ENG-1982 — Page 171

HOUSING AND LAND

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Department, was established. This department brings together the former Crown Lands and Survey Office (which previously had responsibility for land matters in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island), and the lands section of the City and New Territories Administration (which previously had responsibility for land matters in the New Territories). The new department also absorbs the Town Planning Division of the former Public Works Department and the Survey Division of the former Crown Lands and Survey Office. In addition, selected staff of the Registrar General's Department (Land Office) are now located in the Lands Department headquarters and most district land offices to serve in an advisory legal capacity. The unified department is therefore in a position to co-ordinate all aspects of land administration - surveying, planning, land sales and development, and legal matters throughout the territory.

In addition to its headquarters, the new department has 12 district lands offices: two on Hong Kong Island, two in Kowloon and eight in the New Territories. As far as possible, the district lands officers are responsible for all aspects of land administration and land sales within their districts in order to expedite the handling of applications and enquiries on all aspects of land and development at the district level. The establishment of district lands offices will also parallel the District Administration Scheme and the setting up of district boards throughout Hong Kong. The district lands officers are members of these boards and are therefore in a position to respond to district needs and the advice of local residents. The existence of a single Land Authority and a unified department will improve the service to the public and to developers; will assist in the co-ordination of land administration policy; and will ensure that Hong Kong's most scarce resource, land, is used in the best possible way.

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 three days from July 1, 1898.

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 (introducing higher technology and more technological skills into Hong Kong) which could not be appro- priately 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 formulation of overall targets for the production and sale of land is the responsibility of the Special Committee on Land Supply, which is advised by the Lands Department and