General Post Office (current generation) [1976- ]

9th June 1971.

8. MR WILFRED S. B. WONG asked:―

Will Government state what progress has been made on the new General Post Office Building in Hong Kong since it was first placed on the Public Works Programme?

MR ROBSON:―Sir, the new Hong Kong General Post Office project was included in Category B of the Public Works Programme in December 1962. Originally, a building complex comprising a high block for Government Offices and a low block incorporating the Post Office and a Police Station was envisaged; but after several feasibility studies were produced in an endeavour to include the Police Station it was concluded that the two uses were incompatible in view of the ground floor areas required by each. The project was thus delayed until a site could be reserved for the Police Station, which required an amendment to the zoning plan for the area. The revised Zoning Plan was approved by the Governor in Council in September 1969.

In July 1969 it was decided that the office block should be built in the area below Murray Building and that the General Post Office should be reprovided in a separate building on a site situated on the Central Reclamation between the Star Ferry Pier and the Blake Pier. Subsequent to the schedule of accommodation being approved by Public Works Sub- Committee in July 1969, revised sketch plans showing a five-storey building were prepared. These, together with the estimate of approximately $21.5 million, were approved by Public Works Sub-Committee and Finance Committee in July 1970 and at the same time the project was upgraded to Category A, thereby giving approval for the working drawings to be put in hand.

Completion of working drawings is however dependent on the system of postal mechanization to be used within the building, and in May 1971, that is this year, the PMG sought and was given authority to accept an offer from the British Post Office to provide expert advice on this. It is hoped that this expert advice will be made available shortly when the working drawings for the project will be finalized and contract documents prepared.