XN000022-1979-05-22 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1979

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MID-LEVELS BUILDING RESTRICTIONS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO RESTRICT TEMPORARILY THE APPROVAL OF BUILDING PROJECTS IN SPECIFIED AREAS OF THE MID-LEVELS.

ANNOUNCING THIS DECISION TODAY (TUESDAY) A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN MADE FOLLOWING A RECOMMENDATION BY THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WHICH HAS BEEN EXAMINING THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CUT, ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL SLOPES IN THE MID-LEVELS AREA.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE TEMPORARY BAN ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IS TO MAINTAIN THE PRESENT SAFETY OF THE AREA.

+FURTHERMORE, OUR CONCERN IS NOT THE EFFECT OF A SINGLE EXCAVATION AT AN INDIVIDUAL SITE, BUT THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF FURTHER EXCAVATIONS, HE SAID.

COMMENTING ON THE RECOMMENDATION, THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SOME OF THE HIGHER SLOPES IN THE MID-LEVELS AREA ARE COLLUVIUM, THAT IS EARTH WHICH HAS MOVED DOWN A SLOPE OVER THE CENTURIES.

+SUCH AREAS COULD BE VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIDES, WHERE THE STABILITY OF THE COLLUVIUM IS DISTURBED BY EXCAVATION WORKS, + THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

+ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL SITES WITHOUT RISK TO THE STABILITY OF SURROUNDING AREAS, A CAREFUL EXAMINATION WOULD BE REQUIRED IN EVERY CASE.

BY THE END OF 1981, THE RESULT OF THE CURRENT STUDIES WILL PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL ÎNFORMATION REQUIRED FOR ASSESSING WHETHER CONSTRAINTS NEED BE PLACED ON FUTURE CONSTRUCTION IN THIS AREA.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT 27 PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE RESTRICTED AREA OF THE MID-LEVELS WERE ALREADY BEING PROCESSED. THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE HAS ADVISED THAT THIS LIMITED NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENTS CAN BE FURTHER PROCESSED SO THAT, SUBJECT TO A DETAILED AND CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE EXCAVATIONS PROPOSED, WORK ON THESE BUILDING SITES MAY PROCEED WITH SAFETY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+BUT FOR THE TIME BEING NO FURTHER APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER 12 NOON ON TUESDAY 22ND MAY 1979 (THE TIME OF THE DECISION BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL) WILL BE CONSIDERED,+ HE ADDED.

LEGISLATION TO IMPOSE A TEMPORARY BAN ON THE APPROVAL OF BUILDING PLANS AND CONSENTS TO START WORK IN AREAS SPECIFIED WILL BE INTRODUCED SHORTLY. PRIOR TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE BILL. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO EACH OF THE 27 DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED DEVELOPMENT PLANS EXPLAINING THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AND HOW HIS PROPOSAL WILL BE AFFECTED BY IT.

THE GEOTECHNICAL