Parties, associations back ‘farsighted’ land reclamation plan
Hong Kong’s major political parties and associations representing various sectors voiced support for the government’s massive reclamation plan, saying it’s a farsighted vision to quench the city’s severe thirst for land and will inject new impetus for its long-term development.
“Lantau Tomorrow Vision”, an ambitious plan proposed in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s second Policy Address unveiled on Oct 10, aims to provide 1,700 hectares of land able to house up to 1.1 million people.
The bold move has aroused fierce debate in society. Some residents and social groups have expressed reservations and opposition, citing cost and potential environmental impact.
Describing such concerns from the public as understandable, the New People’s Party still believes the project is a must for relieving the problems generated by land shortage.
Unaffordable private housing prices and a long wait for public housing are lingering illnesses troubling Hong Kong people, many of whom could only live in tiny, subdivided flats. On top of the housing need, abundant land is urgently needed for other purposes including business, healthcare, sports and recreation, said the NPP in a recent statement.
Echoing the view, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong — the largest political party in the city — believed that the government is moving “in the right direction” by mapping out the blueprint.
To achieve the vision, DAB suggested the government should strengthen communication with citizens and negotiate with stakeholders whose interests or livelihoods will be affected by the plan.
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions — the largest local workers’ union — also backed the plan as the lack of land will hinder the development of various industries in the city.
In a recent statement, the federation urged the government to adopt multiple solutions to increase land supply. The suggested options include accelerating the development of brownfield sites and implementing a land-sharing scheme to develop idle agriculture land.
A massive land reserve brought by the new Lantau development plan is definitely a positive factor for robust economic development and the government’s fiscal health, according to the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong.
The alliance said that it supported the “farsighted” plan, as the development of the hilly city had relied heavily on reclamation. Reclaimed areas include downtown areas on Hong Kong Island, bustling Yau Tsim Mong District, and transportation hub Hung Hom. Most of the city’s new towns housing millions of people were also erected on reclaimed land.
Hong Kong is not the only city that wants to break the shackle of limited land resources. Citing neighboring cases, the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and International Chapter argues that the city should act swiftly to catch up. The organization is an industry association comprising real estate stakeholders based in Hong Kong, with overseas members throughout the world.
Through reclamation, Singapore has gained more than 13,000 hectares of additional land and Macao has created 1,900 hectares, according to the organization. As for Hong Kong, the amount was 7,000 hectares in 2016, government data showed.
Hong Kong’s land area is 1.5 times that of Singapore’s, and more than 30 times that of Macao. Yet its historical reclaimed land area is only half of Singapore’s, and over three times Macao’s.
The said parties and organizations also urged the government to promptly kick off the research work of the reclamation plan.
On Thursday, Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun disclosed in a local radio program that the bureau will ask the Legislative Council to fund studies related to the plan in the first or second quarter of 2019.
Wong said the research would focus on the first stage of the plan — the reclamation of 1,000 hectares next to Kau Yi Chau. Studies of another site, Hei Ling Chau, will also be included, he added.