XN000022-1992-05-27 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1992

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SPEL ON LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

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FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT

(WEDNESDAY):

MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT,

THE

THE ADMINISTRATION IS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO BALANCE WIDER COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF URBAN RENEWAL WITH THE INTERESTS OF THOSE WHOSE PROPERTIES, BUSINESSES AND HOMES ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IT. THIS CONCERN GUIDED OUR APPROACH IN CREATING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND DEVISING THE INTRICATE STATUTORY PROCESSES WHICH GOVERN ITS OPERATIONS, SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN STRIKING THIS BALANCE HAVE BEEN TOUCHED UPON BY MEMBERS TODAY.

URBAN RENEWAL IS NOT NEW TO HONG KONG. INDEED IT IS AN ACTIVITY WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY YEARS LARGELY THROUGH THE OPERATION OF MARKET FORCES AND THE INITIATIVES OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR. AN EXTENSIVE PILOT SCHEME CARRIED OUT ON HONG KONG ISLAND IN THE 1960'S AND 70'S SHOWED US HOW SLOW AND CUMBERSOME THE PROCESS BECOMES WHEN CONDUCTED THROUGH A FORMAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME COMPETING WITH OTHER PRIORITIES FOR PUBLIC FUNDS. APART FROM THE RELATIVELY LIMITED SCHEMES UNDERTAKEN BY THE HOUSING SOCIETY, NOTHING FURTHER WAS ATTEMPTED ON A FORMAL BASIS UNTIL, AFTER LENGTHY STUDIES AND CAREFUL PREPARATION OVER A PERIOD OF EIGHT YEARS, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WAS CREATED IN 1988.

URBAN DECAY IS NOT UNIQUE TO HONG KONG. IT AFFECTS MATURE CITIES EVERYWHERE AND IS BROUGHT ON BY A COMBINATION OF FACTORS: OVER- RAPID DEVELOPMENT TO OFTEN INADEQUATE STANDARDS IN TERMS OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION; RAPID AND UNCONTROLLED POPULATION INCREASE AND MOVEMENT; FRAGMENTED AND UNCO-ORDINATED PROPERTY OWNERSHIP; AND UNATTRACTIVE REDEVELOPMENT OPTIONS. DECAY IS ALSO SELF-PERPETUATING AND BRINGS ABOUT INTRACTABLE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS IN CITIES.

HONG KONG, LIKE MANY OTHER PLACES THEREFORE, HAVING WRESTLED WITH THESE DIFFICULTIES, DECIDED TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THEM, CHOOSING THE URBAN RENEWAL MECHANISM OF WHICH THE LDC IS AN IMPORTANT PART AS THE MEANS. AND, ALTHOUGH THE SOLUTION ITSELF HAS NOT PROVED TROUBLE FREE, WE MUST PRESS ON,

IMPROVING BY APPLYING THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE AS WE PROCEED. THE ALTERNATIVE IS INACTION AND CONTINUING DETERIORATION IN CONDITIONS IN SOME OF OUR OLDER URBAN AREAS WITH PROSPECT OF REGENERATION.

NO

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LDC WAS INTENDED то DEAL WITH OTHERWISE INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEMS OF LAND ASSEMBLY, WHERE OWNERSHIP IS FRAGMENTED AND ACTS AS A DEAD-HAND ON TIMELY REDEVELOPMENT; AND OF RELOCATING RESIDENTS, WHO WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY IF LEFT TO FIND THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS. THE AIM WAS TO PROVIDE AN AGENCY ABLE то FUND AND IMPLEMENT REDEVELOPMENT SCHEMES ON A LARGER SCALE THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY POSSIBLE. IT ALSO PROVIDED A FOCAL POINT WHERE DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND PRIORITIES IN THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

COORDINATED.

COULD

BE

/THE LAND

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