ENG-1987 — Page 198

HOUSING

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the government's agent, spent $626.7 million on the construction of flats for sale under the HOS.

Construction

The Housing Authority produced 29 900 flats in 1987, comprising rental, HOS and PSPS units. This achievement is in line with the government's new housing strategy in which the authority is committed to producing 232 000 flats in the first five-year development period from 1985 to 1990, comprising 162 000 public rental flats, 65 000 Home Ownership and Private Sector Participation Scheme flats and 5 000 flats earmarked for possible transfer from rental housing to home ownership. The authority is also planning to produce a further 215 000 flats and 162 000 flats in the second and third five-year development periods respectively, taking production up to the year 2001. The scale and type of production will be reviewed periodically in response to actual demand.

Twenty-eight building contracts, with a total value of $4,500 million, were let in 1987 and 60 per cent of these contracts have specified the use of panel formwork construction systems under the 'Large Panel Formwork Programme'. Since its introduction last year, this programme has expanded rapidly and the practice has succeeded in upgrading the quality of workmanship and is now widely accepted by contractors. It is intended to expand this programme further, not only to maintain and improve standards, but also to encourage more mechanisation in an industry which is still very labour-intensive. In the year, some contractors experienced difficulty in meeting contract completion dates due to labour shortages.

With a view to improving the efficiency of its own workforce, the Construction Branch of the authority has doubled the number of work stations in its Computer Aided Draughting and Design System and is increasing the number of projects designed on the computer. Furthermore, a Central Project Monitoring System (CPMS) has been installed to stream- line the monitoring of production and programme data for each project.

Urban Housing

On Hong Kong Island, work has started on one of the biggest site formations under- taken by the authority, involving the excavation of more than 3 000 000 cubic metres of material at Shau Kei Wan East. When completed, this site will provide 5 564 rental flats. Site formation for Kellett Bay Phase 1 was completed during the year and Phase 2 is on schedule for completion in 1988. Together, the two phases will provide 3 060 rental and 1 400 HOS flats.

Following completion of site formation works at Siu Sai Wan, construction for Phases 1 and 2 of an estate is progressing well and, when completed in 1989, will provide 4 094 rental and 660 HOS flats. The final phase of Lei Tung Estate on Ap Lei Chau, comprising 3 248 rental flats, was completed. Also completed was the PSPS project, Kornhill Court, providing 2 180 flats for sale.

In Central Kowloon, 3 256 rental flats in Phase 4 of Chuk Yuen Estate were completed. Construction work on Phase 1 of another estate at Diamond Hill North has started and the site formation for the remaining Phases 2 and 3 will be completed in 1988. The whole estate, comprising 5 476 rental flats, is scheduled for completion in 1990-1.

In West Kowloon, 378 HOS flats in Po Lai Court, constructed on top of an Urban Council market in Po On Road, Sham Shui Po, were completed.

In East Kowloon, Phase 2 of an estate in Lam Tin and Phase 1 of the nearby Hong Wah Court were both completed, providing 2 448 rental and 1 680 HOS flats respectively. Site