HK Government Determined to Tackle Unauthorized BuildingsThe Hong Kong government is determined to remove the risks to public safety posed by unauthorized building works (UBWs) and illegal rooftop structures, an official said Monday."Tackling UBWs is the third of our study and completes the task force's proposed strategy for building safety and timely maintenance," said Head of the Task Force on Building Safety and Preventive Maintenance Helen Yu Lai Ching-ping. "With this strategy, we will go to District Councils and other bodies for further consultation," said Yu. The task force has proposed a multi-prong approach, including enhancing assistance to property owners in need, stepping up enforcement action, modernizing the Buildings Ordinance and maximizing market forces to tackle the risks posed by the 800,000 UBWs. On enforcement, Yu said the Buildings Department should continue its "blitz" approach to launch major operations to clear UBWs. The Buildings Department aims to increase the number of buildings to be cleared of external UBWs from 500 and 600 to 900 and 1,000 in 2001 and 2002 respectively. Together with other programs such as the Coordinated Maintenance of Buildings Scheme, the operations can clear 150,000 to 300,000 UBWs in five to seven years, Yu said. |
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