Voluntary land rezoning – Mayor Chu emphasizes impartial use and equal sharing
Civilians always wondered and doubted about the voluntary municipal land rezoning plans, and at the municipal meeting, the Civil Affairs Department of the New Taipei City proposed a new governance concept on 9/10/2013 to achieve the goal of land use impartiality and local community development. The New Taipei City Mayor Chu emphasized that voluntary land rezoning plans were still regulated by the Government, and they had deadlines; moreover, those plans must have transparent financial information about associated developments to accomplish the goal of rezoning profiting and civilians’ equal sharing. During the meeting, Chu praised the department about its actions, and encouraged it to formulate explicit targets with the Urban and Rural Development Department.
Chu indicated that in the past whenever the voluntary land rezoning plans ended, all the maintenance and repairing of public facilities became the responsibility of the Government, which was very unreasonable. He said that the committees for those plans were just temporary, and we still need to trace back to the regulations which must be completely and thoroughly designed by the Government to perfect the voluntary land rezoning. Those regulations might be related to many people’s profits, and the Government’s staff would be stressed too, but the Government needs to consider about which was more important for the majority of its citizens, so it did not fail people’s expectation.
Chu re-emphasized that urban development planning would not be influenced by other political forces or by pressure from some people, and this was his principle always firmly kept in his mind.
Chu represented that the voluntary land rezoning must be strictly regulated to meet the land use impartiality and local development concept; also, it must protect civilians’ fortunes and rights and keep impartiality and development.
During the meeting, Chu especially thanked to the Civil Affairs Department because it not only keeps land use impartiality and local development, but also stands on the same side of the city’s citizens to strive for their happiness. He also encouraged the department to cooperate with the Urban and Rural Development Department to formulate concrete plans for voluntary land rezoning.