Policy Address

112. The most distinctive characteristic of land use planning in Hong Kong is the high proportion of country park area. At present, our country parks account for 40% of the total land area of Hong Kong, six times that of our total residential land. As the gap in development density between the urban and rural areas widens, people’s living conditions in urban areas become increasingly cramped as population density intensifies.

113. Country parks are our precious assets for their leisure, recreational, sports and conservation values. The current-term Government is committed to environmental protection and ecological conservation, and seeks to strike the right balance between development and conservation. In the past few years, we have incorporated suitable enclaves, such as Sai Wan, into country parks, increasing the total area of country parks and special areas by 38 hectares. In developing the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North NDAs, we will establish a Long Valley Nature Park of about 37 hectares. To conserve more sites with high ecological significance, the Government will commence work on designating Robin’s Nest, about 500 hectares, a new country park. In addition, we are actively considering long-term conservation of Sha Lo Tung through a non-in-situ land exchange for the private land with high ecological significance at Sha Lo Tung by offering the rehabilitated Shuen Wan Landfill in Tai Po. In tandem, we will continue to identify suitable sites for inclusion into country park areas.

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