Deputy Minister of the Construction and Planning Agency, Hsu Wen-lung, said Wednesday that the central government is willing to help reconstruction efforts in Kaohsiung.
Streets and buildings in parts of the city suffered severe damage following a series of gas explosions on the night of July 31.
Hsu said that the government will offer funding for reconstruction and urban renewal. He also said that the government is willing to offer local authorities technical assistance as they work to return damaged areas to normal. However, he said that local authorities will need to be responsible for directing reconstruction themselves.
Hsu also said that authorities will need to communicate clearly and in detail with local residents about plans for urban renewal. He said that most of the areas affected by the blast are privately owned lots, and local residents will not be easily persuaded to agree to official plans without information.
Hsu also said that some regulations about urban renewal were under review when student protestors occupied the legislature earlier in the year. He said that these regulations have since gone out of effect, and authorities will need to wait for the next legislative session before they can be put back into effect.