ENG-1981 — Page 171

HOUSING AND LAND

Land

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The formulation of overall targets for the production and sale of land is the responsibility of the Special Committee on Land Supply. As an extension of the work of this committee, a land disposal sub-committee formulates and monitors a land sales programme. Specific sites are identified and collated in the Crown Lands and Survey Office of the Public Works Department and by the City and New Territories Administration.

Administration

Land administration on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and New Kowloon is the responsibility of the Director of Public Works, who also is the Building Authority and the chairman of the Town Planning Board. The Land and Valuation branches of the Crown Lands and Survey Office of the Public Works Department are responsible for carrying out land sales, land and property valuations, land acquisition, estate management and clearance services. The staff of professional officers also records and analyses all sales and lettings in the territory's urban areas, to monitor market trends and factors affecting the value of land and buildings.

The Secretary for the City and New Territories Administration is responsible for land administration in the New Territories. His supporting staff comprises professional officers seconded from the Crown Lands and Survey Office, assisted by his own departmental staff.

Policy

All land in Hong Kong is owned by the Crown, which sells or grants leasehold interests. In the early days, Crown leases were for terms of 75, 99 or 999 years. They have now been standardised in the urban areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon to a term of 75 years, usually renewable for a further 75 years at a reassessed Crown rent under the provisions of the Crown Leases Ordinance. Crown leases for land in the New Territories and New Kowloon are normally sold for the residue of a term of 99 years less that last three days from July 1, 1898, and therefore terminate three days before the expiry of the lease from China.

The government's land policy is to optimise the use of land within the framework of land use zoning and development plans. Most land available for commercial, industrial or residential (other than public housing) development in the urban areas is sold by public auction or tender. Regular auctions are held by the government and a six-monthly provisional Crown land sales forecast is published twice a year. In the towns of the New Territories, however, where much of the development land has to be resumed, a high proportion of development land is disposed of by tender to holders of land exchange entitlements.

Leases for certain special purposes, which have particular site requirements or other factors which would make a public auction inappropriate, are offered for sale by public tender. These special purposes include capital-intensive industries (which introduce higher technology and more technological skills into Hong Kong), which could not be appropri- ately housed in multi-storey buildings. Such sales are initiated only in response to formal applications and in certain circumstances may be concluded by private treaty, subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Council.

The programme of redevelopment of sites occupied by government staff quarters continued with sites being disposed of by way of joint venture with the private sector. A total of 328 government quarters, together with about 240 flats for the private sector, will be provided on sites sold during 1981. Nine sites were also sold to meet the heavy demand of high class housing.