ENG-2005 — Page 284

238 | Land, Public Works and Utilities

System whereby interested parties make guaranteed bids for sites on the Application List in order to trigger an auction or tender. This land sale mechanism was significantly enhanced during the year with the introduction in March and June of various measures which resulted in a 30 per cent reduction in processing time. The deposit requirement has also been simplified and a bid equivalent to a minimum of only 80 per cent of the assessed market value of the site is now accepted as a trigger to initiate the sale process.

During the year, three housing sites (with a total area of 2.80 hectares), one commercial site (with an area of 0.47 hectares) and six sites for petrol filling stations (with a total area of 0.49 hectares) were sold at a total premium amounting to $12.49 billion.

In addition to land supply from the Government, existing privately held land leases may be amended, normally at a premium, on lease-holders' initiatives to provide for a more intensive or different type of development in accordance with the prevailing planning intentions. These amendments are effected by either lease. modification or land exchange. Other exchanges of land may be entered into by the Government for various reasons such as the rectification of lot boundaries. During the year, 88 lease modification and land exchange transactions were concluded, involving a total of 285.68 hectares.

Land Management and Lease Enforcement

The Lands Department manages properties which have reverted to government ownership through voluntary surrender, resumption, expiry of government leases, and re-entry or vesting actions under various ordinances. During the year, 37 new properties were taken over for management and 15 properties were disposed of, making a cumulative total of 465.

The department's investigation into the identity of those who are responsible for the maintenance of registered man-made slopes is an ongoing exercise carried out using the slope registration system maintained by the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering and Development Department. The results of these investigations are contained in a Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information System which is published on the Lands Department website so that members of the public can find out who is responsible for the maintenance of any specific registered man-made slopes.

The Lands Department is responsible for maintaining about 17 500 man-made slopes. The Slope Maintenance Section of the Lands Department, with the assistance of private consultants, carries out regular inspections of these slopes and employs contractors to undertake routine

undertake routine maintenance works and, where required, stabilisation works. The works are prioritised according to the level of risk posed to life and properties in the event of landslides. During 2005, routine work was carried out on 6 600 slopes and stabilisation work on 131 slopes.

The Lands Department administers the Small House Policy for indigenous villagers in the New Territories. District Lands Offices grant indigenous villagers