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In the other form, the fireworks will be discharged from barges positioned to the north of the bridge.

Various supporting activities in connection with the fireworks display are being co-ordinated by NAPCO, with the assistance of other government departments, including the Home Affairs Department, Marine Department, the Police, and the Transport Department.

An interdepartmental working group has been working on arrangements for crowd control, traffic and public transport for the display, which is expected to attract large numbers of spectators.

It is envisaged that the section of Castle Peak Road between Ting Kau and Sham Tseng and the nearby beaches are places where large crowds are expected to congregate. The current plan is to pedestrianise a section of Castle Peak Road which will lead to a series of traffic diversions and road closures on the day of the event.

Details of these arrangements will be announced later after consultation with the local residents and the relevant District Boards.

End

Land Registry statistics for February released

A total of 16,979 sale and purchase agreements for building units, including residential and non-residential properties, were lodged with the Land Registry last month (February).

The figure represented a decrease of 13.9 per cent from January this year and an increase of 85.1 per cent over February last year.

The total consideration of these agreements in the month was $73.5 billion, down 15.1 per cent but up 182.4 per cent respectively when compared with the amounts for January 1997 and February last year.

The figures were contained in the monthly statistics released today (Tuesday) by the Land Registry on deeds relating to property transactions received for registration in the Urban and New Territories Land Registries in February 1997.