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The Development Bureau today (December 30) released updated information on private columbaria. The information covers the relevant land/lease (user restrictions) and planning information relating to those private columbaria that are made known to the Lands Department or Planning Department, and those which the departments have reason to believe are operating as columbaria. Cases subsequently confirmed will be included when the information is updated.
Two columbaria have been added and relevant details on other columbaria have also been updated. Among the private columbaria included in the information, 22 are applying to the Lands Department for regularisation of land use and/or the Town Planning Board for planning permission. The information is available on the Development Bureau's website at www.devb.gov.hk.
"Members of the public who wish to purchase niches at private columbaria are reminded of the importance of obtaining from the operators full and complete information in order to check whether the columbaria are compliant with all the relevant statutory requirements and land lease and/or town planning requirements," a spokesman for the Development Bureau said.
"To protect their own interests, members of the public are also reminded to ascertain from the operators how the operators will look after the interests of their customers, such as whether and how they would refund or otherwise compensate their customers in cases in which the respective private columbarium subsequently closes down or is disallowed from operating. Members of the public should seek independent legal advice on their rights when necessary."
The information will next be updated at the end of March 2012.
For related enquiries, please call the enquiry hotline at 3142 2255.
Ends/Friday, December 30, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:02
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