After more than 10 years of studies, consultations and deliberations, the Government has finalised the plan for the North East New Territories New Development Areas (NENT NDAs) and proposed the Fanling/Sheung Shui/Kwu Tung New Town to supply land to address housing, economic and social development needs in Hong Kong in the medium term. The plan has been announced for 10 days, and my colleagues and I have given media interviews and attended forums to explain the plan to the public and address their concerns. However, there are misunderstandings and some affected households and farmers have insisted on “no removal, no demolition”. A few days ago, we responded to the unsubstantiated accusation of “collusion between the Government and the business sector and the transfer of benefits” through our Facebook page to allay any unnecessary doubts. Today, I would like to further respond to the demand for “no removal, no demolition”.
First, the Planning Department has made the best planning and layout for the whole new town based on the principles of urban planning and design. The new town will provide 60 700 public and private housing flats to accommodate an increased population of about 174 000 in future. It will also provide 37 700 jobs as well as schools, hospitals and all sorts of supporting community facilities, agriculture zones, parks, green belts and conservation areas, etc. As such, although we have tried to minimise the impacts on the existing local residents as far as possible, it is unavoidable that some 1 000 households would need to move. We will contact them and explain to them in detail the proposals, particularly the compensation and rehousing arrangements for them, as well as other assistance we can provide.
Why can’t we accept their demand for “no removal, no demolition”? Let us look at the planning layout of the new town. For Kwu Tung North, the location of the proposed Kwu Tung railway station of the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line was already determined in 1998. Under the usual principle of planning and urban design, the area around the station is planned as the town centre and high-density residential development will be built there to accommodate as many people as possible (80 per cent of the population will be living within 500-metre walking distance of the new railway station). The connectivity with other districts allows the residents to work across districts and also enhance the living environment by reducing car usage. Kwu Tung Village, for example, will have to be cleared as it lies exactly within this area.
For Fanling North, the planning concept is to make use of the area between the existing Fanling/Sheung Shui New Town and Ng Tung River for development. Public transport interchanges will be provided at the eastern portion and the western portion of this strip of land, and each of these areas will be developed into a town centre with high-density residential and commercial developments. In between these two clusters, a central park and a number of community facilities will be built for the enjoyment of both the existing and future residents of the new town. As Ma Shi Po Village lies exactly within the eastern residential and commercial cluster and is a major part of the development area, it will have to be cleared.
In addition, some of the affected farms are located next to the existing trunk roads with large-scale housing estates on the opposite side. With easy accessibility and adequate infrastructure facilities, these locations are more suitable for high-density developments than farming activities. Moreover, some of those affected have moved to these areas only in recent years. Apart from farming, they also run community farms and organise other activities.
In fact, many squatters within Kwu Tung North and Fanling North occupy government land without registration. Many of them are in poor hygienic conditions and without sewerage systems. During consultations, we have received many requests from residents for improving their living conditions. The planning of the new town has addressed the genuine needs of these residents.
Facing the above situation, how should the Government strike a balance between overall community needs and taking care of those affected? Making such a choice is really difficult, and we do not have an easy option. We have no other option but to move the residents.
The Government will provide assistance to affected residents for removal. Eligible residents would be offered special ex-gratia compensation of a maximum of $600 000 and other removal allowances or be offered public rental housing. Subsidised housing sites have been reserved for them. For those not fully meeting the eligibility criteria, we will also exercise discretion to offer them compensation taking into account the circumstances of individual cases. The colleagues of the Lands Department (LandsD) will contact them later and offer assistance to them as far as possible with proper use of public funds in mind.
For affected farmers, we will work together with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to provide assistance for them as far as practicable. About 28 hectares (ha) of active agricultural land in the NDAs will be affected. We have surveyed about 103 ha of agricultural land in Kwu Tung South, of which about 34 ha is fallow agricultural land that can be used for agricultural rehabilitation by affected farmers. We will introduce a Special Agricultural Land Rehabilitation Scheme, and AFCD will contact the private agricultural landowners in that area and give priority to matching them with affected farmers who wish to continue farming. Moreover, agricultural land owned by the Government will also be offered to the affected farmers for agricultural rehabilitation on a short-term tenancy basis. For those verified genuine farmers, after they have secured farmland to continue farming, they can apply to the LandsD for a waiver for building a two-storey domestic structure of 17 feet in height and with a roofed-over area of 400 square feet for self-occupation and storage of farming tools.
Besides development, we have also attached great importance to the conservation of existing natural ecology and villages. After taking into account local culture and history, Ho Sheung Heung Village and Yin Kong Village will be retained. On agriculture, apart from retaining 58 ha of agricultural land, about 37 ha of farmland at Long Valley of generally high ecological value will be conserved and zoned as “Nature Park”. The land will be resumed by the Government and managed by the AFCD to maintain farming activities. The areas south of the Park and north of Sheung Yue River will be retained as agriculture zones, serving as natural barriers from north to south to protect the Park.
We will continue to handle the unavoidable conflicts arising from the development of a new town in a professional, pragmatic and reasonable manner. While serving the whole community, we will also take care of the affected residents. We will not favour the interest of any party nor evade any difficulties. In future, besides attending the meetings of the Legislative Council Panel on Development and public hearings, we will also visit the District Council and Kwu Tung North and Fanling North to meet the local residents and listen to their views. We hope that the community can understand the importance of the new town project to the whole society, so that we can discuss it together pragmatically and take forward the new town development.
14 July, 2013
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