The Task Force (Black Spots) (TFB) was set up in 1994 to clean up environmental black spots resulting from open storage and industrial undertakings in the New Territories which have been in existence since 1991. During the year, 290 sites covering 39.31 hectares were improved, making a cumulative total of 1 469 sites comprising 189.66 hectares of land.

The TFB provided support in the identification of suitable new sites for uses linked to container freight activities and disposed of two sites. It also promoted improvements to the infrastructure in areas zoned for open storage related uses and co-ordinated government departmental actions in the prevention and control of illegal dumping of waste throughout the HKSAR.

In 1996, the Lands Department commissioned a consultancy study, 'Systematic Identification of the Maintenance Responsibility of Slopes' (SIMAR), to identify the parties responsible for maintenance of about 60 000 man-made slopes. The study was completed in 1999 with the production of a register showing the maintenance responsibility concerning individual slopes covered by the study. The public can have easy access to the SIMAR register at the computer terminals in the Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information Centre of the Lands Department and on the Internet at the Lands Department web site (http://www.gov.hk/landsd/).

About 16 600 man-made slopes on government land with no identifiable party responsible for their maintenance have been assigned to the Lands Department for maintenance through the SIMAR consultancy study. The Slope Maintenance Section of the Lands Department has so far inspected over 5 500 of these slopes with the assistance of geotechnical engineering consultants. After inspections are completed, the necessary maintenance works are arranged for the slopes according to an order of priority determined by the level of risk posed to life and properties by possible landslip. As at the end of 2000, maintenance works have been carried out to about 570 slopes.