Application list system abolished
February 28, 2013
The land application list system will be abolished from 2013-14, to allow the Government to better control land supply.
Secretary for Development Paul Chan made the announcement at a press conference today, saying the move will allow the Government take the initiative to sell land in accordance with market demand.
He said 46 sites will be included in the 2013-14 Land Sale Programme, and 28 of them are new sites. Three are on Hong Kong Island, 10 in Kowloon, and 33 in the New Territories. Twelve can provide more than 500 units, 17 can provide up to 500 units, and 17 can provide up to 99 units.
Mr Chan said in 2013-14, 13,600 units can be provided from the Land Sale Programme, 2,600 can be provided from West Rail property projects, 3,100 from the MTR Corporation’s property developments in Tseung Kwan O and Tin Shui Wai, and 1,800 from Urban Renewal Authority projects.
He added that 3,500 can be provided from lease modification, land grants or land exchange projects, and 1,200 can be provided from private developments which do not involve lease modification or land exchange.
The Government will sell in the first quarter seven residential sites, one commercial site and one hotel site, providing 2,300 units, about 15,000 square metres of commercial floor area and 300 hotel rooms.
Mr Chan said the Government has in the past tried various means to increase the supply of hotel rooms. In 2011-12, a hotel site which can provide 480 rooms was sold by tender. In 2013-14, a hotel site that can provide 300 rooms will be sold by tender in the first quarter.
The 2013-14 Land Sale Programme will also include nine commercial sites, providing a total floor area of 330,000 square metres.
Government buildings and Government, Institution or Community sites in Central and Wan Chai will be changed to commercial use. The Government is also planning to relocate facilities in east Kowloon, and the sites could provide up to 500,000 square metres of total floor area.
He said the Government will continue to increase the land supply, and expedite the approval process of pre-sale consents.
