ENG-2014 — Page 231

Chapter 12

Planning, Land and Infrastructure

To maintain Hong Kong as a world-class city, the government continues to invest in infrastructure, promote development and enrich the city's living environment through land-use planning, urban renewal, greening, and heritage conservation.

Organisational Framework

The Development Bureau consists of two policy branches: Planning and Lands Branch, and Works Branch.

The Planning and Lands Branch is responsible for policy governing planning, development, land use and supply, urban renewal, building safety and land registration. Its policy objectives are to facilitate Hong Kong's continual development through effective planning and use of land, a steady and sufficient supply of land, efficient registration of land, promoting and ensuring building safety and timely maintenance, and expediting urban renewal.

The Works Branch is responsible for formulating public works policies and co-ordinating and monitoring the implementation of public works projects. It also takes charge of policy matters concerning increasing land supply through reclamation outside the Victoria Harbour and rock cavern development, developing a new core business district in Kowloon East, greening and tree management, water supply, slope safety, lifts and escalators safety, flood prevention, promotion of professional services, construction manpower resources, workers' registration as well as heritage conservation.

The Development Bureau oversees the departments of Architectural Services, Buildings, Civil Engineering and Development, Drainage Services, Electrical and Mechanical Services, Lands, Planning, and Water Supplies, as well as the Land Registry which helps co-ordination and the resolution of inter-departmental issues relating to infrastructure development at an early stage. The bureau also provides policy guidance to government departments on greening, landscape and tree management and is responsible for the government's heritage conservation work and striking a balance between development and conservation. The government's heritage conservation policy and initiatives, drawn up in response to public aspirations, aim to facilitate active public involvement in protecting Hong Kong's heritage.

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