8
Land and Housing
WITH more than four million people living in an area of only 404 square miles, which includes the New Territories and the outlying islands, land in Hong Kong is at a pre- mium. And government revenue from land transactions has soared to record heights.
For Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon (the Kowloon foothills) govern- ment revenue from transactions during the financial year 1972-3 rose to a record $576 million.
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All land in Hong Kong is owned by the Crown and where it is not possible to dispose of it immediately, either because public utilities and other services are not yet available or the site has been set aside for some purpose in the future, the land is rarely left vacant. It may be let out either on temporary annual licence (formerly known as 'permit') or on short-term tenancy. The 1972-3 revenue from this type of tenure was approximately $9 million in the urban area, and $2 million in the New Territories (including modification of tenancy fees). As permanent development continues, licences are cancelled and the number decreases each year. However, short-term tenancies are increasing. Revenue derived in rent from buildings owned by the government in whole or part totalled $9 million.
In the early days of Hong Kong, Crown leases were granted for 75, 99 or 999 years. With the exception of the New Territories, they are now granted for 75 years, usually renewable for a further 75 years at a reassessed Crown rent. Crown leases for New Territories land are now normally granted for a period of 99 years, less three days, from July 1, 1898 and so terminate three days before the expiry of the period of the lease from China.
Land administration in Hong Kong and Kowloon is the responsibility of the Director of Public Works, who is also the building authority and chairman of the Town Planning Board. The Director also deals with that part of the New Territories between Boundary Street and New Kowloon. The District Commissioner, New Territories, is responsible for land administration throughout the rest of the New Territories. All leases of Crown land and private land transactions are recorded for Hong Kong and Kowloon in the Registrar Generals Department, and for the New Territories (with the exception of lots in New Kowloon and a number of lots in the urban parts of the New Territories) in the District Offices of the New Territories Administration. The inland lots in the New Territories are mostly located in the built-up area of New Kowloon and deeds relating to them, with a few exceptions, are recorded in the Registrar Generals Department. The principal laws relating to the development and use of land are contained in the Buildings Ordinance, the Town Planning Ordinance and the New Territories Ordinance.