occupied. The Area Officer then serves notice upon the occupants to vacate and demolish the structure, and if this notice is not complied with within 48 hours he and his squatter patrolmen demolish the structure and confiscate the materials of which it was made.
108. In spite of the efforts of these officers constant attempts are still being made to erect new squatter structures. During the year the squatter patrols were responsible for the demolition of 8,512 new structures or extensions to existing structures, 1,683 of which were rooftop structures. Materials confiscated amounted to approximately 184,172 lbs. of loose wood and 38,188 lbs. of tin sheets. These materials were used to assist squatter victims of fires and similar natural disasters or squatters who were resited by Government.
109. In addition to the prevention of new squatting, the officers of this Division have a number of other duties, of which the most important is to give assistance to the victims of fires in squatter areas. With the clearance of most of the larger and more densely populated squatter areas and the clearance of fire lanes in those remaining, the danger of a major squatter fire has now been reduced. But fires still occur and although they are on a smaller scale they still cause considerable distress to a large number of people.
110. It is not normally possible to offer immediate resettlement to the victims of these fires. The Department works to a programme of clearance and resettlement, planned some months ahead, which is aimed at freeing land for permanent development, and the resettlement of fire victims, which must of necessity be regarded as of secondary importance, can only be introduced into the programme as circumstances permit.
111. In the meantime their immediate needs are met by the officers of the Social Welfare Department. They are registered and given free meals at emergency feeding centres, and in the cold winter months, which is unfortunately the season when fires are most likely to occur, they are also given clothing and blankets donated by voluntary agencies.
112. Whenever possible they are allowed to rebuild their huts on the fire site itself, on individual sites laid out by the Department. When the fire site is likely to be required for permanent development in the near future, or when it is an encroachment on land held on lease from the Crown, the fire victims are offered alternative sites, either on suitable Crown land in the vicinity or, as a last resort, in the streets.
113. The allocation of sites and supervision of the rebuilding of huts are carried out by Area Officers of the Squatter Prevention and Control
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