The development of new towns in Hong Kong continued in 1998. At the end of the year, about 2.8 million people were housed in the new towns, enjoying a wide range of community and recreational facilities, including schools, markets and shopping centres, parks and open spaces and convenient transport links.

          Engineering design and construction works on land formation and infrastructure of the development areas are overseen and co-ordinated by the Territory Development Department (TDD). Extensive landscape works are also carried out in conjunction with the developments, providing a green framework to the new neighbourhoods. Ecological restoration works are also undertaken where areas of ecological significance are disturbed by engineering activities. Under the afforestation programme associated with the hinterland of the new towns and urban development areas, more than 1.7 million trees were planted by the TDD during the year. More than 170 hectares were afforested, reducing water runoff from the hillsides.

          The TDD has already put in extra resources to expedite the delivery of housing sites and the provision of essential infrastructure within New Towns, Strategic Growth Areas and Major Development Areas. Studies are also being conducted to identify potential long-term development areas and to consider the expansion of existing new towns.

Tsuen Wan new town embraces the areas of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island. Its population is expected to stabilise at around 820 000 over the next 10 years. About 31 hectares of land will be reclaimed by 2006 to provide sufficient land for urban renewal, housing development and transport infrastructure. As one of the strategic growth areas, the Tsuen Wan Bay Further Reclamation will accommodate 30 000 people by 2011.

          Major highway projects will further extend and reinforce the main road network. The Duplicate Tsing Yi South Bridge is under construction for completion in mid-1999. Construction of a flyover across Castle Peak Road connecting Tsuen King Circuit and Sha Tsui Road started in mid-1997 for completion in early 2000. The proposed KCRC West Rail will have one station in Tsuen Wan West.

          Additional community facilities are under construction, including Kwai Tsing Theatre, which will provide an auditorium and auxiliary facilities.

Sha Tin new town is already home for about 600 000 people, approximately 68 per cent of whom live in public housing developments which comprise 15 public rental estates and 22 home ownership and private sector participation schemes. The new town covering an overall development area of about 2 000 hectares will house about 640 000 people by 2001.

          Since 1981, development works have been extended to Ma On Shan. Work on the last section of the primary road link to Ma On Shan Town Centre is scheduled for completion in 2000. Three public housing estates/Home Ownership Scheme projects are under construction. The construction of Trunk Road T7, which will bypass the Town Centre, is planned to start in 2000. Upon full development, Ma On Shan will house more than 200 000 people.

          A programme to improve conditions in the old villages in and around Sha Tin continues. The extension of Sha Tin Tau Village started in 1995 and was completed in mid-1996. Servicing and minor formation works are being carried out for villages at Ngau Pei Sha, Chap Wai Kon and To Shek.

Tuen Mun, in the West New Territories, is developed mainly on land reclaimed from Castle Peak Bay and on platforms formed in the valley between Castle Peak and the Tai Lam Hills. About 1 200 hectares of land have been provided for development.

          About 70 per cent of the town's 446 000 people live in public housing developments, which comprise 11 public rental estates, 16 home ownership and private sector participation schemes and one temporary housing area. Within the next five years, four more home ownership and private sector participation schemes, one public rental estate and one Vertical Interim Housing will be developed to provide new accommodation for 75 000 people. Upon full development, the new town will provide homes for about 540 000 people.

          The proposed West Rail by the KCRC will have two stations in Tuen Mun New Town, each with its own public transport interchange facilities. Residential and commercial components are also proposed above the future Tuen Mun Centre Station. The West Rail provides a convenient mass transport facility to connect this new town with the metro area.

          In western Tuen Mun, a 73-hectare site is earmarked for Hong Kong's fourth industrial estate and a 79-hectare site is being developed by the private sector as a River Trade Terminal. Reclamation works for the industrial estate began in September 1995. The first phase of the River Trade Terminal commenced operation in October 1998. To cater for the increasing traffic demand in association with these developments, construction of a major road, the Foothills Bypass, commenced in September 1998.

