 1 cubic yard = 0.765 cubic metres.
Sources:
Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Director of Accounting Services, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1974-1982. Accounts of Hong Kong and Annual Report of the Accountant General 1971-1974, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1971-1974. Accounts of the Colony and Annual Report of the Accountant Genera1 1962-1971, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1962-1971. Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works for the Financial Year 1950-1951, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1951. Annual Report by the Accountant-General for the Year Ended 31st March 1950, Hong Kong, Noronha & Co Ltd, 1950. Annual Report of the Accountant General Together With the Accounts and Finance of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1956-
1959.
Annual Report of the Accountant General With the Accounts of the Colony, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1959-1962. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Accountant General, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1951-1956. Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1951-1978. Hong Kong Annual Report of the Director of Public Works for the Year, Hong Kong Government, 1949-1950. Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1978-1983.
Tsing Yi Typhoon Shelter, mouths of nullahs and sewer outlets (80,972)
Drain outfalls, seawall foundations of Silvermine Bay Phase II reclamation, Sai Kung anchorage area (99,450)
Mouths of nullahs and sewer outlets (73,823); Sai O, Kat O (33,928); petrol station pier at Tsuen Wan Bay (8,568)
Mouths of nullahs and sewerage outfalls (86,828)
Mouths of nullahs and sewerage outfalls, and alongside piers (95,778)
Mouths of nullahs and sewer outlets, and alongside piers and anchorages (95,319)
1959-1960
123,165
37,803
Drain outfalls and Southern Fairway (123,165)
1960-1961
118,450
27,418
Tsing Yi Typhoon Shelter (118,450)
1961-1962
80,972
35,132
1962-1963
99,450
31,509
1963-1964
116,319
32,297
1964-1965
86,828
18,220
1965-1966
95,778
39,012
1966-1967
95,319
24,696
1967-1968
166,005
38,184
1968-1969
213,435
54,600
Harbour anchorages (52,785); dangerous goods anchorages, Central Fairway (160,650)
1969-1970
277,695
32,290
1970-1971
263,649
24,750
1971-1972
293,664
36,939
1972-1973
194,178
40,447
1973-1974
267,215
48,237
1974-1975
257,740
42,658
1975-1976
161,070
38,776
Mouth of Kwun Tong nullah, Western Dangerous Goods Anchorage (114,750); nullahs, sewerage drains and alongside piers (51,255)
Mouths of nullahs and alongside piers (44,370); Central Fairway and Tamar naval dockyard (233,325)
Mouths of nullahs and alongside piers (42,181); Central Fairway (221,468)
Mouths of nullahs and sewerage outfalls, alongside piers and seawater pumping stations (25,914); Central Fairway (267,750)
Mouths of nullahs and sewerage outfalls, alongside piers and seawater pumping stations (25,878); Central Fairway (168,300)
Mouths of nullahs and sewer outlets, alongside piers and seawater pumping stations, fairways of Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter and Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter fairways (35,037); Central Fairway and Eastern Fairway (232,178)
Central Fairway (215,000); mouths of nullahs and sewer outlets, seawater pumping stations and Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter fairway (42,740)
Victoria Harbour, Central Fairway, Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter eastern fairway (108,340); nullahs, sewerage drains, alongside piers and seawater pumping stations (52,730)
was dredged from the Central Fairway, which accounted for 22-34 per cent of the total volume excavated. With ocean-going vessels getting larger and requiring a deeper draught, dredging operations assumed an increasingly important role. From the mid- 1940s to the end of 1950s, fragmentary reporting was made of the locations used to dump the dredged material. The dredged mud was mainly deposited in the areas along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island that were undergoing reclamation, including
Chai Wan, North Point, Causeway Bay and Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island. The dumping sites on the Kowloon Peninsula were Kwun Tong, Cheung Sha Wan and Hung Hom. Most of the dredged material was utilised in reclamation. From 1959 onwards, the government annual work reports no longer disclosed information on how the sediment was disposed of. Thus, it is not possible to find out where the dredged material ended up.
From the ever-rising volumes of dredged sediment and growing expenditure on dredging activity, it is clear that in the 40-plus years after the war, port repairs and maintenance works increased steadily. The rising volumes dredged from the main navigational
channels were attributed to more fairways being added and their widening. The building
of sediments at sewerage outfalls made it inevitable to perform recurrent fairway dredging
and unclog the blocked drain outlets.
