214 Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation
square metres of agricultural land were acquired in 2008. A total of $870.8 million was paid as compensation during the year.
The Lands Department was also involved in the resumption of land for urban renewal projects undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society. During the year, compensation totalling $237.7 million was paid to owners of 97 resumed properties and occupiers affected by 21 urban renewal projects. It also resumed and cleared land for the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation for its railway projects. By year-end, $13 million had been paid as compensation for land resumed for the West Rail project and $3 million for the East Rail Extension project which includes the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and the Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui Line.
Land Disposal
While government land available for disposal for permanent development is usually offered for sale by public auction, sale by public tender is also a practice adopted in certain circumstances, such as when the sites being offered for sale do not attract very wide interest. Examples are sites for petrol filling station purposes or when the Government wishes to examine in advance detailed proposals. In some cases, land may be made available by private treaty grant. In October 2003, the Government released a statement on the implementation and consolidation of its housing policy. Since January 2004, it has made land available to the market mainly through the Application List System, which is a market-driven mechanism. In 2008, one residential site, three petrol filling stations and one site for logistics development purposes measuring a total of about 2.53 hectares were sold for $1.07 billion.
In addition to land supply from the Government, existing privately held land leases may be amended, normally at a premium, on lease-holders' initiatives to provide for more intensive or different type of development in accordance with the prevailing planning intention. During the year, 220 transactions by way of lease. modifications and land exchanges were concluded, involving a total of about 93.11 hectares of land and a land premium of $10.57 billion.
Land Management and Lease Enforcement
The Lands Department manages properties which have reverted to government ownership through voluntary surrender, resumption, expiry of government leases, and re-entry or vesting actions under various ordinances. During the year, 19 new properties were taken over for management and 10 properties were disposed of. Forty-two managed properties were released for the urban renewal project in Wanchai in 2008. The department currently manages 450 properties.
The department's work in identifying people responsible for the maintenance of registered man-made slopes is continuing. The results of this probe are contained in a 'Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information System' for public inspection. The Lands Department is responsible for maintaining about 18 100 man-made slopes. With the help of private consultants, it carries out regular inspections of these slopes and employs contractors to carry out routine maintenance and stabilisation works.
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