Page 7 - LanHse_Part2_Increase_land_eng

IV. Our Recommendations

1. A change of mindset: understanding the fact of shortage of land supply and
reviewing the avenues of land supply in an objective, calm and pragmatic manner.

(i) Reclamation: Currently, the Government has identified six sites with
potentials for reclamation. However, there is seemingly still some way to go
if our medium- to long-term development needs are to be met. It is
probably time for the society to discuss the need to include more
reclamation sites on top of the six that are currently selected.

(ii) Land use rezoning: Land use rezoning may not be the most ideal
option to increase land supply from the perspective of planning efficiency.
However, we do have a shortage in land supply and it takes a fairly long
time to solve the problem. If hefty accommodation costs are a common
problem facing all Hong Kong citizens, it is not unreasonable to expect the
solution to come from everyone too. Otherwise, as the number of elders
aged 65 or above doubles, where are we going to find sufficient land to
build the urgently needed hospitals, nursing homes, and community centers
for the elderly?

(iii) Country Parks (CP): We entirely agree (1) that green area is of
undoubtable importance for the city; and (2) we should not and cannot
release an extensive share of CP for development. However, the “Country
Parks Ordinance” which designated the current boundaries of CP was
established 40 years ago. The Government could set up a platform to
establish a set of scientific standards and criteria for reviewing the
ecological value, service and use of all CP, and determine whether the
boundary of CP should be altered based on such objective indicators. The
platform should also regularly monitor and review such factors as the
demand-supply balance of land, social and economic needs, to consider
the need to develop the land originally designated as CP.

(iv) Brownfield: Given the acute problem of land shortage, any possible
source of supply should be fully utilized. Nevertheless, the development of
brownfields still requires resumption of land, technical studies on
transportation and environment, and approval from TPB. It might be over
optimistic to expect brownfield to become the major source of land supply.

(v) Other methods of change of land use: Any land resources that can be
used more effectively should be considered, following a multi-pronged
approach to increase land supply. In fact, the study on developing New
Territories North covers the Fanling Golf Course and the Chief Executive’s
Fanling Lodge. In the meantime, the Development Bureau is reviewing the
“New Territories small house policy”. Nonetheless, all these land supply
proposals take time. And even if we assume that the complex legal,
constitutional and conceptual issues involved are resolved and all these
land supply projects are materialized, most of these sites would likely be
scattered across the territory and it would be difficult to achieve planning
efficiency.
And as things stand, the total maximum amount of land that could be
created by all the long-term land supply projects of the Government,
including all reclamation proposals as well as the development of New
Territories North, both of which are still under planning or feasibility study, is
only 5,000 hectares. This is much less than the aforesaid 9,000 hectares long-
term target. Unless other proposals could provide an additional 4,000 hectares
of land, we should support any methods to increase land supply, including
new town development, reclamation and developing country parks.

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