LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
the central and north-western parts of Peng Chau are near completion. Reclamation, road and drainage works at Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island are also in progress. Construction of the north-eastern riverwall and site formation work adjacent to Lung Tin Estate in Tai O were substantially completed in July. Construction of a sheltered boat anchorage in Tai O is expected to start in early 2003 for completion in 2005. In Cheung Chau old town, detailed design of the Stage 2 improvement works to existing roads and drains is in progress. Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2003 for completion in late 2005.
Building Development
The Private Sector
Private building development continued to slow down although the rate appeared to be levelling off. The number of building plans submitted for approval remained low. The number of building sites, where superstructural works started increased slightly from 110 in 2001 to 113 in 2002, involving a total floor area of 1 603 983 square metres and 1 170 592 square metres, respectively. A total of 1 107 buildings, with a total floor area of 3.98 million square metres, were completed at a total cost of $45.7 billion. This compared with 449 buildings, with a total floor area of 2.76 million square metres, built at a total cost of $30.12 billion, in 2001.
Major construction works in progress include the Cyberport development in Pok Fu Lam, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, and the Ma On Shan Rail and the Tsim Sha Tsui Extension of the KCRC East Rail. Building plans for the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park were submitted for approval in February, and construction works began later in the year. Work also commenced in August to provide a new railway extension line to serve the theme park.
The Government continued to promote the design and construction of environmentally friendly facilities in new developments. The Second Joint Practice Note issued in February provides incentives by way of exemption of certain green features from gross floor area calculation. These new features include non-structural prefabricated external walls, utility platforms, mail delivery rooms with mailboxes, noise barriers and communal sky gardens.
To further enhance safety and quality supervision of building works, the Buildings Department introduced in August 2000 the Quality Supervision Plan System requiring private building professionals and contractors to strengthen supervision of foundation works and ground investigation field works. Under a new auditing strategy on building works introduced in May 2001, surprise audit checks are conducted on all active foundation and superstructure sites to ensure compliance with specified standards. A working group has been set up to review all site supervision requirements under the Buildings Ordinance and to devise an integrated site supervision system. A draft proposal has been prepared for consultation with the industry.
To tackle the problem of unauthorised building works (UBWs), the Buildings Department continued to embark on 'blitz' clearance operations. The modus operandi of demolishing in one exercise all external UBWs on a number of buildings in a district has proved effective in inducing building owners to comply voluntarily with removal orders. A total of 1 759 buildings were targeted for 'blitz' clearances in 2002, compared with 1 571 in 2001 and 404 in 2000. Enforcement action against illegal
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