7.28
The Section also secured the vesting of 9 areas of private streets in the Crown under the Crown Land Ordinance and effected 5 street closures under the Streets (Alteration) Ordinance of which 3 were authorised in the Gazette.
7.29
SURVEY BRANCH
Government Land Surveyor:
J.T. COOPER, F.R.I.C.S., F.R.G.S. G.J. BENTLEY, M.I.S.(Aust.) (From 29.4.74)
The Survey Branch covers a wide range of responsibilities and is divided into two large Divisions, one covering the Hong Kong & Islands area and the other the Mainland land mass. Each Division is administered at 'Chief' level with the Chief Land Surveyor being directly responsible to G.L.S. for all work undertaken within his area.
HONG KONG & ISLANDS SURVEY DIVISION
7.30
The proposals put forward by this Division to set up a P.W.D. Photogrammetric Unit under C.L. & S.O. control received Government approval during the year and considerable progress was made in implementing these proposals. Tenders for the equipment were received, analysed and recommendations made and these are expected to be considered by the Tender Board in the near future; four technicians and one land surveyor, all local officers, were sent to Europe to undergo appropriate training and are scheduled to commence their work in the Unit in January 1976. An experienced photogrammetrist was recruited on contract from overseas to get the Unit established and in full production; he will be understudied by the land surveyor at present under training who is expected eventually to take over as head of the Unit. The Unit is to be accommodated in the San Po Kong Government Offices and the necessary alteration and preparation to receive the equipment, expected to arrive in Sept./Oct. 1975, put in hand.
7.31
During the year the Division contracted out photogrammetric plotting work to three firms, Messrs. Huntings Air Survey Ltd., B.K.S. Surveys Ltd. and Associated Surveys Ltd., though the Hunting's contract was wound up in November 1974. This arrangement of contracting out the plotting work must continue until the Photogrammetric Unit is in production.
MAINLAND SURVEY DIVISION
7.32
This year saw an increase in the strength of the Division with the creation of a section to handle the New Town work at Tuen Mun and another in Sha Tin. Owing to the increase in establishment and to facilitate the work within the New Territories, the area was divided into two Sub-Divisions, N.T. East and N.T. West, each under the control of a Senior Land Surveyor.
7.33
The total number of District Survey Offices under C.L. & S.O. control in the N.T. now stands at six, with an additional section dealing with control within the New Territories area being based at Tsuen Wan.
7.34
The original Control Section (Mainland) now operates from the Kowloon Divisional Office as Control Section Kowloon. Three Kowloon sections operate
71