LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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(property boundary) surveys, topographical mapping surveys, engineering surveys and all other land survey related activities.
Cadastral surveys in the urban areas are an ongoing requirement. Most of the work is in the definition of leasehold property boundaries, and land required for government purposes. In the New Territories the emphasis has shifted from new towns to village house lots, where an increasing number of boundary surveys are being carried out. Other tasks include the re-establishment of lot boundaries for redevelopment purposes, and the maintenance of the land records - a graphical record of all leasehold and government land boundaries in the territory.
Three computing units in Hong Kong, Kowloon and Tai Po, each equipped with a microcomputer and a pen plotter, are being fully utilised to process survey calculations and to plot survey plans. All District Survey Offices are linked with these computing sections for direct and fast data transfer.
A wide range of mapping coverage is maintained by the SMO and the pace of development throughout the territory calls for almost continuous revision. The most comprehensive series is the large-scale (1:1 000), basic topographical series (3 000 sheets) smaller scale coverage starts at 1:5 000 (160 sheets) followed by coloured maps at scales 1:20 000 (16 sheets), 1:50 000 (two sheets), down to single sheet coverage at 1:100 000 and 1:200 000. Two monochrome street map series at 1:10 000 and 1:15 000 of the urban areas of Hong Kong, Kowloon and parts of the New Territories are produced for specialised usage and as a base for the very popular new guide book 'Hong Kong Guide - Streets and Places'. Demand for leisure maps, the Countryside Series and the Tourist Guide, remains strong, prompting the replacement of existing countryside maps by new maps to accom- modate more comprehensive information. The pilot sheet to be replaced is the New Territories West and is being split into 'New Territories Central' (available early 1989) and 'New Territories Northwest' (available late 1989).
The wide range of cartographic services provided to other government departments include the front and end-paper maps for the Hong Kong Annual Report, the geological map series, base maps for weather forecasting service, airport related plans, aeronautical charts for the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), electoral boundary maps, country park maps and pollution control plans. The Reprographic Unit also provides essential back-up to the cartographic sections in map production as well as the provision of copies of all monochrome series. Regarded as a specialist in the reprographic field, the unit provides extensive and sophisticated photographic and photo-reproduction services to other departments.
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The Air Survey Unit operating from Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force aircraft continued to provide aerial photographs for engineering design work, volumetric calcula- tions of quarry operations, environmental studies and for mapping generally. Processing and production of photogrammetric data continues to be carried out by the Survey and Mapping Office Photogrammetric Unit. New air survey techniques using high resolution, large format photography from a specially built helicopter rig have been pioneered for surveys of difficult sites and dangerous slopes. Results have been promising and significant cost savings have identified.
Tender evaluation work on a computerised Land Information System is in progress. Conversion of the large scale mapping, land parcel boundaries, land use and zoning data will begin by mid-1989. The new system will modernise land information management and will be a powerful tool for decision making in land administration. When fully set up, the new system will be able to serve as a core system for other government departments and