Sub-Total
1,219,639
Challenges for an Evolving City
Table 3.10
Kwai Chung Container Terminal - Reclamation
and Site Formation Areas
Site Formation
Area
(acre)
Reclamation Area (acre)
Fill Material (million cubic yards)
Stage
International Trading Port
Phase 1
23
11
0.75
Phase 2
28
22
1.75
Sub-total
51
33
2.5
Stage II
26
23
1.5
Stage III
37
31
2.25
Total
114
87
6.25
Source:
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
Kwai Chung Container Terminal
After the Second World War, Britain began to use military landing crafts to ferry containers from Britain to Ireland, or to the European continent. This method of transporting cargo was soon widely adopted in Europe. The landing crafts were subsequently replaced by freight vessels well-equipped for cargo handling. In 1955, container ships gained popularity on the Europe-America and America-Hawaii routes, and more and more vessels were entering into service. By 1960, container vessels became the predominant mode for transporting cargo, with the vessel numbers growing at a fast rate.
On 12 July 1966, the Hong Kong government appointed a Container Committee to plan for a container terminal 228. In 1967, the committee recommended that a container terminal be built on a 95-acre seabed site along the shoreline of Kwai Chung. Another 20 acres of land was to be reserved for development in five years' time229. In May 1969, the Port Works Division of the Civil Engineering Office prepared the feasibility report on the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, and the report became the project's blueprint.
The container terminal project was undertaken in three phases beginning from 1969. A total of four berths were planned and the works were scheduled for completion by 1977. The reclaimed area measured about 87 acres and required site formation. works on 114 acres of land (Table 3.10). Initially, the project was estimated to cost HK$253 million. The expenditure details are presented in Table 3.11.
According to investigations carried out by the Port Works Division, the seabed of the site chosen to build the Kwai Chung Container Terminal was covered in soft marine mud. Thus, it was necessary to excavate 10 feet of mud before placing fill material, and to apply fill material inside the seawall to accelerate the rate of settlement. For areas close to the terminal, that is, in front of the seawall, rocks could be used as fill. Consolidation work was needed after the deposit of fill material. Regular maintenance dredging of berths was necessary to maintain the required depths.
:
Port Works Division, Public Works Department, Engineering Report on the Proposed Container Terminal
at Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1969, p. 2.
Table 3.11 Kwai Chung Container Terminal Project Estimated Cost
(unit: HK$ million)
Total
Stage I (2 Berths)
Stage II (1 Berth)
Stage III (1 Berth)
Site formation cost
44
24
32
100
Land development
22
16
15
53
Facilities for container
49
25
26
100
vessels
Total
115
65
73
253
Construction period (years)
3.5
3.5
4
Anticipated completion date
1973
1975
1977
Source:
Port Works Division, Public Works Department, Engineering Report on the Proposed Container
Terminal at Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1969, p.1.
To save cost, it was necessary to determine accurately the dredged water depths at the terminal area. No large rocks were allowed to remain lying on the seabed close
to the selected berthing area. For the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, dredging was
generally performed to produce water depths of 40 feet below sea level. In areas such as Tsing Chau and Mong Chau, dredging was carried out to a depth of minus 50 feet, due to the presence of large quantities of rocks in the nearby seabed. The stretch of waters lying southeast of Tsing Yi was also dredged to minus 50 feet to align with the
depth of the main channel.
In 1966, the Container Committee determined that the terminal would be able
to handle vessels up to 750 feet long, 100 feet wide, and with a draught of 33 feet.
182
183
3.43
3.43 Kwai Chung Container Terminal only had
two operating berths in 1972.
3.44 Kwai Chung Container Terminal under
construction in September 1972.
3.45 Kwai Chung Container Terminal began
operation before the end of 1972.
