LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
involves re-engineering of business practices and organisation structure as well as introduction of new technology and new legislation.
The first elements of the plan were put in place in 2002. Amendments to the Land Registration Ordinance were passed that allowed the department to plan for major organisational changes. The new legislation allows the department to offer a unified registration and information service for the whole territory in place of the separate Urban and New Territories registries. On passage of the legislation, a contract was signed for development of the Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS). This will replace several separate information systems currently in use in the department. It will support the organisational change and help to improve service quality. Development and initial testing of the IRIS was carried out during the year. The scrutiny of the Land Titles Bill commenced in March in a Legislative Council Bills Committee. This legislation will provide the basis for changing Hong Kong's registration system from a deeds-based system to a title registration system. The advantage of this is that the ownership of property and the existence of charges, easements, covenants and other rights affecting land can be established by reference to the title register itself rather than by time consuming and inconclusive research of historical documents. To facilitate the scrutiny of the bill by the Legislative Council, the Land Registry held extensive discussions with the Law Society of Hong Kong and other professional bodies to seek their input into the process. Deliberations on the bill continued at year-end.
The IRIS is expected to be put into operation in the third quarter of 2004. At the same time, the department will be reorganised to replace the Urban and New Territories registries with a unified registry serving the whole territory. Internet access. to information services will be provided, one-stop counter services introduced and the department aims to achieve shorter business processing times for all services. The IRIS system will continue to be developed to further improve services and support the introduction of title registration, subject to enactment of the Land Titles Bill.
Drainage Services
Flood Prevention Infrastructure
The Drainage Services Department is implementing a series of major flood control projects in the New Territories and in West Kowloon, costing about $12 billion.
In the north-western New Territories, improvement works to about 20 kilometres of the major river network have been completed. These cover the lower and middle reaches of the Shan Pui River, the lower and middle reaches of the Kam Tin River near Yuen Long Nam San Wai, the Ngau Tam Mei main drainage channel, and the upper reaches of the Kam Tin River near Kam Tin San Tsuen and Shek Wu Tong. As a result, the flood risk in the surrounding areas has been relieved.
Construction of the Yuen Long Bypass Floodway commenced in January. Upon its completion in 2006, the flooding problem in Yuen Long new town areas will be resolved. Construction of the San Tin eastern main drainage channel commenced in 2002 and, upon its completion in late 2005, the flood risk in San Tin will be reduced. Design work for the San Tin western drainage channel is under way.
In the northern New Territories, the critical flood mitigation undertakings include the Shenzhen River Regulation Project and the rehabilitation of the River Ganges, which are aimed at improving the downstream outlets for rivers in the Sheung Shui
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