Policy Address
19. In respect of the policy direction on land supply, I propose a Government-led approach for the planning of land use and infrastructure and to resume the required private land for established public purposes, so that members of the public can see that the Government is using its full strength to develop land in the short, medium and long term for our people. Specifically, we will expedite our planning work and resume three types of private land wholly for public housing (including PRH, GSH, HOS), SH and related infrastructure development by invoking the Lands Resumption Ordinance and other applicable ordinances:
- about 450 hectares of brownfield sites in the New Territories may have development potential but have not been covered by new development areas (NDAs) or other development projects. These sites are mostly private land larger in size and located nearer to existing new towns and major highways, including brownfield sites in Ping Shan and Lam Tei. The Planning Department will accord priority to the study of 160 hectares brownfield sites that are closer to existing infrastructure and assess their suitability for public housing development, with a view to commencing follow-up technical assessment by the end of this year. Rezoning government land for housing has been one of the major sources of housing land supply in recent years. However, my proposal to adopt a more focused approach for rezoning private land for public housing development, and then exercising public power to resume private land for public purpose, is indeed a breakthrough in thinking;
- to resume private land which is zoned for high-density housing development in statutory outline zoning plans but without any development plans due to various reasons (e.g. fragmented ownership, infrastructural constraints) and assessed to be suitable for public housing development; and
- to resume urban private land in Cha Kwo Ling Village, Ngau Chi Wan Village and Chuk Yuen United Village suitable for high-density housing development, with a view to expediting the development of these seven hectares of urban sites and rebuilding a new community mainly comprising public housing. The living environment of residents in the squatter areas will also be improved with compensation and rehousing to be provided in accordance with the prevailing policy.
