WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1979
9
STEPS TO CURB UNAUTHORISED BUILDING OF HUTS SUPPORTED
*****
THERE WERE VARIOUS REASONS WHY MANY VILLAGE HOUSES WERE BUILT ON AGRICULTURAL LAND OR CONVERTED FOR DOMESTIC OR OTHER USES WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROVAL, THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG SAID TODAY.
THESE WERE MISUNDERSTANDING BY AND IGNORANCE OF THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, INCONVENIENT COMMUNICATIONS IN THE PRE-WAR DAYS, ABSENCE OF A CIVIL GOVERNMENT DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR YEARS, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN THEIR WAY OF LIFE FORCED UPON THEM BY THE INFLUX OF NEW-COMERS SINCE 1949.
WHILE IT IS RIGHT THAT THE GOVERNMENT BE GIVEN EFFECTIVE POWERS TO CONTROL THE ILLEGAL BUILDING OF SHANTY HUTS AND COTTAGE FACTORIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, IT IS NEITHER FAIR NOR JUSTIFIABLE TO CHALLENGE THESE LONG-ESTABLISHED BUILDINGS OR CONVERSIONS, MR. YEUNG SAID.
MR. YEUNG WAS COMMENTING ON THE CROWN LAND (AMENDMENT) BILL 1979 AT ITS SECOND READING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE BILL WAS STUDIED AT LENGTH BY AN AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS CONVENED BY HIM. THE UNOFFICIALS SUPPORTED ITS INTENTION TO STEP UP CONTROL OVER THE BUILDING OF SQUATTER HUTS BY RACKETEERS FOR SALE TO UNSUSPECTING BUYERS. HOWEVER THEY HAD RESERVATIONS OVER SEVERAL POINTS.
ON THE QUESTION OF UNAUTHORISED BUILDINGS ON LEASED LAND, MR. YEUNG WANTED TO BE ASSURED THAT THE EXISTING POLICY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE BILL AND IN FACT GOVERNMENT WILL, ON APPLICATION OF THE LANDOWNERS, LEGALISE SUCH BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES OF LONG STANDING BY GRANTING SUCH MODIFICATION OR PERMIT UPON SUCH CONDITIONS AS IF APPLICATIONS WERE MADE AT THE TIME OF ERECTION OF SUCH BUILDINGS+.
AS FOR UNAUTHORISED USAGE OF AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS, MR. YEUNG NOTED THAT THE BILL MERELY STRENGTHENED THE HAND OF GOVERNMENT IN DEALING WITH THEM BUT SINCE IT WAS SOMETHING NEW IN LAW, HE ASKED FOR A CUT-OFF DATE FOR ITS OPERATION AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE AND FAIRNESS.
HE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO USE THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE THE LANDOWNER TO REPORT UNAUTHORISED STRUCTURES BUILT BY A THIRD PARTY ON HIS LAND UNLESS, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS COLLUSION BETWEEN THE LANDOWNER AND THE THIRD PARTY.
IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE CO-OPERATION BY LANDOWNERS, HE ALSO ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST THEM IN DEMOLISHING SUCH UNAUTHORISED STRUCTURES, PROVIDED THE STRUCTURES WOULD BE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR AND OTHER ACTION IF FOUND ILLEGALLY ERECTED ON UNLEASED CROWN LAND.
PR. YE