The updating exercise for the Port Development Strategy Review (PDSR) 2001 is progressing well as views from PMB members' were being collected.

The PDSR is a continuous review process following the completion of the Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS) in 1989 which set out an overall long-term planning framework for port and airport development in Hong Kong. Since then, three port development reviews had been carried out to ensure that Hong Kong's port development strategy could meet the changing circumstances.

Since the last updating in 1998, there had been a number of significant changes which affected the development of the Hong Kong port. The current review is to update the third PDSR in the light of the findings of the recently completed Port Cargo Forecasts (PCF) 2000/2001. It will translate the PCF findings into demand for cargo handling facilities and review the timing of new port facilities and the provision of new container terminal facilities.

The PDSR will not only cover container port facilities, including other cargo handling facilities and ancillary port facilities, inter-modal links and logistics facilities, but focus on the plans for new container terminal facilities.

The PDSR will update the productivity level of the berths of the container handling facilities and will help ascertain the timing for new facilities. Following the completion of Container Terminal 9, development of container terminal facilities in the Kwai Chung basin will be saturated and so new facilities will have to be found outside the Kwai Chung basin.

During the study of PADS, a territory-wide search for potential sites for terminal facilities was undertaken, resulting in sites identified for short-term port development. The PDSR will evaluate these sites together with other new sites identified during the current review exercise.

During the review process, a set of criteria has been identified for the evaluation of the possible locations for new terminal facilities, including proximity and connectivity to cargo source, inter-modal links, surface and maritime access to the facilities and development potential.

The PDSR is conducted by the Port and Maritime Division of the Economic Services Bureau, the Planning Department and the Marine Department in association with other relevant bureaux and departments. It is expected to complete in the second half of the year.