We have been shocked and saddened by the several fatal escalator or lift accidents on the Mainland recently. Then, last week, there were escalator incidents at Times Square in Causeway Bay and Tai Wo Plaza in Tai Po, with foreign objects and the wheels of a pram getting jammed in the comb plates of the respective escalators. Although no one was injured in the incidents, they have aroused public concern over escalator safety in Hong Kong......

About two years ago, some owners of buildings developed under the Civil Servants’ Co-operative Building Societies (CBSs) and Legislative Council (LegCo) members urged the Government or the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to “positively intervene” and facilitate the redevelopment of CBS buildings. Their argument is two-fold: First, these CBS buildings are generally located in the urban area and of moderate building height. Redevelopment of these CBS sites can increase the gross floor area and in turn increase the supply of residential units. Second, these buildings are generally over 40 or 50 years old and lack building facilities such as lifts, posing access problems for elderly owners. Redevelopment can give them an opportunity to move to buildings with lifts and be spared everyday inconvenience. They thus see a case for the Government’s positive intervention to facilitate the redevelopment of CBS buildings to achieve a win-win result for all......

Lantau development is an important part of the long-term development strategy of Hong Kong. Among the development projects is the 150-hectare Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), which is adjacent to the Hong Kong International Airport and will serve as an important gateway connecting Hong Kong with the western Pearl River Delta (PRD) region and different parts of the world. To capitalise on the unique geographical advantages of the artificial island, we launched in July a two-month Stage 1 Community Engagement for the Planning, Engineering and Architectural Study for Topside Development at Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge – Feasibility Study, with a view to exploring with the public the planning and uses of developable land on the artificial island......

Looking to the east from the new Central harbourfront in the pristine weather of our hot summer days, one can see that the reclamation work of the Central – Wan Chai Bypass is progressing in full swing in the area of Wan Chai and North Point. The reclamation and construction works of this harbourfront area are set for gradual completion from 2017 onwards. We are going to give cautious consideration to the design and land uses of this valuable stretch of land at the Victoria harbourfront, and would like to invite the community to join us in the process......

At the end of last month, the current-term Government gave an account of its work regarding land and housing over the last three years in the “Report on the Work of the Current-term Government in its Third Year” and undertook to continue making every effort to increase housing land supply in the short, medium and long-term......