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December 2002 |
Hong Kong Cadastral Survey System Comparison and Improvements
Boundary survey in Hong Kong provides position fixing and security to the registration of land parcels. A good control network has been established and maintained as a backbone to support the industry by the Geodetic Section of Survey and Mapping Office (SMO). The section is going to implement its network into 2000 GPS Network covering the whole territory. This improvement of survey technology makes the observation more reliable and accurate as compared with the plane-tabling methods used early in the New Territories’ survey. Specific guidelines or instructions on the GPS application are under investigation and likely to be implemented into the Land Survey Ordinance (LSO, Cap. 473) and its regulations.
Land Information Systems and its Sharing
Information technology is a cornerstone of survey services to provide a continuous evolution of land information services to the concerned parties. Both Singapore and Hong Kong obtained sound land information systems developed in the 1990s. These systems are to explore new technologies and standards to ensure spatial data infrastructures which enable the public and private sectors to encourage their effective and strategic use for continuous planning, development and growth of cities. Singapore Land Data Hub consisting of INLIS, Land Information Network Infrastructure and Land Base Information, contributes comprehensive and accurate digitized land data. Boundaries shown on INLIS are meant to be final and conclusive. In the past, land boundary records were internal office records kept and used solely by the government. With the success of Hub, the data are recently used by about 30 government departments, 50 private agencies and even the general public1 .
Besides, attention is particularly paid to the Hong Kong government’s focus on Cadastral Information System (CIS) development in 1989 to transform the 1:1,000 paper land boundary records into digital base information. CIS maintains the land boundary record database and facilitates the preparation of cadastral plans. They are considerable and useful mapping data which vary in quality and availability. With increasing participation of private survey firms, the records have gradually been opened to the society. So far, 4 government departments2 have used a complete set of digital map data to set up their own GIS. However, there is no government department responsible for gathering different land information and managing them in one unique system. Very often the information kept in different offices are not exchangeable.
Registration Services
Three regions have operated land registration systems with the same aim of protection of property owners and proper security of innumerable transactions. They constantly review their work processes and procedures to give better quality services to general public. Although South Africa and Hong Kong have adopted the deeds registration, the intention of registration in South Africa (deeds) is similar to that in Singapore (titles).
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