WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1980
22
EXTRA STAFF NEEDED TO DEAL WITH ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS
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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL STAFF TO ELP TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS THE HON JACK STEAN, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHARLES YEUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR STEAN SAID WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE, SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRESENT LEVEL OF ACTION WILL RESULT.
*THE BUILDING SURVEYORS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL WORKS HAVE, AS THEIR PRIMARY TASK, THE DUTY OF PROCESSING APPLICATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH NEW BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE APPROVAL OF PLANS, THE ISSUE OF CONSENTS TO COMMENCE WORK AND THE ISSUE OF OCCUPATION PERMITS, ALL OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO STATUTORY TIME LIMITS.
IN ADDITION, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO INSPECT NEW BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION,
ALL OF THESE TASKS MR STEAN ADDED, MUST TAKE PRECEDENCE AND THEREFORE THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT RESOURCES MOST SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS THE AREA OF ILLEGAL WORKS.
MR STEAM RECALLED THAT THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN ADVISED PREVIOUSLY THAT THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT HAD OUT-STRIPPED THE ABILITY OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE TO DEAL WITH PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS.
*THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS ALSO, ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, BEEN ADVISED THAT THE POLICY IS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST ALL WORKS WHICH CONTRAVENE THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE IN BUILDINGS COMPLETED AFTER JULY 1975 AND TO LIMIT ACTION AGAINST BUILDINGS COMPLETED BEFORE THAT DATE TO THOSE WORKS WHICH ARE A RISK TO LIFE AND LIMB, BECAUSE OF THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS INVOLVED, HE ADDED.
+THIS POLICY AND THE ACTION TAKEN TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY APPLIES TO THE NEW TOWNS IN THE SAME WAY AS IT APPLIES TO THE REST OF THE TERRITORY.
+WITH THE CONTINUED PACE OF DEVELOPMENT THE SITUATION AS REGARDS THE CONTROL OF ILLEGAL WORKS IS DETERIORATING IN ALL AREAS.+
MR STEAN SAID THE CAMPAIGN OF ISSUING POSTERS ILLUSTRATING THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF ILLEGAL WORK CONTINUED AND WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE MET WITH SOME SUCCESS.
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, HE SAID, TO MEASURE THE DETERRANT EFFECT OF THESE POSTERS AND OF THE LIMITED ENFORCEMENT WORK BEING CARRIED OUT, BUT CLEARLY BOTH IN THE NEW TOWNS AND ELSEWHERE THE CONTROL OF ILLEGAL WORKS AND ALTERATIONS WAS OF LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS.
/MR STEAN