Think tank proposes building artificial island
One of the city’s leading think tanks on Tuesday proposed building a 2,200-hectare artificial island — half the size of Kowloon — to address the city’s acute land supply shortage.
Releasing its latest report on the city’s future development, Our Hong Kong Foundation suggested the manmade island be developed in waters between Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island.
The think tank estimates it will take 14 years to finish the reclamation work; the island could then provide 250,000 to 400,000 flats — capable of housing a population of 0.7 to 1.1 million.
It also proposes building three new railway lines connecting the island with Kennedy Town in Hong Kong Island, Mei Foo in Kowloon and Tuen Mun South in New Territories.
To address concerns about environmental issues, a 200to 300-meter buffer distance between the artificial island and the existing islands should be maintained, the report suggests.
But it did note that rare marine animals — Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises — were not regularly sighted in the area proposed for reclamation.
The think tank, however, did not reveal the total amount of money needed to build such an island. But it estimated that the project would cost HK$1,360 per square foot.
The think tank’s proposal aims to upgrade the government’s plan to build an East Lantau Metropolis — which is discussed in Hong Kong 2030+ — a blueprint of the city beyond 2030. But the proposal doubles the size of reclaimed sea area originally suggested by the government.
The foundation described the large-scale reclamation as the only “game changer” to set a new standard for Hong Kong people’s future quality of life and offer hope to future generations.
Attending a seminar discussing the feasibility and benefits of the plan on the same day, the city’s leaders shared their opinions.
Bernard Charnwut Chan, convener of the chief executive’s de facto cabinet — the Executive Council, said the special administrative region would get a chance to rebuild old districts by resettling residents to reclaimed land offered by the plan.
Chan said the large-scale reclamation plan would also help quench the thirst for land among some competitive industries — such as the medical sector.
Another guest at the seminar, Wong Yuk-shan, president of the Open University of Hong Kong, said the government could implement the proposal as a long-term solution. It could be done in conjunction with other shortterm measures.
Discussing these, Wong said releasing a small portion of green land might be the most feasible.
Some areas in Hong Kong’s country parks — of little or no ecological value — could also be developed as residential areas to ease the land shortage, argued Wong.