The Lands Department today posted resumption and acquisition notices to resume about 176 hectares of land for the implementation of the second phase development at the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (NDA).
 
A total of 2,548 private lots, comprising an area of about 176 hectares, will be resumed, while land currently occupied by 27 graves and 23 urns, covering an area of government land of about 1,460 square metres, will be acquired.
 

The land will revert to or be vested in the Government on August 31, and the Government will release ex-gratia land compensation to the relevant landowners following the land reversion.
 

The department stressed that the land reversion date is not the departure deadline for affected households and businesses.
 

According to information obtained earlier in a freezing survey, there are a total of 1,693 households and 364 businesses on the land concerned. They are scheduled to depart in batches from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025. 
 

The department sent notification letters to the affected households and businesses in November 2022 informing them of the scheduled departure dates and the compensation and rehousing arrangements.
 

The department said it will maintain communication with the affected parties and post notices in relevant areas three months before the departure deadlines.
 

It also highlighted that the Government is handling the compensation and rehousing of affected persons at full stream, and will endeavour to arrange rehousing for or release compensation to eligible persons before the clearance commences.
 

As of yesterday, the department had engaged all 274 households who have to depart in the first batch. Among these, 85 households are eligible for rehousing or ex-gratia cash compensation. For 147 households, their cases are either being processed or they have yet to submit all the necessary information. A further 42 households are regarded as not eligible based on the available information.
 

The construction works for the first phase development of the NDA commenced in 2020, while works for the second phase development will commence progressively this year.
 

Upon full development, the NDA will provide about 66,700 additional housing units, accommodating a new population of about 184,000.
 

The industrial and commercial land in the NDA will create about 6.4 million sq m of gross floor area, providing about 150,000 employment opportunities, the department added.