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.44
3.45
184
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Part III New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
The 1969 plan prepared by the Port Works Division actually envisaged a terminal capable of receiving ships with a length of up to 810 feet and a draught of 33 feet, and preparatory work was made to handle ships with a draught of up to 40 feet. The first
stage of the container terminal project involved the building of two 850-foot long
berths, with a depth of 35 feet alongside each berth. Two other berths each with a
depth of 40 feet were to be built in the second and third stages. The first phase of stage I works was scheduled to begin at Mong Chau and the terminal was anticipated to be ready within two-and-a-half years, due to the relatively small scale of reclamation. The first berth was equipped with 22 acres of back-up space for cargo handling, workshops, offices, warehouses and open spaces. The second phase of stage I works involved the
construction of a second berth and a 26-acre back-up area.
In 1976, the Kwai Chung Container Terminal went into full operation. The
terminal was owned by four private port operators: Modern Terminals Ltd, Sea-Land (Orient) Ltd, Kowloon Container Wharf Co Ltd and Hong Kong International Terminals Ltd. It soon surpassed its capacity due to the phenomenal growth in container throughputs.
In 1976, the number of containers handled far exceeded the projected 1986 throughput made by the Container Committee in 1966. The committee estimated that the terminal would handle a maximum of 927,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent units) in 1986. The actual number of boxes handled in 1976 was 1,029,000, 11 per cent more than the estimated maximum for 1986. For statistics, refer to Table 3.12. In 1981,
Hong Kong was ranked the fourth busiest container port in the world behind Rotterdam, New York and Kobe. (Table 3.13)
By 1987, the Kwai Chung Container Terminal was already equipped with six berths, with a total quay length of over 2,300 metres and an area of 114 acres for cargo
trans-shipments. The terminals offered very efficient services as it only required an average turnaround time of 13 hours for a container vessel to complete the process of entering the harbour, unloading and loading its cargo, and leaving Hong Kong waters 230.
185
I
3.46 Kwai Chung Container Terminal was equipped with four berths in 1980 and handled 1,480,000 TEU.
Table 3.12 Kwai Chung Container Terminal Throughput
Table 3.13 World's Top Ten Container Ports - Throughput in 1981
(unit: TEU)
Rotterdam
New York
Kobe
2,049,148
1,860,000
1,576,651
Hong Kong
Kaohsiung
Singapore
Hamburg
1,559,819
1,124,707
1,046,504
906,504
San Juan
Yokohama
Bremen/Bremer Haven
Sources:
841,933
812,502
811,875
Containerisation International, London, Vol 16, December 1982, p. 36, Table 1.
Part II New Land Formation (1945-1982)
(unit: TEU)
1966 Estimated Maximum Throughput
Exports
Imports
Total
Exports
Actual Throughput
Imports
Total
1966
130,000
104,000
234,000
1971
234,000
179,000
413,000
1976
323,000
254,000
577,000
510,838
518,221
1977
1,029,059
1,259,000
1978
1,226,000
1979
1,304,000
1980
1981
417,000
330,000
747,000
788,706
771,113
1982
1,480,000
1,559,819
1,690,000
1986
521,000
Sources:
406,000
927,000
Container Committee, Report of the Terminal Sub-Committee, 1966, Appendix E. Chan, Chui-hay and Wong, Tak Sing, The Expansion of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, MBA Thesis, 1983, p. 22. Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Government Printer, 1981-1983.
Kai Tak Airport Reclamation
At the end of the 1920s, with a population of almost one million, it was almost impossible to find a site for airport development that was both easily accessible and sufficiently large. After weighing the pros and cons, the authorities decided to put the focus on transport accessibility. The opening of Kai Tak Airport in the mid-1903s
allowed Hong Kong to expand its trans-shipment business from just using maritime trade mode to incorporating the use of air trade. Further development of Kai Tak Airport was hampered severely by the lack of space and had to rely mostly on reclamation to provide the land needed for expansion.
After the war, Kai Tak Airport developed into the busiest airport in the Far East, but the acute space shortage posed a risk to aviation safety. The Civil Aviation Department began the search for a new airport site in its attempt to improve aviation services. A British firm of consultants, Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners, was
invited to Hong Kong to advise on the choice of site for the new airport. At the time, Deep Bay (Shenzhen Wan) and Stanley were under active consideration. Due to its close proximity to the Chinese border, Deep Bay was considered unsuitable, while the cost of building an airport at Stanley was prohibitive231. In June 1951, the government
had to commission other consultants to make recommendations on improving the existing facilities at Kai Tak Airport. The experts proposed an extension of runway No 07 and the addition of another runway. The Port Works Division was given the responsibility for the expansion works at Kai Tak Airport. This was one of the important port-war infrastructural projects undertaken by the division.
