LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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Department, Lands Department and Planning Department, as well as the Land Registry, which is operated on a trading fund basis. He also oversees part of the work of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, Civil Engineering Department, Drainage Services Department, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Marine Department, Territory Development Department and the Government Laboratory.
Planning
Town planning is carried out by the Planning Department under policy directives from the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau. During the year, the department was involved in revising the proposals of the Town Planning White Bill; finalising the Territorial Development Strategy Review; reviewing the Metroplan; carrying out the Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century; updating the Development Strategies for the South-West New Territories; and reviewing the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. It also identified housing sites, assessed housing demand and forecast of land supply for housing and other major land uses; and continued the work on the Port Development Strategy and the Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy.
It was also engaged in other forward planning activities including efforts to co-ordinate the formulation of the urban renewal strategy and programme; in development control for the districts and conducting site search exercises for major uses/developments; and in undertaking enforcement action against unauthorised developments in designated rural areas.
Review of the Town Planning Ordinance
The Town Planning Ordinance was enacted in 1939 and has remained largely unchanged. In view of the increasing complexity of Hong Kong's social, economic and political environment, the administration believes it should review community requirements and introduce any changes to the Ordinance necessary to meet immediate and anticipated future needs.
In 1991, a consultative document on comprehensive review of the Town Planning Ordinance was published for public comment. A Special Committee was also set up to consider the complex and contentious issues of compensation and betterment. Public comments received on the consultative document and the recommendations of the Special Committee provided important input towards the formulation of legislative proposals to improve the planning system.
In view of the quantity and complex nature of the proposals involved, the administration decided to prepare a new piece of planning legislation with a view to replacing the existing one. The Town Planning Bill was then published in July 1996 in the form of a White Bill for public consultation till the end of 1996. The comments received were diverse and on some issues conflicting. The administration therefore decided to introduce interim measures, pending further study on the various issues relating to the comprehensive overhaul of the Ordinance, to shorten the existing statutory plan-making process. This proposed change received widespread support during the consultation. The Town Planning (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 which imposed a statutory nine-month period within which objections to the statutory plans should be considered was subsequently introduced into the legislature in March 1998