ENG-1975 — Page 126

LAND AND HOUSING

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to be acquired. Some 30 properties, mostly pre-war, were demolished during the year and the domestic tenants requiring alternative accommodation were rehoused. Com- pensation of more than $10 million for 67 properties was paid during the financial year 1974-5. A new road planned to link Hollywood Road to Queen's Road in Central will permit the development of several attractive commercial/residential sites which it is hoped to offer for sale by auction early in 1976.

Further progress has been made in acquiring properties for the provision of open spaces as well as government, institutional and community facilities in the densely populated areas of Western District, Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei. Some 60 properties were acquired by negotiation at a cost of a little more than $35 million during the financial year 1974–5. Although financial considerations have precluded a resumption programme to ensure the orderly provision of project sites, negotiations are continuing with those owners who wish to dispose of their properties which are affected by the outline zoning plans concerned.

Acquisition for Public Purposes

In order that public works projects may go ahead, it is often necessary to acquire privately held land, sometimes compulsorily. During the financial year 1974–5, compensation boards awarded more than $24 million in compensation. Where prop- erties front established roads which are subject to road widening lines, these are implemented as and when the individual properties are redeveloped, often by nego- tiated surrenders. During 1974–5, compensation paid for such acquisitions exceeded $11 million although in many cases a free surrender was obtained.

In December 1974 the Lands Tribunal Ordinance came into operation, providing for the establishment of a permanent tribunal to adjudicate on all statutory claims for compensation in respect of land. Other ordinances have been amended to adapt procedures to the new tribunal. The Mass Transit (Land Resumption and Related Provisions) Ordinance was also enacted at the end of 1974 to meet the special land acquisition needs of the mass transit railway. Claims under this ordinance will also be adjudicated by the new Lands Tribunal.

Survey

The survey branch of the Crown Lands and Survey Office in the Public Works Department is responsible for the mapping of Hong Kong and the delineation and physical marking of boundaries of lots, and for providing a network of trigonometrical stations and bench marks upon which all land and engineering surveys are based.

Of the two aerial survey contracts awarded in 1974, one was terminated in July 1975 while the other was renewed for a further six months-so retaining an air survey capability until the new photogrammetric unit of the Public Works Department is in operation. During 1974–5, the two contractors completed 60 projects covering some 5000 hectares of large scale mapping. Installation of the equipment for the photogrammetric unit is expected to be completed early in 1976.

A system of permanent urban survey marks covering the entire urban area of Hong Kong and Kowloon was implemented in 1975. The resurvey of the special