ENG-2002 — Page 258

CHAPTER 12

Land, Public Works and Utilities

Major studies have been undertaken with the aim of setting out a long- term strategy for land use and infrastructure development in Hong Kong as well as to enhance synergy with the Pearl River Delta. These initiatives will serve as a blueprint for building on the fine record of accomplishment in the extensive Public Works Programme. With an excellent track record of having constructed nine new towns that now house about 45 per cent of the population, the Government has plans to undertake new projects and to implement an urban renewal programme in older areas. Emphasis is placed on sustainable development, and people's well-being.

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TO meet the needs of the community and sustain Hong Kong's position as a world city in Asia, the Government is committed to maintaining a robust investment in building new infrastructure and improving existing facilities. It will spend about $28 billion on capital works in 2002-03. In the next few years, the Government will maintain an average annual capital works expenditure of about $29 billion. To facilitate Hong Kong's ceaseless growth, the Government will continue to coordinate cross-boundary infrastructure development with the Mainland authorities.

Government works projects are implemented by the Works Departments under the Public Works Programme (PWP). During the project planning stage, the construction costs, social costs and other intangible costs as well as possible revenues to be generated are taken into account in deciding the best option for implementation. During the construction stage, the progress and expenditure levels of each project are monitored closely through regular review reports and meetings to ensure that the projects are delivered on schedule, within budget and in a cost-effective manner.

In order to help boost the economy through creating job opportunities, the expenditure on minor works to improve various public facilities has been increased and the implementation of PWP projects is fast-tracked. The lead-time from inception to commencement of construction of a capital works project has been substantially shortened by simplifying the administrative requirements, compressing the duration of stages and procedures and taking parallel actions between critical activities as far as practicable. As a result, the overall pre-construction period of a typical engineering project can be reduced from six years to less than four years.

To sustain continuous improvement in site safety and to promote a safety culture across the construction industry, two safety initiatives were implemented in 2002 to