TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1977
MR. KENNARD SAID THE P.W.D. WAS ALSO REVIEWING THE SPECIAL PRIORITY SYSTEM INTRODUCED IN NOVEMBER 1974 FOR PRIVATE BUILDING PROJECTS.
IN FUTUTRE, PRIORITY WOULD BE GRANTED AT TWO STAGES IN ANY DEVELOPMENT DURING NEGOTIATIONS FOR LAND TRANSACTIONS, AND ON SUBMISSION OF DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO THE B.0.0., HE SAID.
PRIORITY TREATMENT FOR LAND TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN THE DEVELOPER AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD FROM NOW ON BE GRANTED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WHO IS ADVISED BY A HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE.
PRIORITY TREATMENT WOULD BE LIMITED TO URGENTLY REQUIRED PUBLIC UTILITY AND INSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS SUCH AS SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND ELECTRICITY SUB-STATIONS- SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS WHICH COULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
INDUSTRY- AND TO CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF HOUSING, HE SAID.
IN THE B.0.0., HE ADDED, PRIORITY TREATMENT WOULD IN FUTURE BE LIMITED TO URGENTLY REQUIRED PUBLIC UTILITY AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS OR TO PROJECTS PARTICULARLY RECOMMENDED BY A SPECIAL COMMITTEE DEALING WITH INDUSTRIAL LAND IN THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH.
OTHER PROJECTS WHICH MAY ALSO MERIT PRIORITY IN B.0.0. FOR SPECIAL REASONS WOULD ONLY BE ENDORSED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
AT PRESENT, THERE WERE 92 PROJECTS IN B.0.0. WHICH HAD BEEN GRANTED SPECIAL PRIORITY UNDER THE OLD CRITERIA AND THESE WERE NOW ALL BEING REVIEWED.
+ IT IS EXPECTED THAT THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CASES WARRANTING PRIORITY AND THIS SHOULD RESULT IN AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE B.0.0. AND THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU AS IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE PROCESSING TIME OF THOSE PROPOSALS WHICH DO NOT ENJOY PRIORITY WOULD BE REDUCED, HE SAID.
MR. KENNARD SAID THE PROCEDURES SURROUNDING THE APPLICATION FOR OCCUPATION PERMITS WAS ALSO BEING REVIEWED FOR POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS.
HE MADE IT CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION AT THIS STAGE TO TAKE OVER THE TASK OF REGISTERED AUTHORISED PERSONS AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS IN SEEING THAT BUILDINGS WERE BUILT SAFELY AND PROPERLY.
+THIS WOULD INEVITABLY LEAD TO A SLOWING DOWN OF CONSTRUCTION TIME AND WOULD NOT NECESSARILY ACHIEVE A BETTER OVERALL STANDARD OF CONSTRUCTION THAN AT PRESENT PREVAILS IN HONG KONG AND WHICH IN MY OPINION COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD,+ HE SAID.
UNDER EXISTING LEGISLATION, HE SAID, THE GRANTING OF OCCUPATION PERMITS WAS HEAVILY DEPENDENT UPON THE BUILDING AUTHORITY RECEIVING JOINT CERTIFICATES OF SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE FROM THE AUTHORISED PERSON AND THE BUILDING CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN SUPERVISION AND CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING.
/+THE INTEGRITY