ENG-1960 — Page 188

10

Land and Housing

LAND

Land Tenure. All land in Hong Kong is owned by the Crown. In the early days of the Colony, Crown leases were granted for 75, 99 or 999 years. Nowadays, except in the New Territories, they are granted for 75 years, renewable for a further 75 years at a re- assessed Crown rent. Crown Leases for New Territories lands are now normally granted for a period of 99 years, less three days, from 1st July 1898, and therefore terminate three days before the expiry of the period of the lease from China.

Land administration in Hong Kong and Kowloon is the respon- sibility of the Director of Public Works, who is both Building Authority and Chairman of the Town Planning Board. The Director also deals with that part of the New Territories between Boundary Street and the Kowloon hills which is called - New Kowloon. The District Commissioner is responsible for land administration throughout the rest of the New Territories. All Crown land grants and all private land transactions are recorded for Hong Kong and Kowloon in the Registrar General's Depart- ment, and for the New Territories, with the exception of certain Inland Lots, in the District-Offices. The Inland Lots in the New Territories cover the majority of the built-up parts of New Kowloon, and deeds relating to them are recorded with the Registrar General.

The principal laws on the development and use of land are contained in the Buildings Ordinance, the Town Planning Ordin- ance and the New Territories Ordinance.

Land Policy. The Government's basic policy is to sell leases to the highest bidder at public auction: all land available to the general public for commercial and industrial purposes and for residential sites is sold in this way. Land required for special housing projects (described later in this Chapter), for public utilities, schools, clinics and other charitable purposes is usually