In July 1952, the Hong Kong government engaged Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners from London to evaluate the airport expansion works, and the project was approved in June 1954. The improvements were estimated to cost HK$135 million
and tenders were invited on 30 June 1955. British and French companies won the majority of the work for the runways. Contracts for other major work items were awarded to the French company Société Francaise d'Entreprises de Dragages et de Travaux
187
3.47
3.48
337
།
་་་་་་་་
3.47 Bird's eye view of Kai Tak Airport in 1955 with Ex-
pansion works took place from 1956.
3.48 Panoramic view of Kai Tak Airport in 1963, with Kowloon City in the upper part. In the middle is the airport control tower which went into operation at
the end of 1962.
3.49 Runway extension works were undertaken in 1972.
3.50 Runway extension was close to completion in 1972.
3.49
3.50
Challenges for an Evolving City
3.51 Kowloon City in the 1980s.
Summary
Part II New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
!
Publics, which was supported by Messrs Gammon (Malaya). Equipment employed on the expansion project included two large bucket dredgers, a floating crane, nine tugs, 10 barges and four pontoons. Equipment and engineering staff came from many different countries, including machinery and engines for some dredgers from the US, trucks from Britain and various items of machinery from Singapore.
The project involved the construction of a runway that was 2,194 metres long, with a 914-metre overrun at the southeastern end and another 244-metre overrun at the northwestern end of the airport, as well as a 183-metre-wide taxiway. The airport expansion involved a total reclamation area of 60.75 hectares (150 acres) at Kowloon Bay, with the runway lying 5 metres above the sea level. In addition to the runway extension works, the project covered the building of a new passenger terminal encompassing an area of nine acres. For the reclamation, the seabed was dredged to depths of between 2.7 metres and 11 metres. An estimated 8,409,786 cubic metres of fill material was to
be used, of which 6,116,208 cubic metres came from Hung Hom Bay, with the remaining 2,293,578 cubic metres of fill sourced from hills in Kowloon. In the first 20 months
of work, a total of 6,116,208 cubic metres of sea mud was dredged and used for reclamation.
Two-thirds of the reclamation was completed two years after the commencement
of the airport expansion project, and work began on the 7-storey passenger terminal that was worth HK$16 million. In August 1958, the runway was finished and was commissioned in mid-September. By December 1959, all the expansion works were successfully completed. The new terminal, however, did not replace the old one until 2 November 1962. It took 18 days to complete the move of the passenger terminal. Air freight volumes grew significantly in the second half of the 1960s following the completion of expansion works.
Over the 36-year period from liberation to 1982, massive development took place in Hong Kong, accompanied by an equally astonishing pace of urbanisation. The spiralling population growth experienced from 1950 to the 1960s imposed tremendous pressure on development, but it also served as a key driver behind Hong Kong's urbanisation.
For the first few years after the war, the focus in Hong Kong was on reconstruction.
The rebuilding work carried out by the works divisions of the Public Works Department largely followed the established guidelines before the outbreak of war and aimed at restoring the infrastructure to its pre-war state. In the early 1950s, the administration
accepted the recommendations of the British town planning expert Patrick Abercrombie
and limited the city's expansion to areas on north Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, while using the New Territories as the hinterland for the urban areas. As a result, areas that were used as dumping grounds since the 1930s were converted into
industrial districts, since only they could offer the required space. The district of Kwun Tong was a prime example. The emergence of industrial districts met the needs created by the rapid population growth and the emergence of manufacturing industries in the 1950s. The primary objective for developing industrial districts was to cope with the pressing needs, with emphasis placed on site formation, reclamation, public housing and industrial buildings. In the early stages, the installation of basic facilities such as water and electricity failed to keep pace with development. It was only through the dedicated efforts of voluntary organisations and religious bodies that the residents
were able to receive a minimum level of community services such as schools and
medical facilities. As such, these new districts only succeeded in attracting the middle and lower classes, while failing to significantly mitigate population pressure in the
urban areas.
