ENG-2013 — Page 241

Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation

one site for high-tier data centre and two petrol filling stations (covering a total area of about 38.41 hectares) were sold for about $65 billion.

For leased land, lessees (commonly known as 'private landowners) who wish to change the terms of their existing leases (for instance, to redevelop in accordance with the prevailing town plan) may apply to the Lands Department for a lease modification or land exchange. Such applications are considered by the department acting as a private landlord. Approvals, if granted, are subject to terms and conditions, which may include the payment of premiums and administrative fees. In 2013, 89 lease modification and land exchange transactions were concluded, involving an area of about 107.37 hectares of land and land premiums amounting to about $5.81 billion.

Land Management and Lease Enforcement

The Lands Department currently manages 477 properties which have reverted to government ownership through surrender, lease expiry, re-entry, and other similar actions. During the year, 21 properties were taken over for management by the department and 16 were duly disposed of.

The department keeps a register of man-made slopes and is responsible for the maintenance and safety of about 20,000 of them. The department inspects these slopes regularly with the help of consultants and in 2013 routine maintenance works were carried out on 6,940 slopes and stabilisation work on 180 slopes. The department's website provides information about the responsibility for maintenance of registered slopes.

The Lands Department administers a 'Small House Policy' for indigenous villagers in the New Territories and approves the rebuilding of old village houses. In 2013, 1,011 applications to build. small houses and 343 applications to rebuild old village houses were approved. The department is also responsible for processing rent exemption requisitions for indigenous villagers' rural properties in accordance with the exemption criteria in the Government Rent (Assessment and Collection) Ordinance.

The Lands Department carries out squatter control work and there are about 6,740 surveyed squatter structures in the urban areas and about 384,520 in the New Territories. Under the current policy, these structures are tolerated until they cease to exist or are to be cleared for development, environmental improvement or safety reasons. During the year, 259 illegal structures and extensions were demolished by the Squatter Control Unit.

The Lands Department's Tree Unit provides in-house advice on tree and landscape issues relating to leased land, and on tree maintenance matters relating to the health and structural condition of trees on un-leased and unallocated government land not taken up by other departments. The unit handled 3,650 cases concerning trees and landscape issues on private and government land in 2013.

In 2013, the department handled 10,713 cases of unlawful occupation of government land, of which 7,358 cases required site clearance, and 969 cases of breaches of lease conditions.

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