ENG-2005 — Page 279

Land, Public Works and Utilities | 233

To raise community awareness of UBWs as a liability, the department issued 2 184 statutory warning notices registrable against property title in respect of those UBWs not subject to immediate removal action. In a bid to stop new UBWs, special outsourced patrol teams have been commissioned by the Buildings Department to inspect UBWs under construction within 48 hours in response to community reports. During the year, the department handled 3 520 reported cases.

Under the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance, joint inspections by the Buildings Department and the Fire Services Department were made to improve fire safety in prescribed commercial premises banks, betting centers, jewellery shops, shopping arcades and supermarkets and specified commercial buildings built before 1987. Some 190 prescribed premises were issued with 219 Fire Safety Directions and 3 339 Fire Safety Improvement Directions were issued to 148 specified buildings, requiring the owners to upgrade fire safety standards and facilities.

Since November 2002, a total of 550 buildings have been selected for action. under the Coordinated Maintenance of Buildings Scheme. Owners of 436 buildings have been motivated to take up their maintenance responsibilities. As a result, repair or other improvement works were completed in 307 buildings. The modus operandi of the operation was modified in 2005 by enlisting the assistance of the Hong Kong Housing Society to provide better management and technical support to owners. A total of 150 buildings were selected for action under the modified scheme in 2005. With the support provided by HKHS, owners of 33 buildings were motivated to take up their maintenance responsibilities.

The Buildings Department began a comprehensive review of the Buildings Ordinance and its regulations in 2000. As a result of the review and subsequent legislative exercise, the Buildings (Amendment) Bill 2003 was enacted in July 2004 to strengthen safety requirements, facilitate law enforcement, and improve service to the public. Among the new provisions, those involving warning notices against UBWS, mandatory provision of emergency vehicular access in new buildings, statutory registration of geotechnical engineers and the increase in fines for serious offences under the Buildings Ordinance came into operation in December 2004. The remaining provision requiring the appointment of registered geotechnical engineers for the geotechnical elements of building works or street works became effective in December 2005. In addition, by the end of the year, the Buildings Department was at the final stage of a consultation with the industry on formulating a simplified control regime for carrying out minor building works that do not require planning approval. Legislative amendments to implement this minor works control regime will be introduced into the Legislative Council in due course.

The Buildings Department also issued more revised codes of practice during the year. The Code of Practice for the Structural Use of Steel provides updated technical guidance for building design standards, while the revised Technical Memorandum for Supervision Plans and the revised Code of Practice for Site Supervision integrate under a single supervision system the different Buildings Ordinance requirements on site safety and supervision for the quality of building works.