By 1960, the population was growing at a rate far exceeding the projections made by Patrick Abercrombie. It was not feasible for the government to adhere strictly to his urban blueprint. The New Territories was the only viable development option.
190
191
3.52 Southern tip of the Kowloon
Peninsula at the end of the 1960s, with Kowloon-Canton Railway Kowloon Terminus standing next to Ocean Terminal, and The Peninsula
Hotel before it underwent re-
furbishment and expansion.
3.53 Night view of Central from Tsim Sha Tsui in the 1980s. Kowloon-Canton Railway Kowloon Terminus was already demolished, leaving the clock tower be-
hind as a landmark in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Challenges for an Evolving City
192
The districts selected for development would have to be much larger, matched by much improved support facilities. Starting from the early 1960s, the Port Works Division and the Development Division, under the aegis of the Public Works Department, began to formulate blueprints for new satellite towns at Tsuen Wan, Castle Peak and Sha Tin. These two divisions performed most of the preparatory work and even undertook development projects in the early years. In 1964, the Civil Engineering Office was established to meet the growing needs for engineering works. Specific divisions were set up within the office to take charge of drainage, roads and traffic, in order to serve the needs of
the new satellite towns.
Generally speaking, the development of new satellite towns commenced from the mid-1950s. Little progress was made and much time was spent on planning and consultations. For example, planning for the development of Sha Tin began in 1961, but the project could only proceed at full speed from the late 1970s. The planning process lasted for more than 10 years. As large areas of land had to be developed, it involved complex issues such as the land rights of the indigenous villagers, funding and reclamation techniques. All these factors contributed to the slow progress of development. In the 1970s, Tsuen Wan was the only district in the New Territories that made a positive impact on relieving the overcrowded conditions in the city. By 1981, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun were still unable to fulfill the vital mission of drawing people from the city
nucleus.
In the 1960s, the Civil Engineering Office oversaw a great number of large- scale projects. In addition to carrying out the development of new satellite towns, it was given the vital task of improving the port infrastructure. Notable assignments included the planning of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal and the expansion works at Kai Tak Airport. These infrastructural works cemented Hong Kong's position as an international entrepôt in the 1960s. The Kwai Chung Container Terminal was built in response to changes in global trading pattern. The phenomenal growth that it achieved and the premier position that it occupied were not foreseen. By 1981, this terminal
became the fourth-ranking container port in the world, just behind Rotterdam, New York and Kobe. It was the primary driving force behind Hong Kong's success as a premier trading port in the Asia Pacific region.
The expansion of Kai Tak Airport, which was located in the urban centre, also helped Hong Kong to establish its position as a trading centre. By the 1950s, the existing airport facilities were stretched beyond their capacity. Space limitations and time constraints, exacerbated by the constant threat of typhoons and rainstorms, made it quite an achievement
to complete the work without disrupting the normal operations of the airport. The expansion works began in 1955 and were successfully completed in December 1959. Significant growth in air freight activity ensued in the second half of the 1960s.
The unglamorous, routine port maintenance such as fairway dredging, seawall and pier repairs did not attract public attention. Such work, however, played a pivotal role in maintaining the smooth operation of Victoria Harbour and upholding its reputation
as a deepwater port. According to available records, almost 4.7 million cubic metres
of sediment was dredged between 1946 and 1976, at a cost in excess of HK$1.2 million.
Pier construction was a port infrastructural activity that conferred a direct benefit on people's livelihoods. It enabled the establishment of links between the remote outlying islands and the city nucleus. The erection of more piers facilitated travel between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Since the mid-1950s, the scale of infrastructural works in Hong Kong has increased. A series of major development projects were undertaken in succession. They included the construction of large piers such as the North Point to Kowloon City vehicular ferry piers, and the redevelopment of Star Ferry piers in the 1950s; the Kai Tak Airport expansion in 1955; the development of Kwun Tong in 1956; the construction of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal in 1966; and the planning of new satellite towns in Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan in the 1960s. These infrastructural projects required the commitment of enormous financial resources and they symbolised Hong Kong's modernisation. The pace of infrastructural growth led the development trend of the city.
Part III New Land Formation (1945 - 1982)
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Multi-1 fucleus Expansion
1. Territorywide Development Strategy
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