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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, says the Government must plan to meet the needs of a growing population by providing a stable land supply and a high quality living environment.

In his second Policy Address delivered today (Wednesday), he said the Government would decide early next year whether or not to lift the moratorium on land sales with regard to the need to ensure stability in property market.

"In the longer term, the Government's focus will be on ensuring that we produce sufficient land to be able to meet our needs. This will help to create a land bank which will provide the foundation for a stable market.

"We are pushing ahead with planning and land use studies for Lantau, the Northwest and Northeast New Territories, Hong Kong Island South and Lamma Island. A study on the Southeast New Territories will explore the area's potential as a centre of recreation and tourism.

"In parallel we will review the structure and strategic functions of our inner city, with the focus on devising a mass-transit based development strategy. We will work towards an environmentally-friendly transport system and an efficient land use pattern to create a more balanced distribution of people and jobs," he said.

An extensive study conducted last year of the old built-up areas had shown that there were sites covering a total of 76 hectares which required renewal or rehabilitation. It had also shown that early action needed to be taken to improve areas occupied by some 1,400 old buildings accommodating 35,000 households.

Mr Tung said there was a need to find a way of shortening the time taken to implement urban renewal projects which in some cases took up to 12 years, adding that in the longer term the problem of redeveloping old industrial areas needed to be tackled.

He had asked the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands to formulate an Urban Renewal Strategy which would provide a comprehensive planning framework for urban renewal.

Furthermore, current procedures would be improved so that projects could be carried out more quickly and on a larger scale, he said.

"To help in this regard, we will seek to establish as soon as possible an Urban Renewal Authority with statutory powers to make plans and acquire land more effectively and efficiently.

"Such an Authority must be transparent and accountable in its operation. It must also be able to implement the Urban Renewal Strategy with minimum delay, the aim being to reduce the time taken to complete projects to an average of six years," Mr Tung said.

The initial proposals for an Urban Renewal Strategy are being finalised and the suggested terms of reference, powers and operational guidelines for the new Authority are being drawn up.

"We are also studying how to improve the financial viability of projects, and we shall explore with the Housing Authority how we might seek its assistance in re-housing those affected by the projects," Mr Tung said.

He said the Government aimed to introduce an appropriate bill into the Legislative Council early next year.

On fire safety in private buildings, he said a programme had been drawn up on the issue following public consultation earlier this year.

"We will work first on upgrading fire safety measures in old mixed-use commercial and residential buildings. The Secretary for Security will prepare legislation in 1999 to help us implement the programme.

"We will also inspect electrical installations in 4,000 buildings in 1999 so as to identify necessary improvements. We will prosecute owners who do not comply with the statutory fire safety requirements," Mr Tung said.

Noting that a Building Safety Improvement Loan Scheme had been launched in August, he said a Code of Practice for owners on the inspection, assessment and repair of buildings would be developed in 1999.

As many areas of the city were built on or below natural or man-made slopes, Mr Tung said the Government planned to step up the work on slope improvements in the next 10 years. The manpower in government departments would also be increased to allow them to maintain every slope in their care.

End/Wednesday, October 7, 1998

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