ENG-1978 — Page 153

HOUSING AND LAND

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private property and private rights. Provision is also contained in these ordinances for disagreement over compensation to be referred to the Lands Tribunal. The Streets (Alteration) Ordinance is being amended with a view to introducing a 'notice of intention to claim' procedure. This will enable people to make a more accurate estimate of their alleged losses once an undertaking has been completed.

During the year, $9.2 million was paid in compensation for land and buildings required for government projects in the urban areas, excluding urban renewal and environmental improvement acquisition work. About 180 hectares of private land were also resumed for the implementation of new town layouts and public works projects in the New Territories.

In November, 1977, the Governor set up the Working Group on New Territories Urban Land Acquisition to examine land resumption methods in the New Territories. The working group submitted a report to the government on April 20, 1978, proposing, inter alia, changes in the Letter B exchange system and compensation rates. In general, the recommendations were accepted by the government and the new compensation terms were announced on July 14, 1978. Certain other recommendations made by the working group are being further studied by the government.

Survey

The Survey Branch of the Crown Lands and Survey Office provides a network of trigonometrical stations and bench marks upon which all land and engineering surveys are based, and for the mapping of Hong Kong and the delineation and physical marking of boundaries of lots.

Production from the Photogrammetric Unit increased during the year, following the introduction of a fifth plotting machine and an increase in the number of staff. However the demand for detailed survey plots, especially for engineering purposes, plus the requirement for terrestrial photogrammetric plotting in connection with the Geotechnical Control Office's studies, have led to a request for funds to purchase a sixth plotting machine. Consideration is also being given to increasing the output of the unit through a computerised system.

Aerial photography for photogrammetric plotting purposes, engineering and environmental studies continued to be supplied by the Air Survey Unit. Use was made of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force's Islander aircraft in which air survey equipment is mounted.

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Following a detailed assessment of the requirements for a more precise control system throughout Hong Kong especially in connection with some of the major engineering projects envisaged it was decided to re-observe the entire primary trigonometrical network, with subsequent breakdown to the second order network. A trilateration system involving the precise measurement of the lines between intervisible trigonometrical stations was employed. The trilateration scheme was completed late in the year, and the results are expected to be computed early in 1979, The demand for boundary surveys increased during the year. Title surveys are be- coming more complex as the density of development increases, particularly in the New Territories where a great problem exists regarding agreement on common boundaries between adjoining owners.