Secretary for Development Michael Wong today said the current-term Government spares no effort in increasing land supply and its work in recent years has started to bear fruit.

Responding to questions from legislator Shiu Ka-fai at the Legislative Council, Mr Wong pointed out that the Government has resumed around 90 hectares of land in 2019-20 and 2020-21, which is much more than the 20 hectares resumed over the past five years.

Looking ahead, about 700 hectares of land will be resumed from 2021-22.

Additionally, various large-scale land supply projects are being launched successively.

Among them, the studies related to the artificial islands in the Central Waters are expected to commence this month and take about 3.5 years to complete. Subject to the studies’ findings, the first phase of the reclamation works for the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands development is expected to commence in 2027.

On the New Territories North development project, Mr Wong noted that the Government consulted the LegCo Development Panel on the relevant planning and engineering study and will submit it to the Public Works Subcommittee shortly.

It hopes that the construction of the San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node, one of the essential parts of the project, will start in 2025.

Mr Wong also said government departments will, in collaboration with the Housing Authority and the Housing Society, explore ways to expedite the development process and optimise the development potential of each and every public housing site.

Such examples will include suitably relaxing the development restrictions of the sites, or enlarging or amalgamating sites to create a larger site area, with a view to increasing the housing production.

Mr Wong added that the Government has also been actively taking forward and facilitating the transitional housing project implemented by non-governmental organisations which aims to provide 15,000 transitional housing units by 2022-23.