A corner of the Tien Sa Port. Experts says Tien Sa Port should not be enlarged because a bypass system linking the port and the logistics centre would damage Da Nang City's architecture planning. — VNS Photos

Speeding up the construction of the new Lien Chieu Cargo Port would help promote Da Nang as a key international logistics centre, and allow the existing Tien Sa Port to be reserved for cruise ships only.

Former general director of Tien Sa Port, Nguyen Huu Sia, made the statement at a recent workshop held to discuss changes to the city's Master Plan proposed by Sakae Holdings and Subarna Jurong Consultants from Singapore.

Sia said the proposal to build Lien Chieu Port and a logistics centre was planned with support from the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in 2005, and construction for the first stage was scheduled for 2025.

He said Tien Sa Port, which was built in 1965, could only handle 12 million tonnes of cargo per year, and any expansion to it would trigger more serious traffic congestion and accidents on the main road linking the port as well as hit tourism in Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son districts.

He said Lien Chieu Port would be more convenient as it would connect National Highway 1A, Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway, Industrial Zones and Hi-tech Parks and Da Nang International Airport.

Lien Chieu would provide a cargo link with Chan May Port in Thua Thien-Hue, 40km away, and Chu Lai Port and airport 70km from the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway and Dung Quat in Quang Ngai, he added.

No new port

The latest proposals from the Singaporean firms involve expanding Tien Sa Port for both cargo ships and cruise liners, with no new Lien Chieu Port included.

Vu Thi Tuan Anh from Sakae Holdings said the development of Lien Chieu Port would pollute Da Nang Bay – an ideal site for luxury tourism development.

“We've said Da Nang should not build Lien Chieu Port in our proposal. Luxury tourism services including healthcare tours, smart tourism and vacations will create major revenue for the city’s coffers,” Anh said.

She said the plan would help Da Nang become a global financial centre and hi-end tourism hub, while the city’s logistics services could be linked to the ports of Chan May, Dung Quat and Chu Lai.

‘Green’ Tien Sa Port

Nguyen Tan Dat, a shipping company representative, disagreed with the plan, saying the expansion of Tien Sa Port to 28 million tonnes of cargo per year would take up docks reserved for the Navy, petrol storage facilities, the fisheries industry and Son Tra Nature Reserve.

Commenting on the proposals, Olivier Soquet from De-So urban design firm, said Da Nang should share links with the neighbouring airports of Phu Bai in Hue City and Chu Lai in Quang Nam by rail and expressways instead of expanding the port.

He said Tien Sa Port should not be enlarged because a bypass system linking the port and the logistics centre would damage the city’s architecture.

He also disagreed with a development plan in the mountainous area to the west of the city, while saying farming areas in the inner city must be reserved for urban farming development.

Eco-urban

Mayso Prasha from creative firm Callison RTKM said the Master Plan would take up alleys which were home to millions of family businesses and traditional markets.

He said Da Nang has a unique landscape ranging from the sea, rivers, the delta and mountains, but a tourist attraction on the river had yet to be proposed.

Mayso agreed with the Singaporean consultants on urban development outside the current city centre, but warned that sky-rises should not be built in the new urban and more ‘green’ spaces were needed.

He suggested an eco-district reserved for pedestrians and non-engine vehicles could be built in Da Nang, maybe on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Matsumura Shigeru from Nikkei Sekkei said sustainable and ecological development must be the top priority in the urban expansion plan, and it should include a ‘green’ living area and a 50 per cent reduction of motorbikes and 35 per cent increase in public buses.

Vice-chairman of the central city’s People’s Committee Dang Viet Dung asked the consultancy companies from Singapore to adjust the 2030-45 Master Plan before submitting it to the Prime Minister for approval.

Dung said Da Nang had been designed for future sustainable development on the basis of key elements – tourism, hi-tech industries, logistics and marine economy – with an average growth of 10.1 per cent and per capita income of US$8,700 by 2045.

“We plan a smart city with a population of 2.5 million in 2045. Tourism and services and hi-tech agriculture will be included in the Master Plan, as well as underground transport solutions with seaports and logistics services,” he said.

Lien Chieu Port would handle cargo ships and a main logistics centre for the north-south railway and road network, connecting the East-West Economic Corridor No 2 with Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, he added. — VNS