ENG-1968 — Page 184

LAND AND HOUSING

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Crown land, mainly for industrial purposes. Following this trend more applications for modification of leases were received and more lessees of expiring 75-year non-renewable leases were willing to pay re-grant premium and take up new leases. As a result, there was an increase in the volume of cases dealt with.

Revenue from land transactions in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon during the financial year 1967-8, totalled approx- imately $31,932,000, made up as follows: about $9,671,000 from nine sales by auction and tender; $14,882,000 from private treaty sales; $1,269,000 from modifications of lease conditions, extensions, and exchanges; and $4,770,000 from re-grants of expired 75-year leases. Revenue from land transactions in the New Territories during the same period was $11,854,000. Where it is not possible to dispose of land immediately, either because public utilities and other services are not yet available, or the site has been set aside for some future purpose, the land is rarely left vacant, but may be occupied either on temporary annual permit or on short-term tenancy. The 1967–8 revenue from this type of tenure was approx- imately $6,371,000 in the urban area and $1,321,000 in the New Territories (the last figure includes modification of tenancy fees). As permanent development continues, permits are cancelled and the number decreases year by year, although this does not apply to short-term tenancies. Revenue derived in rent from government- owned buildings totalled $4,452,000.

SURVEYS

Land Survey in the Colony serves two main roles: the delineation of town planning layouts, boundaries of private lots, government sites, etc, and the production of plans and maps.

Plans at the very large scale of 50 feet to one inch are now available for the whole of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon and most of these can be supplied with contours at five feet vertical interval. Over half of the 700 sheets involved have been supplied under the air survey mapping contract with Hunting Surveys Ltd which commenced in 1963.

This contract is still producing plans of the New Territories at a scale of 100 feet to one inch with contours at vertical intervals of 10 feet. Over 700 sheets cover the New Territories and by the