5 -
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1975
THIS SITUATION COULD HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS SATISFACTORY, AND SO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN WORKING ON WAYS TO REDUCE DRASTICALLY THE TIME REQUIRED TO OBTAIN APPROVALS.
MR. MCDONALD SAID: THE PROPOSAL IS BASICALLY A SINGLE SUBMISSION SYSTEM UNDER WHICH THE AUTHORIZED PERSON WILL, WHEN HE HAS COMPLETED HIS PLANS, SUBMIT SEVERAL COPIES DIRECTLY TO THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE WHICH WILL ACT AS CO-ORDINATOR, ISSUING DRAWINGS TO ALL THE VARIOUS INTERESTED GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS TO OBTAIN THE IR COMMENTS OR APPROVALS, AND CONCURRENTLY CARRYING OUT ITS OWN CHECKS.
:
+THE ENTIRE OPERATION WILL THEREFORE BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE STATUTORY 60-DAY PERIOD.+
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT AS A SEPARATE BUT LONGER-LASTING EXERCISE, THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING SURVEY ADVISER WAS CARRYING OUT A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE WITH A VIEW TO ITS COMPLETE REVISION.
+THE RECENTLY-INTRODUCED BUILDING (CONSTRUCTION) REGULATIONS 1975 HAVE PROVIDED HONG KONG WITH ITS OWN STRUCTURAL DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH HAVE BEEN FORMULATED TO SUIT OUR RATHER UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND ARE A BIG STEP FORWARD IN UPDATING OUR BUILDING LAW,+ HE SAID.
A FURTHER POSITIVE STEP HAD ALSO BEEN TAKEN IN DEALING WITH THE VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL WORKS IN OCCUPIED BUILDINGS.
HE SAID, THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE HAS EMBARKED ON A PROGRAMME OF REGULARLY INSPECTING ALL NEW BUILDINGS COMPLETED AFTER 31ST JULY 1975, AND IT IS HOPED THAT THIS SURVEILLANCE WILL NOT ONLY PREVENT ILLEGAL WORKS FROM REACHING AN ADVANCED STAGE BUT WILL ALSO ACT AS A DETERRENT TO THOSE WHO MAY BE CONTEMPLATING SIMILAR ILLEGAL WORKS.+
MR. MCDONALD ADDED: +IT IS REALLY TOO EARLY TO REPORT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMME BUT I HAVE HIGH HOPES THAT. DESPITE THE MANY OBJECTIONS THAT WILL ARISE FROM ENFORCEMENT ACTION, THE SCHEME WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.+
1.
16
I