LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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At the strategic level, land use policies are continuously reviewed to control incompatible developments and provide a more sustainable and cost-effective basis for public and private investments. In this regard, a number of reviews and studies have been, or are being, undertaken. They include the study on better utilisation of agricultural land and the review of the rural improvement concept.
At the district level, improvement projects are undertaken under the rural development programmes. These projects include village improvement and expansion works; provision of sewers and sewage treatment plants; improvement, reconstruction and expansion of village access roads; provision of local recreational facilities in village areas; works related to land drainage, river training and flood prevention schemes; and the provision and improvement of communal irrigation, field drainage and farm access in selected agricultural areas. These rural improvement projects are initiated, implemented and monitored by the various District Rural Development Working Groups, with a budget totalling about $4 billion over a span of 10 years.
The rural development programmes are overseen and monitored by the Rural Development Steering Committee, while the overall policy and development management aspects of the RPIS are monitored by the RPIS Monitoring Group.
New Towns and Rural Townships
The 20th anniversary of new town development in Hong Kong saw continued expansion in - this area. This took the form of additional land formation, especially in the newer generation of new towns such as Tseung Kwan O and Tung Chung, and improvements to infrastructure and community facilities.
The extensive and rapid growth in the new towns has carried over to adjacent rural areas and even to the old urban areas. They are providing a new reference standard for future developments.
The over 8 800 hectares of land that have been formed for new town development is anticipated to increase by about 40 per cent when all the new towns are fully developed.
The quality of life for the 2.5 million new town residents has been improved. With careful planning and landscaping, the scenic assets and greenery in the new towns have generally been preserved or improved, along with some of the historic locations and civic heritage. A wealth of opportunities for recreation, leisure and culture is also available through the provision of town parks and open spaces, the generous reserve of green belts, active afforestation and planting, the provision of sports complexes, and recreation and cultural centres. Residents have a wide range of choices to suit their individual lifestyles.
The environmental impacts of the massive developments were carefully studied before the projects were launched. Air and noise pollution has been largely eliminated by landscaping works, buffer zones, attention to detail in building orientation and spacing. A careful mix of strategically positioned high-rise buildings with low-density developments blends easily with the natural landscape. These are often enhanced by local open spaces, creative use of river banks and water features, amenity areas and roadside planting. About five million trees have been planted, averaging two trees for every new town resident.
The new towns are served by a network of over 700 kilometres of roads which provide efficient traffic circulation and easy access to the old urban areas. Depending on the destinations, commuters also have alternative means of transport with the Mass Transit Railway, the Light Rail System, the Kowloon-Canton Railway, buses, ferries and taxis.