ENG-1970 — Page 148

LAND AND HOUSING

113

The popular folded "Tourist' map of the Colony, which was re- printed in 1969, was hurriedly revised towards the end of 1970 at the request of the Government Printer, whose stocks were running low. The map is now being completely re-designed and a new edition will be published in 1971.

A new Colony map at 1:100,000 scale was published by the Directorate of Military Surveys in Singapore, based on the new 1:10,000 series. Arrangements were made to put this map on sale through the Publications Centre as well as at local bookshops.

Aerial photography continued for the first half of the year and during that period photographs taken were used by the mapping contractors to plot large-scale contoured plans of the 'borrow' areas at Texaco Peninsula, Kwai Chung and on Tsing Yi Island which are to be used for reclamation of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal. Other air photographs taken with the department's camera installed in the HKAAF Auster aircraft were used to map areas in the north of the New Territories at 1:1,200 scale. Unfor- tunately, the Auster aircraft modified to carry the aerial camera crashed into the sea off Kai Tak in early June and the camera, which was salvaged, has been sent to England to ascertain whether it can be repaired.

TOWN PLANNING

Since 1953 plans have been prepared for the 39 planning areas which make up the main urbanised portion of the Colony and for 13 towns of various sizes in the New Territories. These plans are of two types: statutory plans prepared under the Town Planning Ordinance; and outline development and detailed layout plans which are used as a guide in the sale of Crown land and the re- development of private land but which have no statutory effect.

The Town Planning Board constituted under the Town Planning Ordinance comprises seven official and three unofficial members. Plans of areas where development is likely to affect private land or interests are prepared on the instructions of the Governor under the board's direction. Statutory plans for 21 planning areas have been approved; of these, eight have been referred back to the Town Planning Board for amendment or replacement; a further 12 draft plans are under preparation.