Priority buildings: Secretary for Development Carrie Lam attends the Operation Building Bright ballot ceremony with Urban Renewal Authority Chairman Barry Cheung (centre) and Housing Society Chairman Yeung Ka-sing.

Building owners' response to Operation Building Bright has been overwhelming, with over 1,100 applications for Category 1 buildings - more than double the quota of 500 buildings, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam says.

Officiating at the ballot ceremony to set the priority for processing applications and granting funds for eligible buildings today, Mrs Lam said the operation is a targeted and large-scale campaign hoping to create more jobs by expediting local building maintenance works.

The Development Bureau will seek lawmakers' approval for an earmarked extra $1 billion funding to expand the operation to cover more buildings that need repairs. All the applications for Category 1 buildings are expected to get funding for repairs as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

The operation team will process the applications and vet their eligibility according to the priority set by today's computer ballot. Approval-in-principle will be issued to eligible Category 1 buildings, having regard to availability of resources within the $1 billion funding.

It is expected approvals to about 500 buildings can be issued immediately and the owners' corporations can start appointing authorised people to co-ordinate repair and maintenance works, which can begin from the third quarter.

The bureau plans to invite another round of applications from owners' corporations of eligible buildings near the end of this year.

Check the websites of the Housing Society and Urban Renewal Authority, or Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao and The Standard on June 22, for today's ballot results.