ENG-1988 — Page 231

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대물

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Land, Public Works and Utilities

THE primary objectives of the Hong Kong Government's lands and works policies are to ensure an adequate supply of land to meet the short-term and long-term needs of both the public and private sectors, to optimise the use of land within the framework of land use zoning and development plans and to ensure co-ordinated development in infrastructure and buildings..

Policy responsibility for land, public works and private development rests with the Secretary for Lands and Works who heads a branch which, in addition to its policy functions, monitors the performance of seven departments in the Lands and Works group. These are the Architectural Services, Buildings and Lands, Civil Engineering Services, Electrical and Mechanical Services, Highways, Territory Development and Water Supplies Departments. From November 1, 1988, the policy responsibility for environmental protection and pollution control was transferred from the Health and Welfare Branch to the Lands and Works Branch. The Secretary for Lands and Works is the Chairman of the Town Planning Board and the Development Progress Committee, which is responsible, among other things, for considering and approving detailed planning briefs and planning layouts for development areas in accordance with standards laid down by the Land Development Policy Committee. The Land Development Policy Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the physical develop- ment of the territory, and for approving, in principle, all major proposals affecting the development or planned use of land.

Public Works and Development

To cope with Hong Kong's future development, the government continues to invest heavily in capital works. In 1988-9, funds allocated for capital works amounted to $6,759 million, about 12 per cent of the total approved expenditure for the period. About 50 per cent of the provision was for civil engineering, environmental protection and highways projects. About 22 per cent of the provision was for building items and eight per cent for waterworks. Of the total investment in capital works for 1988–9, 44 per cent was for projects in new towns and new urban development areas. In addition $2,025 million was allocated for acquisition of land for public works projects, including the clearance of Phase I of the Kowloon Walled City.

Momentum in new town development was also maintained in 1988 with the decision, in principle, that a further phase of Junk Bay New Town development should proceed to bring the design population of the new town to about 440 000. A detailed feasibility study is expected to be completed in late 1989. Junk Bay will also be the location of Hong Kong's third industrial estate.