The Task Force on Land Supply (Task Force) held its second meeting today (October 10). The meeting discussed the work plan of the Task Force and "Brownfield Sites".
The Task Force Chairman, Mr Stanley Wong, said that the work of the Task Force will be planned and carried out in three stages. First of all, the Task Force will in the coming few months examine different land supply options and consolidate the relevant facts and figures, with a view to facilitating informed discussions during the public engagement (PE). The second stage is the PE tentatively from March to July 2018. The Task Force's target is to submit its recommendations to the Government in end-November 2018 or earlier. To prepare for the PE, two sub-groups will be set up under the Task Force, and they will soon commence the work on formulating PE strategy and editing of the PE material respectively.
Mr Wong said, "The Task Force also discussed the initial estimate of the total area of brownfield sites and their broad distribution, the brownfield developments being taken forward by the Government, as well as the challenges in developing brownfield sites to increase land supply. Members considered there is a need for the public to understand that most of the brownfield sites as referred to by some in the community are not barren or idle, but are supporting different economic activities in Hong Kong. The Task Force generally agreed that it is necessary to tackle these brownfield sites with the objectives of optimising land utilisation, addressing land use incompatibility in the rural areas, and improving the environment, etc. The Task Force also generally agreed that the Government should continue to pursue in a more cost-effective manner the development of brownfield clusters covered under the New Development Area (NDA) projects in Kwu Tung North/Fanling North, Hung Shui Kiu and Yuen Long South, etc. to increase the medium to long-term land supply first. The Task Force also noted that the Government is conducting a detailed survey on the distribution of brownfield sites in the New Territories, and is studying how to accommodate brownfield operations in multi-storey buildings to release land for developments."
He added the Task Force considered that the development of brownfield sites involves comprehensive planning, land resumption and infrastructural upgrading. The Hung Shui Kiu NDA, for example, can only increase land supply in the medium to long term, and hence brownfield development is neither a short-term means for land supply, nor the only source of supply. On the other hand, brownfield operations currently involve different types of economic activities. It may not fit in well with Hong Kong's economic and land utilisation strategies if the Government is expected to reprovision all open-air brownfield operations affected by development. Which brownfield operations are more suitable for Hong Kong and need to be reprovisioned require consensus in the community, and the Government would need to conduct necessary assessments and make arrangements.
The Task Force will continue to examine other different land supply options in the coming few months.
The discussion papers of this meeting have been uploaded onto the Development Bureau's website (http://www.devb.gov.hk/en/boards_and_committees/task_force_on_land_supply/index.html).
Ends/Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Issued at HKT 21:46
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