A BILL

To

Amend the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance.

Enacted by the Provisional Legislative Council.

1. Short title

This Ordinance may be cited as the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) (Amendment) Ordinance 1998.

2. Authorization procedure if objection made

Section 8(1) of the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance (Cap. 127) is amended by repealing everything after "section," and substituting--

"the Director shall not later than 9 months after the expiry of that time, or within such further period as the Chief Executive may specify having regard to the circumstances of the case, submit to the Chief Executive in Council for consideration the proposed reclamation and any such objection, and the Chief Executive in Council shall consider the proposed reclamation and every objection and may--

(a) decline to authorize the reclamation;

(b) authorize the reclamation in part only and defer for further consideration at such future time as the Chief Executive in Council shall specify, any objection which relates to the remaining part of the reclamation not so authorized; or

(c) authorize the whole of the reclamation.".

3. Transitional

Section 20 is amended by adding--

"(3) Where immediately before the commencement of the Foreshore and Sea-

bed (Reclamations) (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 ( of 1998), a notice had been published under section 5 in respect of a proposed reclamation, the period of 9 months as specified in section 8(1) shall be calculated as from--

(a) the commencement of that Ordinance; or

(b) the expiry of the time for the making of objections under section 6,

whichever is the later.".

Explanatory Memorandum

The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance (Cap. 127) to impose a time limit within which the Director of Lands is required to submit a proposed reclamation in relation to any foreshore and sea-bed, and objections to such proposal, to the Chief Executive in Council for consideration. The time limit is to run differently if a notice of a plan of a proposed reclamation had been published before the commencement of this Bill as enacted.