Head 91 — LANDS DEPARTMENT Controlling officer: the Director of Lands will account for expenditure under this Head. Estimate 2002–03................................................................................................................................... $1,727.6m Establishment ceiling 2002–03 (notional annual mid-point salary value) representing an estimated 3 548 non-directorate posts at 31 March 2002 rising by 179 posts to 3 727 posts at 31 March 2003 ..... $1,188.7m In addition there will be an estimated 52 directorate posts at 31 March 2002 and at 31 March 2003. Capital Account commitment balance................................................................................................. $21.1m Controlling Officer’s Report Programmes Programme (1) Land Administration These programmes contribute to Policy Area 21: Transport Programme (2) Survey and Mapping (Secretary for Transport), Policy Area 22: Buildings, Lands and Programme (3) Legal Advice Planning (Secretary for Planning and Lands) and Policy Area 31: Housing (Secretary for Housing). Detail Programme (1): Land Administration 2000–01 2001–02 2001–02 2002–03 (Actual) (Approved) (Revised) (Estimate) Financial provision ($m) 1,041.7 1,152.0 1,149.0 1,242.8 (+10.6%) (–0.3%) (+8.2%) Aim 2 The aim is to administer land in Hong Kong by disposing of land; acquiring private land and clearing private and government land required for the implementation of public works and other projects; managing government leases and unleased land and certain buildings held by the Administration; re-granting and modifying leases; and maintaining man- made slopes on unallocated and unleased government land. Brief Description 3 The Lands Department disposes of land through the Land Sale Programme. It acquires private land and clears private and government land required for public works projects or other approved schemes. It is also responsible for managing government leases to ensure compliance with the lease conditions; managing government land to ensure that it is not illegally occupied; managing certain buildings or units in buildings held by the Administration; extending government leases; modifying conditions in existing leases; and maintaining man-made slopes on unallocated and unleased government land. 4 A Land Sale Programme for 2001–02 and a Land Development Programme for 2002–03 to 2005–06 providing information on hectares of land available for disposal for housing and non-housing developments were announced in February 2001. The Land Sale Programme for 2001–02 comprised a timetable of specific sites for auction and tender, and an Application List in respect of sites which could be put up for auction or tender upon application. During 2001, 15 lots were disposed of by auction/tender, 11 of which were sold in accordance with the published timetable for auction/tender of specific sites, and the remaining four sites were taken from the Application List as a result of applications from developers. Fewer modification cases were completed due to market sentiments. 5 In 2001, the total area resumed was in response to demand for land for the Public Works Programme and other projects. The department finalised resumption work associated with West Rail (Phase I), and continued with work on outstanding compensation claims from the earlier resumptions and preparatory work on the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. The department achieved better than anticipated results in clearing up existing environmental blackspots due to improved efficiency arising from human resource management initiatives. 6 The key performance measures in respect of land administration are: Targets 2000 2001 2002 Target (Actual) (Actual) (Plan) Land Disposal land disposal (ha)......................................... 133 228 113 117 small houses (cases) .................................... 1 200 1 407 1 000 1 000 Head 91 — LANDS DEPARTMENT 2000 2001 2002 Target (Actual) (Actual) (Plan) Lease Modifications (non small house cases) issue letter of reply to application within three weeks.............................................. 100% 100% 100% 100% issue letter of offer of provisional basic terms (without premium)/rejection/ indicating in-principle agreement within 24 weeks from receipt of application ............................................... 100% 100% 100% 100% issue legal document for execution within 12 weeks from receipt of a binding acceptance of the final basic terms and premium offer.......................................... 100% 100% 100% 100% Land Acquisition offers of compensation based on ex-gratia rates made within 4 weeks from the date of gazette notice of resumption of agricultural land in N.T. .......................... 100% 100% 100% 100% cheques for compensation made available for collection within 4 weeks from receipt of acceptance by the department proof of legal title (for agricultural land cases in N.T.)................ 100% 100% 100% 100% offer of compensation or invitation to claims made within 3 weeks from land reversion.................................................. 100% 100% 100% 100% Indicators 2000 2001 2002 (Actual) (Actual) (Estimate) Land Disposal land sale programme land sold (auction and tender) (ha).................................. 31 10 10 no. of flats ....................................................................... 16 334 2 130 5 500 private treaty grants land granted (ha) ............................................................. 194α 92† 95 no. of flats (including both private and subsidised home ownership housing projects)¥ ........................... 5 779 15 686 15 000 land let by short term tenancy (ha)........................................... 56 56 50 Lease Variations lease modifications and exchanges (no. of cases) .................... 203 163 150 (no. of flats).............................................................................. 7 537 7 769 5 000 processing of applications from indigenous villagers for rent concession (no. of lots/tenements) ............................... 16 207 29 801 30 000 Land Acquisition Public Works Programme projects (ha) ................................... 19.8 41.7 61.1 railway development projects (ha)........................................... 0.2 2.9 19.0 urban renewal projects (no. of property interests).................... 164 — — Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy/Village Improvement (ha) ................................................................ 5.0 0.4 3.4 total acquisition/clearance costs ($m) ...................................... 1,581 2,703 1,689 Land Management lease enforcement cases ........................................................... 638 600 600 rebuilding of temporary domestic structures............................ 130 75 75 government sites cleared and guardedφ ................................... 2 477 2 517 2 500 clearance of environmental black spots on private and government land in the New Territories (N.T.) (no. of cases) ................................................................................... 290 290 220 maintenance of slopes on unallocated and unleased government land man-made slopes to be inspected.................................... 4 066 5 495 7 000 man-made slopes to be improved.................................... 340 1 193 2 400 demolition of structures under non-development clearance in the N.T. (no. of structures) .............................................. 189 174 200 Head 91 — LANDS DEPARTMENT 2000 2001 2002 (Actual) (Actual) (Estimate) Property Management properties/units managed......................................................... 374 372 362 repair orders issued for government properties ....................... 110 100 110 disposal of government properties........................................... 11 10 10 α Include grants for Hong Kong Disneyland project of 125 ha and Cyberport project of 18 ha † Include the grant for a site of 22 ha for construction of a power station at Po Lo Tsui, Lamma Island ¥ Exclude no. of flats of the Tenant Purchase Scheme and Buy or Rent Option φ Include no. of black spots cleared as identified by the Clean Hong Kong Campaign Committee Matters Requiring Special Attention in 2002–03 7 During 2002–03, the department will: • continue to process land disposal by auction, tender or private treaty to meet the demand for housing and the need of the community in accordance with government policy; • continue to speed up the processing of land transactions; • continue to oversee all land transactions individually on a pro-active basis with the newly installed computerised Case Monitoring System; • continue to maintain and improve man-made slopes on unallocated and unleased government land through application of prescriptive improvement measures; • endeavour to finish off the land management work in respect of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Quarry Bay Relief Works; continue with residual resumption, clearance, claim settlement and land management work for West Rail (Phase I), Ma On Shan to Tai Wai Rail Link, the Tsim Sha Tsui Extension and the MTR Tseung Kwan O Extension; and to carry on with land planning and preparatory resumption and clearance work for the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line to ensure as far as possible compliance under a very tight programme schedule. Land work will also continue for the Penny’s Bay Rail Link, and advice on land matters given in connection with the three new railway projects (i.e. the Shatin to Central Link, the Kowloon Southern Link and the Island Line Extensions); • continue