Tai Po has grown from a small market town of 25 000 in 1974 into a new town with a population of 280 000 on about 1 270 hectares of land. It is well developed with the major infrastructure in place.

          A feasibility study for the Pak Shek Kok development completed in August 1998 identified the development of a Science Park, residential and recreation uses. The detailed design of the advance infrastructure has begun and advance infrastructural work is scheduled for completion in mid-2001 to tie in with the operation of Science Park Phase I.

Fanling and Sheung Shui sustain a population of around 207 000 people on about 773 hectares of land. This is expected to increase to 237 000 by the turn of the century.

          The design of various flood control schemes for the River Indus is progressing with completion dates to tie in with the Shenzhen River regulation project so as to relieve the risk of flooding by 2002. The first stage of the river training works began in September 1998.

The population in Yuen Long Town was 136 000 at the end of the year and is expected to grow to 153 000 early in the next decade. 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 planned to be implemented in stages commencing in mid-1999 for completion in 2003.

          Yuen Long development will be extended southward 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 mid-1999 for completion by 2003.

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 northern area, will be completed early in 2000. 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. The southern part of Siu Chik Cha has also been formed and is earmarked for a depot for Tseung Kwan O Mass Transit Railway and Composite Development Area. About 104 hectares of land south of Tseung Kwan O will be developed for deep waterfront industries and potentially hazardous installations. Reclamation work is progressing.

          The population of the new town, 200 000 at the end of December 1998, will be up to 445 000 upon full development by 2011. The proposed extension of the MTR to Tseung Kwan O and the Western Coast Road will improve travel between the new town and the metro area.

Tin Shui Wai (about 430 hectares) has risen in the North-West New Territories over the past decade as Hong Kong's eighth new town. Built on land reclaimed from fish ponds in Deep Bay, the initial Development Zone (220 hectares) now houses about 150 000 people as an integrated, balanced community.

        The rest of the reclaimed land (about 210 hectares) to the north, the Reserve Zone, has been identified for fast-pace development to meet Hong Kong's future housing demand. Site formation of the area was largely completed in mid-1998. Construction of the engineering infrastructure to service the proposed further development has followed in stages from July 1998. 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 progressively from late-1999 to reach about 340 000 people by the year 2003. They will live in a mixture of public and private housing flats, with ready access to all the goods and services they need in their daily lives.

        Tin Shui Wai already has an excellent transportation network and a well-designed road system. These will be further expanded and improved for the residents in the coming years. The town is also served by the Light Rail Transit which will be extended to cover the Reserve Zone and to link with the proposed West Rail Station at Tin Fuk Road. The new town's links with other main urban areas have been greatly enhanced since the opening of Route 3 Country Park Section in May 1998.

Hong Kong's ninth new town now taking shape on the northern shore of Lantau Island is designed as a supporting community for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. The new town is being developed on about 760 hectares of land to modern international standards, with residential, industrial and commercial developments and all the necessary supporting infrastructure. It is well connected by a high speed road link and Mass Transit Railway.

          The two urban development areas, at Tung Chung and Tai Ho, will have a total target population of 320 000 by 2011. Tung Chung town centre is the retail, commercial and cultural core of the new development. At Siu Ho Wan, slightly to the east, land has been set aside for a sewage treatment works, a railway depot, a refuse transfer station and a water treatment works, with land set aside for future expansion.

          The new town is being developed in phases. Phase 1 was included in the Airport Core Programme and was substantially completed in mid-1997 to accommodate about 20 000 residents at Tung Chung. Site formation and infrastructure works for Phase 2 are in progress and are scheduled for completion late in 2000. Work on Phase 3 will start early in 1999 and new plans for the remaining development are being produced as part of a comprehensive feasibility study due to be completed in March 1999.

The development of the other islands, continues mainly to improve the living environment of existing residential districts. Construction of sewers and the north-east river wall and site formation work at Tai O, the road improvement works for Cheung Chau Old Town, and the reclamation, road and drainage works at Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island are in progress.