THE Government has withdrawn a $111 million request for consultants' fees for the design of part of the Lantau port development after legislators said the study should not go ahead until a definite decision on the project had been made.
The Financial Secretary, Mr Hamish Macleod, agreed to withdraw the proposal at yesterday's Legislative Council public works sub-committee meeting and allow legislators on the economic services panel more time to study the proposal.
The proposal included $12.5 million in consultancy fees for the investigation and design of a four-berth container terminal with an operating area of about 80 hectares, and $51.5 million for roads from the North Lantau Expressway and reclamation for 38 hectares of serviced land.
Another $14 million was requested for site investigations and $10 million for contingencies.
The deputy secretary for planning, environment and lands, Mr Canice Mak Chun-fong, said the proposal was a preliminary investigation and design for the expansion of the whole port.
''We need the investigation before we can decide on the disposal of the future container terminal port,'' he said.
United Democrat Mr Lee Wing-tat asked whether China had been informed of the port development and whether it had any objections to it.