XN000022-1987-04-03 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1987

THESE INVOLVE SLOPES ALONG ROADS WHICH PROVIDE SOLE ACCESS

FOUR TO HOSPITALS, RESERVOIRS, RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND SO ON. SUCH SLOPES, COSTING ABOUT $4 MILLION TO STABILISE, ARE INCLUDED IN THE WORKS TO BE UNDERTAKEN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.

OCCUPATION OF UNSAFE SLOPES BY SQUATTERS CONTINUES TO BE A

PROBLEM.

THESE SLOPES CANNOT BE RECTIFIED UNDER THE PROGRAMME BECAUSE LARGE CLEARANCES ARE INVARIABLY NEEDED BEFORE WORK CAN BE CARRIED OUT. HOWEVER, THE SITUATION WILL BE IMPROVED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SQUATTERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLEARED FROM LAND REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND THIS WILL COVER SOME SITES OCCUPIED BY SQUATTERS ON UNSAFE SLOPES.

THE OFFICE IS CONTINUING TO CARRY OUT STABILISATION WORK WHERE POSSIBLE ON SLOPES WHICH AFFECT SQUATTERS. EIGHT SLOPES ARE BEING STABILISED PRIMARILY TO SAFEGUARD THESE PEOPLE THIS YEAR.

THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, APART FROM UNDERTAKING ITS SQUATTER AREA IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES IN SELECTED SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS, 13 IMPLEMENTING THE NON-DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCE PROGRAMME, UNDER WHICH 50 000 SQUATTERS ARE BEING CLEARED FROM THE MOST UNSTABLE SLOPES BY THE EARLY 1990'S.

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OTHER WORKS OF THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE INCLUDE OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS LABORATORIES, MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION OF QUARRIES, AND PROVISION OF SITE INVESTIGATION, TERRA IN EVALUATION, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND GEOTECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES.

DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS, A LARGE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS PROVIDING IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR THOSE CONCERNED WITH PLANNING, LAND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND QUARRYING WILL BE PUBLISHED FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC.

MORE IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS ARE THE SERIES OF NEW GEOLOGICAL MAPS WITH SIX ACCOMPANYING MEMOIRS AND THE SERIES OF GEOTECHNICAL AREA STUDY PROGRAMME REPORTS.

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