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LAND AND HOUSING
to secure satisfactory working conditions and safety from fire and other hazards, there is continuous liaison with the Labour and Fire Services Departments.
There still remain 14 of the old cottage resettlement areas in various parts of the urban area and New Territories, but the number of occupants is dwindling as clearance for development goes on and they are resettled in multi-storey accommodation. In 1964, large sections of one cottage area were cleared for housing develop- ment and schools, and part of another to make way for a service reservoir. A total of 1,207 structures in five cottage areas were demolished in 1964, and 11,415 occupants were resettled. Approxi- mately 18 acres of land were-freed in this way. However, in the remoter cottage areas, existing wooden structures are sometimes replaced with stone buildings. Several of the remaining cottage areas still contain many small factories, shops and workshops, together with schools, clinics and welfare centres of various types, which are largely provided by voluntary agencies who continue to add generously to such facilities year by year.
At the beginning of the year Rennie's Mill Village was also constituted as a regular cottage resettlement area. This settlement on the shore of Junk Bay originated in 1950 with a group of ex- nationalist soldiers. In time many of them moved away and with new immigrants a permanent settlement of some 8,000 people developed, many living in stone cottages constructed with the assistance of welfare organizations. Since the Resettlement Depart- ment first took over its administration in 1961 many improvements have been made, including better drainage and sanitary facilities, the surfacing of access roads and the installation of a mains water supply; a police station, temporary fire station and resettlement offices have also been completed. Now as a fully constituted cottage resettlement area quarterly permit fees for all structures have been collected as elsewhere.
SQUATTER CLEARANCES
During the year, 46,659 people were cleared from land required for development and all genuine occupants resettled. In the 1964 clearances, 774 acres of land were freed. With the scarcity of land in the urban area, it is becoming increasingly necessary to