LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
programme of different port facilities, and an updated Port Development Plan and Programme was produced in December 1991.
Building Development - Private Sector
The decision to go ahead with the new airport project has stimulated building development in the private sector. The number of occupation permits issued for completed buildings was 439, compared with 419 in 1990. The amount of usable floor area provided was 3.9 million square metres and the total cost of new building works was $27,620 million.
Expansion of the Kwai Chung Container Port continued with the completion of 440 000 square metres of floor space of container freight stations and distribution centres at Terminals 3, 4 and 5. Reclamation and construction works for Terminal 8, accommodating some 20 000 square metres, are due to commence early in 1992. Phase I of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is at an advanced stage of development while a major residential development has commenced at Tin Shui Wai comprising 58 tower blocks of flats providing accommodation for 69 000 people.
The Buildings Ordinance Office had placed even greater emphasis on building safety in 1991. Work priorities were rationalised and a large proportion of resources were redeployed to grapple with the problem of dangers arising from older buildings. Publicity and civic education programmes were increased and intensified to increase public awareness of the responsibilities of building owners. In the enhanced planned survey exercise, all buildings in the urban and built-up areas had been inspected externally. Out of the 16 700 buildings identified to be in suspect condition, 4 209 had been surveyed resulting in the serving of 2 809 orders requiring repair works. Particular attention was given to pre-war buildings. By June 1991, all these buildings had been fully surveyed and they will be kept under regular surveillance in order to ensure that any identified risks to life and limb are dealt with expeditiously.
Strenuous efforts to cope with the problem of unauthorised building works continued with block-by-block clearances of external 'appendages'. The initial operation involving 30 target buildings resulted in the serving of 3 815 removal orders, which were almost fully complied with voluntarily within a period of six months. As it had received a very positive response, the operation was being extended by the issue of advisory letters instead of serving removal orders.
In order to recover the administrative costs of processing plans for building devel- opment, statutory provisions were enacted early in 1991 for charging fees on the submission of plans. The system came into operation in late March and for the period of nine months since then, a total of $33.8 million in fees has been collected.
Building Development - Public Sector
The Architectural Services Department undertakes building projects under the Public Works Programme and the building programmes of the Urban Council, Regional Council and the British Forces.
During 1990-91, the department completed 88 building contracts under these pro- grammes. There were over 90 ongoing building contracts in the year and the total capital expenditure, including minor works, was $6,790 million. In addition, the Property Services Branch (formerly called the Maintenance Branch) of the department spent $1,089 million in providing routine maintenance and minor alteration works to over 6 000 government,
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