WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985
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CONTROL OF ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS UNDER REVIEW
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THE GOVERNMENT WAS FORMULATING A THREE-PRONGED PROGRAMME OF ADMINISTRATIVE, ORGANISATIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE REVIEW OF ITS CONTROL OVER ILLEGAL EXTENSIONS, ALTERATIONS AND STRUCTURES IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN, MR CHAN SAID A RADICAL EXAMINATION OF GOVERNMENT'S BASIC POLICY OBJECTIVES OF CONTROL OVER ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS, INCLUDING A REDEFINITION OF PRIORITIES, WAS NEEDED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.
+FOR EXAMPLE, WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES WHAT DO WE SEEK TO ACHIEVE BY CONTROLLING ILLEGAL WORKS WHICH ARE STRUCTURALLY SAFE, HE SAID.
+ADDITIONALLY, PUBLIC ATTITUDES AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM AND THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM WILL GO SOME WAY TOWARDS REDUCING IT TO MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS.+
STRESSING THAT THERE WAS NO COMMITMENT AT THIS STAGE TO ANY DEFINITIVE POLICY INTENTIONS, MR CHAN SAID ONE CONCEPT WHICH HAD DEVELOPED IN THE REVIEW WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A SYSTEM OF ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OR DECLARATION REGARDING THE EXISTENCE OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN NEWLY COMPLETED RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS,
+THIS CONCEPT ENVISAGES THE PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE BUILDING OWNERS WHO ARE CLOSER TO THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS IN ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTERS, HE SAID.
+THIS CONCEPT HAS BEEN FLOATED AND HAS ATTRACTED NOT ONLY PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM BUT ALSO A WIDE RANGE OF COMMENTS WHICH WOULD ASSIST IN OUR SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
+WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION. +
MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE PROLIFERATION OF ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS OVER THE YEARS HAD RESULTED IN A CURRENT BACKLOG OF 23 000 CASES WHICH CONTINUED TO GROW AT THE RATE OF SOME 800 NEW CASES EACH MONTH.
AN AVERAGE OF 500 CASES INVOLVING CLEARANCE OF SUCH ILLEGAL WORKS WERE BEING DEALT WITH BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE EACH MONTH, HE SAID.
+OF THIS NUMBER, ABOUT 10 PER CENT RELATE TO CASES WHERE THERE IS A HAZARD TO LIFE AND LIMB WHICH WARRANT ABSOLUTE PRIORITY, HE ADDED.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION RAISED EARLIER BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP. MR CHAN SAID THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE PROVIDED FOR THE PROSECUTION OF ANY PERSON, INCLUDING A CONTRACTOR, WHO CARRIED OUT ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS.
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