ENG-2002 — Page 280

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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It provides conveyancing services to The Financial Secretary Incorporated for the extension of non-renewable leases, The Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated for the purchase of accommodation for welfare purposes in private developments and other government departments in relation to certain loan schemes.

The office is also responsible for processing applications for the sale of units in uncompleted developments that are subject to the Lands Department Consent Scheme and for the approval of Deeds of Mutual Covenant which, among other things, set out the rights and obligations between the manager and co-owners of a development.

During the year, 56 applications for the sale of units in uncompleted developments, involving 40 883 residential units, and 66 Deeds of Mutual Covenant were approved.

Survey and Mapping

The Survey and Mapping Office (SMO) is responsible for the provision of various up- to-date maps for the Government to support the rapid and intensive land and infrastructure development of Hong Kong. In particular, it provides survey and mapping services to the Lands Department for land administrative activities, such as land disposal, lease modifications and land resumptions. The office is also responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the geodetic network, provision of aerial survey and photogrammetric services, and the provision of an up-to-date map at various scales. It is delegated with the authority for organising and coordinating the naming of geographical places and streets throughout the HKSAR.

The SMO has established a Territorial Continuous Global Positioning System Array (TCGPSA) for Hong Kong to improve survey work efficiency. The system provides data that enables positioning measurements to achieve a high degree of accuracy. During the first phase of the TCGPSA, six GPS reference stations have been set up in the north-western New Territories. The second phase, in which the remaining six GPS reference stations covering the rest of the region are being set, is being implemented. When the system is fully operational, it will enhance many of the land and engineering survey operations, thereby generating substantial savings in manpower resources and equipment costs as well as in operation time.

The office's Legislation Section assists the Land Survey Authority to administer the Land Survey Ordinance. The ordinance provides for the registration and discipline of Authorised Land Surveyors engaged in land boundary surveys, control of the standards of land boundary surveys, and establishment and maintenance of land boundary records.

The SMO has established a Computerised Land Information System for maintaining different types of up-to-date digital map databases that cover the region. These map databases contain the graphic map feature with attribute information. Many utility companies, engineering consultants, computing system consultants and education institutes are using the digital maps provided by the office as a common graphical base and reference for various purposes, such as automated mapping, facilities management, customer support and geographical information systems.

In order to help the business sector benefit from the availability of the digital maps, the SMO issues licences to permit business operators to use the data for various business applications. In addition, with the Internet Map Permittee licence, private enterprises can develop and deliver map or location-based applications at their websites, such as search for places of interest, finding routes, and performing