Govt’s poor law enforcement over illegal structure triggers Ombudsman probe

A direct investigation has been launched to examine the government's enforcement against unauthorized building works in New Territories Exempted Houses, the Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin announced today.

The Buildings Department implemented a new enforcement policy on unauthorized building works in New Territories Exempted Houses in April 2012, that enforcement actions against new and existing illegal structures would be prioritized depending on their severity and risk level.

Chiu said the new enforcement policy has been in place for more than nine years, but the illegal structures remain pervasive.

“Unauthorised building works in New Territories Exempted Houses remain pervasive, including new works, in-progress ones, and blatant existing unauthorized structures already identified by the Buildings Department for priority enforcement,” she said.

She added that the direct investigation will examine the enforcement measures undertaken by the Buildings Department and the Lands Department and their effectiveness in combating the illegal structures, and will make recommendations for improvement where necessary.