XN000022-1994-06-09 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994

THEY DON'T

THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. MR ERIC LI:

MR GOVERNOR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION, THAT IS, REGARDING LAND SUPPLY FOR PRIVATE HOUSING BLOCKS.

THE NOW, I UNDERSTAND FROM MY COLLEAGUES IN ACCOUNTANT FIELD THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY SHORTAGE OF LAND SUPPLY IN THE SHORT TERM BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MEDIUM TERM AND THE LONG TERM? THEY AREN'T TOO CLEAR ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF LAND TO BE RELEASED BECAUSE

GOT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THEY HAVEN'T HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF LAND. NOW, IT SEEMS THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ABOUT THE LAND SUPPLY IN THE COMING THREE YEARS? SAY FOR EXAMPLE, LOCATION AND ALSO THE TIME FOR AUCTION? I THINK THEY NEED SUCH CONCRETE DETAILS BEFORE THEY HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN LAND SUPPLY AND THAT WOULD ALSO FACILITATE THEIR MAKING EARLIER DECISIONS AND SEE

EARLIER COMPLETION OF THE HOUSING BLOCKS. AN

THE SO, CAN

GOVERNOR TELL US WHEN SUCH DETAILS CAN BE DISCLOSED?

WHAT THE

BR

AND AFTER DISCLOSING THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE TO CARE ABOUT (TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION) THE PLANNING AND THE PROCESSING TIME. NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF THE NEW SITES WILL BE LOCATED IN THE NEW TOWNS AND USUALLY THE NEW SITES HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY UTILISED; THAT IS, THEY ARE NOT SORT OF UTILISED UP TO THEIR DESIGN CAPACITY. BUT THEN IN CHAPTER 5 IT TALKS ABOUT A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS, ENVIRONMENTAL, INFRASTRUCTURAL CAPACITY, ETC, ETC, AND SO IT WILL VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE LAND TO BE SUPPLIED AT A FASTER PACE. 30 I JUST WONDER WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT CAN DEVISE CERTAIN STATUTORY TIME LIMITS AND WHETHER THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED CAN TAKE OUT PERFORMANCE PLEDGES TO MAKE SURE THAT APPLICANTS WILL KNOW ABOUT THE TIME LIMITS SO THAT THE TIME LIMITS FOR APPLICATIONS WILL BE BINDING ON BOTH THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPERS. BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT THE GOVERNMENT IS REQUIRING DEVELOPERS TO ADHERE TO CERTAIN STRICT TIMETABLES BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS? MAYBE AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE PRODUCTION READY, MAYBE WE WILL BE TRYING TO SHIRK THE RESPONSIBILITY TO EACH OTHER.

TWO BRIEF RESPONSES.

GOVERNOR:

FIRST OF ALL, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS WHOLLY CORRECT IN EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF GREATER PUBLICITY AND GREATER INFORMATION NOT ONLY FOR DEVELOPERS BUT, I THINK EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, FOR POTENTIAL PURCHASERS AS WELL, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE EMPHASISED IN OUR PROPOSALS. WE ARE, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW, SUGGESTING THAT WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL, 70 HECTARES IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEW HOUSING TARGETS THAT WE HAVE SET.

BUT I THINK THAT A PROPOSAL WHICH IS FOR THE LONGER TERM JUST AS IMPORTANT AND I THINK IS GOING TO BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR, IS THE SUGGESTION THAT WE SHOULD ESTABLISH A LAND BANK OF ABOUT 50 HECTARES WITH PREPARED LAND AVAILABLE IN CASE OF NEED BEYOND 1997. I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION AND SHOWS, I THINK, THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE ARE AWARE OF THE LONG TERM NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER ALL, SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE NOW ARE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT ON INVESTMENT IN HOUSING IN 1989 AND 1990, WITH THE MORE RECENT IMPACT ON SUPPLY.

/ON THE