WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991
ON
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WATER POLLUTION CONTROL, MR BARNES NOTED THAT THE ENACTMENT OF THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL (AMENDMENT} ORDINANCE REMOVING THE EXEMPTION FOR LICENSING OF THE DISCHARGES OF EXISTING FACTORIES AND ABOLISHING THE 30 PER CENT PERMITTED INCREASE OF 'DISCHARGES WAS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT, BUT IT WAS MADE MORE SO BY THE
EXTREMELY CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH INDUSTRY WHICH PRECEDED IT.
HE WAS OF THE VIEW THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS WERE A GOOD LESSON FOR BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE AND AUGUR WELL FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
HE REPORTED GOOD PROGRESS WAS ALSO MADE IN PLANNING THE SEWAGE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME.
MASTER PLAN
"THE SITUATION IS THAT THE REGIONAL SEWERAGE STUDIES ARE BEING COMPLETED ON TIME AND FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE то IMPLEMENT THE SEWERAGE IMPROVEMENT WORKS ARISING THEREFROM. "SITE INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEWAGE STRATEGY DISPOSAL SCHEME ARE ALSO WELL UNDER WAY AND DETAILED DESIGN FOR THE KOWLOON SYSTEM WILL START LATER THIS YEAR," HE ADDED.
MR BARNES SAID THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT RELATING TO INVESTIGATION OF THE DEEP WATER OUTFALL IN GUANGDONG THIS WEEK AND CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES FOR THE LATTER STAGES OF THE SEWAGE STRATEGY DISPOSAL SCHEME WOULD BE FINALISED IN DECEMBER NEXT YEAR AFTER THE RESULTS OF THE CONSULTANCY STUDIES WERE KNOWN.
TURNING TO THE SUBJECT OF FLAT SPECULATION, MR BARNES SAID SPECULATION AND BUYING FOR APPRECIATION OF THE INVESTMENT HAD ALWAYS BEEN A FEATURE OF HONG KONG'S BUOYANT PROPERTY MARKET.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE RECENT INTEREST IN THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET SEEMED TO BR MAINLY CONCENTRATED ON PRE-SALES OF NEW LARGE-SCALE, WELL PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS IN WHICH THE PROSPECT FOR PRICE APPRECIATION WAS LIKELY TO BE GREATER THAN IN SMALL DEVELOPMENTS.
HE SAID IT WAS DOUBTFUL WHETHER THE PRESENT LEVEL OF PROPERTY SPECULATION WAS EQUALLY WIDESPREAD IN ALL SECTORS AND IN ALL TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
HE ADDED THAT THESE PROPERTIES WERE ALSO THOSE FOR WHICH THE LAND OFFICERS CONSENT SCHEME AFFORDED THE MOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTROL, AND. CONSIDERADLY IMPROVED PROCEDURES FOR NEW SALES HAD BEEN INTRODUCED RECENTLY WITH THE AGREEMENT AND ASSISTANCE OF THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION.
ALTHOUGH THESE HAD BEEN PRIMARILY AIMED AT PRESERVING PUBLIC ORDER, THEY ALSO INVOLVED THE RAISING OF THE LOW INITIAL DEPOSIT, WHICH HAD HITHERTO ALLOWED MORE WIDESPREAD SPECULATION AT A MINIMUM RISK TO THE SPECULATORS.
"IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF ALL TYPES OF PROPERTY FOR HOME-BUYERS TO CHOOSE FROM, AND IN WHICH LARGE NUMBERS OF HOME-BUYERS ARE SERKING TO UPGRADE THEIR HOMES RATHER THAN ΤΟ BUY THEIR FIRST FLAT, 1 AM AFRAID THAT I AM STILL NOT PERSUADED THAT OVERALL PUBLIC INTEREST WOULD BE SERVED BY MORE EXPENSIVE BUREAUCRATIC INTERVENTION BEYOND THAT WHICH HAS BEEN AGREED," HE EXPLAINED.
THE
/IN RESPONSE