ENG-1996 — Page 278

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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Department through either agent departments or consultants. Construction of the downstream and mid-stream sections of the main drainage channel for Yuen Long and Kam Tin are progressing satisfactorily. Other drainage channel works in Yuen Long, Kam Tin and Ngau Tam Mei areas are under planning. The village flood protection works at Sha Po Tsuen, Pok Wai and San Tin Villages are also being planned.

Building Development

The Private Sector

Private building development underwent another year of consolidation in 1996. The number of building plan submissions decreased from 14 899 in 1995 to 13 340 in 1996, and 1000 buildings with a total floor area of 3.2 million square metres were completed at a cost of $28.08 billion. This compared with 1 090 buildings with a total floor area of 3.8 million square metres built at a cost of $29.55 billion in 1995.

Private sector activity continued to include redevelopment of existing sites, alterations and additions to existing buildings, and, to a lesser extent, new developments. Measures taken by the Buildings Department to encourage hotel development had a significant effect on an earlier trend towards replacing hotels with office buildings.

The department has been increasingly involved with the extensive building works associated with Chek Lap Kok New Airport, including the 490 000 square metre Passenger Terminal Building, the Ground Transportation Centre and the Air Cargo Terminal.

New legislation came into effect on February 1, 1996, empowering the Building Authority to ban hand-dug caisson operations for the protection of workers' health and safety. The authority would approve hand-dug caisson works only under special circumstances. In 1996, it approved three out of a total of 26 applications. A special site monitoring task force was set up to enhance the safety of construction and demolition sites in the private sector. Its regular inspections effectively enhanced site safety.

The Buildings Ordinance was amended in 1996, to improve the registration systems of authorised persons, registered structural engineers and contractors, and to require the preparation of a supervision plan for dangerous and potentially dangerous building works and sites. The plan sets out the supervision duties of different parties involved and the degree of supervision at different levels of responsibilities.

The Buildings Department completed the planned survey of 16 700 private buildings initiated in 1989 and 6 187 statutory orders were served, requiring certain buildings to be repaired or demolished. The consultancy study on the 1946–58 age group buildings was completed. The characteristics and trends of deterioration were assessed and recommendations on the future inspection strategy made. A programme of inspection to implement the recommendations started in July. A consultancy study on the 1959-80 age group buildings started in September, and is expected to take two years. It will provide useful information for mapping out a strategy to ensure proper building repair and maintenance.

After several landslide incidents in recent years, the Buildings Department set up a dedicated team to monitor private slope safety in tandem with the accelerated