XN000022-1986-02-10 — Page 5

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1986

BOOKLET TELLS HOW BUILDING IS CONTROLLED

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BUILDING IS ONE OF HONG KONG'S MOST OBVIOUS ACTIVITIES AND GOES ON THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

BUT, WITH SO MUCH ACTIVITY AND SO LITTLE SPACE, BUILDING MUST BE CAREFULLY CONTROLLED AND THAT TASK FALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT'S BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

HOW THE DEPARTMENT COPES, HOW IT IS ORGANISED AND WHAT ARE ITS FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS ARE ALL DESCRIBED IN A FULL-COLOUR, 36-PAGE BOOKLET NOW ON SALE +BUILDING: A GUIDE TO BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG+.

PUBLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF, THE BOOKLET IS AVAILABLE AT $16 A COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE IN CENTRAL,

IT HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN A NOVEL FORMAT WITH A +FILM STRIP+ RUNNING ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGES SHOWING BUILDINGS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION. FULL-PAGE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, DESIGNS AND PHOTO-MONTAGES ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT.

LIKE THE BDD ITSELF, THE BOOKLET IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS ONE ON THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE AND ANOTHER ON THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE.

THE DIRECTOR OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, MR CHAU CHAM-SON, SAYS IN A FORWARD: +THE TWO OFFICES HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL APRIL 1, 1982, FOLLOWING THE BREAK UP OF THE FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THAT TOGETHER WITH A HEADQUARTERS ORGANISATION THEY WERE LINKED TO FORM THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.+

AS THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, TOLD A CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG: +NOBODY WOULD QUESTION THE GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO LAY DOWN MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE DESIGN OF TALL BUILDINGS. WE ARE FACED WITH A COMPLEX SOCIETY, RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND A NEED TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES.*

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THE BOOKLET TELLS HOW THE BDD EXERCISES THAT RIGHT FROM DESIGNING BUILDINGS. CALLING TENDERS AND SUPERVISING CONSTRUCTION TO THE INSPECTION OF DANGEROUS OR ILLEGAL BUILDINGS AND THE PROSECUTION OF OFFENDERS.

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