New town development under study

He said the land development projects' design, planning and implementation may generate all kinds of controversies, including people’s interests, rehousing, environmental protection and living styles. There could also be political hurdles. 
 
“If we want to remove the impediment of inadequate land supply for social development, we must stand united in overcoming difficulties; if we want to build more residential units, homes for the elderly and hospitals, we must work together to remove obstacles. I pledge that the Government and I will work in a pragmatic and proactive manner to deal with problems, engage the public and rise up to challenges,” he said.
 
Land supply bolstered
The Government will increase the supply of land in the short, medium and long terms through optimal use of developed land and identifying new land for development at the same time.
 
“To respond more flexibly to society’s needs for land, the Government is determined to develop new land extensively and build up an abundant 'land reserve' that can more than meet the short-term demand. That way, the reserve can be used to meet future demand in a timely manner,” he added.
 
A total of 36 sites, including Government, Institution or Community sites and other Government sites, with an area measuring 27 hectares in total, would be used for housing development to provide about 11,900 residential flats. Thirteen sites in Green Belt areas, measuring 57 hectares in total, are considered suitable for rezoning for residential use. 
 
He said the Development Bureau is working with the Planning Department and other departments to increase the development density of unleased or unallocated residential sites as far as allowable in planning terms.
 
In the coming four years, the Urban Renewal Authority will supply a total of 4.9 hectares of land under its development projects, which will be mainly used for residential development. It is estimated that about 4,700 flats can be provided.
 
Co-ordinate the overall plans
According to earlier planning, the North East New Territories New Development Areas will provide about 533 hectares of developable land, including housing land for 53,800 units. This will be an important source of supply for public and private housing in the years to come. The first batch of residential units will be completed in 10 years. 
 
The next major development project is the Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area, Mr Leung said, which can provide over 400 hectares of developable land according to preliminary assessment. 
 
“There are also vast tracts of land released from the Closed Areas and other undeveloped areas in the New Territories North. While some of them have high ecological significance and are unsuitable for development, there are others that have certain development potential,” he said.
  
The Government is now conducting the Tung Chung New Town Extension Study to explore the potential of developing Tung Chung into a new town with more comprehensive and better developed community facilities. It will also continue to explore the development potential of Lantau Island and areas along the trunk routes in the New Territories West.
 
“To facilitate the transformation of Kowloon East, we will review planning of the sites in the Kai Tak Development Area and explore the possibility of increasing office and housing supply without compromising the land supply from the area in the coming five years. A consultation on the outcome of the review will be conducted in due course,” he added.
 
Mr Leung said the Steering Committee on Housing Land Supply chaired by the Financial Secretary will be re-organised as the Steering Committee on Land Supply. The new committee will co-ordinate the overall plans for development and supply of land in Hong Kong, and adjust supply in response to changes in demand.