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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
roads, drains, sewers and water supplies; the construction of highways, bridges and tunnels, port and airport works; public buildings; railway works; and the disposal of liquid and solid wastes.
In 1985-6, funds for capital works amounted to $5,864 million, about 15 per cent of the government's total expenditure. The largest portion, $3,168 million, was for the develop- ment of new towns. Some $939 million was earmarked for expenditure on roads, $1,762 million on new buildings and $619 million on waterworks. In addition, $920 million was allocated for the acquisition of leased land for the projects involved. Details of the more important projects are contained in this chapter and in Chapters 12 and 19.
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Apart from its development for public purposes, land is also required for private commercial, residential and industrial development. All land in Hong Kong is owned by the Crown and its disposal by lease for private development provides an important element of government revenue. It was originally estimated that around $1,700 million might be realised from land transactions in 1985-6 but, in the event, the upturn in the property market was reflected in higher than expected sale prices for several key sites and this estimate has since been revised upwards to $3,600 million.
The initial results of a series of strategic land use and transport planning studies were announced in 1984. These studies look beyond the present new town development programmes and identify a wide range of potential development options which will provide ample scope for still further growth during the 1990s and well into the next century. Following comparison of different strategies, two alternatives have been identified as the most promising in terms of meeting the continuing need for new land for population growth and further development of the territory's economic infrastructure.
Certain harbour reclamation proposals are favoured under both strategies. It is therefore concluded that first efforts beyond existing programmes should focus on these further reclamation areas, together with maximising the potential of areas already committed for development. Further work on the 'common component' areas continued in 1985, to determine the feasibility of each project in the light of particular planning, engineering and environmental considerations and to draw up a preliminary programme for implementing the necessary works.
Land Administration
The Lands Department co-ordinates all aspects of land administration throughout the territory. In addition to its headquarters, the department has 12 district land offices: two on Hong Kong Island, two in Kowloon and eight in the New Territories. District lands officers are responsible for most aspects of land administration and land disposal, while the headquarters formulate territory-wide policy and give guidance on more complex matters.
Land Supply
All land in Hong Kong is owned by the Crown which sells or grants leasehold interests. In the early days, leases were for terms of 75, 99 or 999 years, subsequently standardised in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to a term of 75 years, renewable at a reassessed annual rent under the provisions of the Crown Leases Ordinance. Leases for land in the New Territories and New Kowloon were normally sold for the residue of a term of 99 years less three days from July 1, 1898.
As from May 27, 1985 (the date of entry into force of the Sino-British Joint Declaration), the policy with regard to land grants and leases has been changed to accord with the provisions of Annex III to the Joint Declaration. In essence, normal land grants throughout