XN000022-1981-10-28 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981

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+ IT FOLLOWS THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO OFFER MORE FLATS FOR SALE OR RENTING IN ANY GIVEN TIME PERIOD THEREBY INFLUENCING ASKING PRICES AND RENTS, IF THE SPEED WITH WHICH BUILDING CONTRACTORS AND ARCHITECTS ARE SERVICED WAS

IMPROVED, + SHE SAID.

TURNING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW LANDS DEPARTMENT, MISS DUNN EXPRESSED REGRET THAT IT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL NEXT YEAR.

THE NEW DEPARTMENT IS TO TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR LAND ADMINISTRATION FROM THE NTA AND THE LANDS, SURVEY AND TOWN PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF THE OLD PWD.

SHE HOPED THAT THE SAME RELATIVELY BOLD APPROACH THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN RESPECT OF THE NEW LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH AND THE NEW TRANSPORT BRANCH AS WELL AS THE DE-FEDERAL ISATION OF THE PWD - THAT IS TO SAY, DECIDE THE MAIN ISSUES FIRST AND DO THE DETAILED THINKING AFTERWARDS - WILL BE APPARENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CREATION OF THE LANDS DEPARTMENT.

+ IN OTHER WORDS HOPE THAT A TIME LIMIT WILL BE PLACED ON THE PRE-PLANNING PHASE AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR, SHE SAID.

MISS DUNN ALSO SUGGESTED THAT, CONCURRENTLY WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW LANDS DEPARTMENT AND THE RATIONALISATION OF THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE IN THE AREAS OF LAND PLANNING, PRODUCTION AND DISPOSAL, URGENT CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO HOW BEST TO MOBILISE THE GOVERNMENT'S AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S RESOURCES IN A CO-OPERATIVE WAY TO SPEED UP, ON A COST-EFFICIENT BASIS, THE PRODUCTION OF LAND.

THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF LAND SUPPLY OF WHICH MISS DUNN IS CHAIRMAN, HAS RECENTLY FORMED A WORKING PARTY TO STUDY VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES, SHE SAID.

+MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW IS THAT THERE IS A ROLE FOR A STATUTORY CORPORATION CHARGED WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT OF PARTICULAR AREAS OF NEW LAND WHICH WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE CORPORATION AT F.M.V.. THE PREMIA BEING RECOVERED FROM THE CORPORATION BY WAY OF THE ASSIGNMENT BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT OF PREPARED SITES AGAIN AT F.M.V. BUT LESS AN INTEREST FACTOR, FOR 6.1.C. USES.

+FINANCE FOR THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT WORKS COULD BE RAISED ON THE OPEN MARKET, PERHAPS WITH A LIMITED CALL ON THE DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND, SHE ADDED.

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