Policy Address

(B) Create Land to Build More Housing

175. The Government remains determined to sustain efforts in land production. We will assess the situation and take forward various projects in a steady and paced manner. According to the latest forecast, the supply of developable land, i.e. spade-ready sites, from Government-led projects will reach about 3 000 hectares in the next decade. The Government will take into account the latest market changes when disposing land, ensuring a stable and healthy development of the market.

Cut More Red Tapes and Lower Costs

176. The Government is making vigorous efforts in streamlining land development procedures. We have promulgated an internal circular, expressly stating that all approving departments are required to take a facilitating role and strive to streamline the relevant procedures when processing applications. The initiative is well-received by the industry. We will continue to cut red tapes and streamline procedures. Relevant measures include:

  1. leveraging industry resources to enhance speed and efficiency – We will outsource drone inspections of external walls of buildings and UBWs as well as associated analyses, to private companies. We will also engage professionals to handle the vetting work of small-scale or temporary structures through self-certification;

  2. reducing construction costs – We will strengthen the role of the Project Strategy and Governance Office under the DEVB to complete a strategic study on construction costs by the end of this year and propose improvement measures such as increasing direct procurement of construction materials and products by the Government, reviewing the building design standards, and facilitating local application of cost-effective construction materials and technologies from the Mainland and overseas; and

  3. expanding project co-ordination – We will expand the purview of the Development Projects Facilitation Office under the DEVB to facilitate co-ordination with departments in expediting the approval of land use and related matters for the development of I&T and other industries in the Northern Metropolis, in addition to vetting of large-scale private residential and commercial developments.