XN000022-1974-06-13 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1974

CALL FOR COMPULSORY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR. IAN LIGHTBODY, SAID TODAY THE TIME HAS COME TO INTRODUCE SOME FORM OF COMPULSORY MANAGEMENT FOR BLOCKS IN MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP.

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF TAI · PING SHAN, HE WARNED THAT WITH PEOPLE LIVING AT THE DENSITIES FOUND IN MANY OF THE HIGH RISE BLOCKS, +FAILURE TO LOOK AHEAD AND ESTABLISH SUCH MANAGEMENT MACHINERY WOULD INEVITABLY RESULT IN THE HOUSING STOCK DEGENERATING INTO A MASS OF SLUM AREAS+.

+THE LONGER SUCH BUILDINGS ARE LEFT WITHOUT PROPERLY ORGANISED MANAGEMENT, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BE TO PUT THINGS RIGHT IN LATER YEARS,+ MR. LIGHTBODY SAID. +THIS SUGGESTS THAT, FOR A START AT LEAST, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT REQUIRING THE OWNERS IN NEW BUILDINGS TO SET UP CORPORATIONS AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES WHICH WOULD THEN UNDER LAW BE OBLIGED TO KEEP THE BUILDING IN GOOD CONDITION.+

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WHAT WAS NEEDED, HE STRESSED, WAS NOT EXTRAVAGANT MANAGEMENT PROVISION, BUT RATHER OF SIMPLE SERVICES AND THE CARRYING OUT OF ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE WORK.

MR. LIGHTBODY NOTED THAT SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS COWNERS INCORPORATION) ORDINANCE IN 1970, SOME 600 CORPORATIONS HAD BEEN SET UP AND NEW ONES WERE BEING FORMED AT THE RATE OF 10 EACH MONTH.

HE COMMENDED THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND THE VARIOUS CITY DISTRICT OFFICES IN PROMOTING THE GROWTH OF THESE CORPORATIONS, AND EXPRESSED APPRECIATION OF THE FINE WORK BEING DONE BY THESE CORPORATIONS, THE MAIN BURDEN OF WHICH FALLS ON THE HANDFUL OF OWNERS WHO ACCEPTED OFFICE AND SERVE ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR EACH BUILDING.

HOWEVER, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID SOME INDIVIDUAL OWNERS WERE INCLINED TO BE APATHETIC ABOUT GIVING POSITIVE SUPPORT -ESPECIALLY IN PAYING THEIR DUES.

+THIS IS PARTICULARLY SO WHERE THE OWNERS ARE NOT RESIDENT IN THE BUILDING, AND EVEN WORSE WHERE THEY ARE NOT EVEN LIVING IN HONG KONG.+

MR. LIGHTBODY WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE MESSAGE FROM VARIOUS CORPORATIONS HE VISITED WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THE MAJOR PROBLEM WAS THE COLLECTION OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL OWNERS FOR ESSENTIAL WORK AND SERVICES.

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