XN000022-1981-12-06 — Page 12

SUNDAY, DEC ELDER 1941

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THE GRASS CUTTING OPERATION, LAUNCHED IN RESPONSE TO REQUEST FROM THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, IS ALSO PART OF T PRISONS DEPARTMENT'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

SUCH EXERCISE ALSO GIVES THE COUNTRYSIDE A TIDY AND NEAT

APPEARA'ICE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT SAID DURING LAST YEAR THERE WERE ALMOST 300 FIRES INSIDE COUNTRY PARKS AND MOST OF WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED,

HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WHILE BARBECUING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE DURING THE DRY SEASON, AND REMINDED THAT IT IS AN OFFENCE TO BARBECUE OUTSIDE DESIGNATED AREAS.

HE SAID HILLFIRES COST MONEY BOTH TO MEET THE COST OF THE FIRE-FIGHTING ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED, AND IN TERMS OF LOSS ON THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PLANTATION AND COUNTRY PARKS.

BUILDING PLANS APPROVED IN OCTOBER

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A TOTAL OF 53 NEW BUILDING PLANS WERE APPROVED BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH 63 IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR.

OF THESE NEW PLANS, 23 WERE FOR NEW BUILDINGS ON HONG KONG ISLAND, 6 FOR KOWLOON AND 24 FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THEY INCLUDE A BUS DEPOT IN YUEN LONG, A CARPARK AND QUARTERS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, TWO SCHOOL EXTENSIONS AT SYCAMORE STREET AND YUK WAH STREET, TSZ WAN SHAN, AN ELECTRICITY SUBSTATION AT TAI PAK TIN STREET, KWAI CHUNG AND A CHURCH AT TAI PO ROAD.

THE DECLARED COST OF ALL NEW BUILDINGS COMPLETED DURING THE MONTH WAS $375.5 MILLION, COMPARED WITH $1 029 MILLION IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.

THE IR TOTAL USABLE FLOOR AREA AMOUNTED TO 186 583.1 SQUARE METRES, COMPRISING 101 595.2 SQUARE METRES OF NON-DOMESTIC AND 84 987.9 SQUARE METRES OF DOMESTIC FLOOR SPACE.

THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE ALSO GAVE CONSENT FOR WORK TO START ON 55 PROJECTS INCLUDING A DORMITORIES EXTENSION AT CUMBERLAND ROAD AND AN ELECTRICITY SUBSTATION AT HONG LOK YUEN, TAI PO, A HOLIDAY CENTRE AT CASTLE PEAK ROAD, PING SHAN AND AN OIL TANK ON LAMMA ISLAND.

ALTOGETHER, 51 NEWLY COMPLETED BUILDINGS WERE

CERTIFIED FOR OCCUPATION IN OCTOBER, INCLUDING TWO SCHOOLS AT HING FAT STREET AND POK FU LAM ROAD AND A TEMPLE AT CHUK YUEN.

THE OFFICE ALSO AGREED TO THE DEMOLITION OF 70 BUILDINGS.