Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (June 28):
Reporter: Why do you think land resumption will be difficult especially when the (District Council) election is coming up?
Secretary for Development: Land resumption involves resettling people who are currently living there. Some of them may qualify for housing, some may not. There are also operators on these sites. So the issues are pretty complicated. Naturally we will engage them and they will seek help from different legislators or pressure groups. It is not easy because it affects people's livelihood. But we will do our best to address their concern.
Reporter: (About challenges of the Hung Shui Kiu Development Project)
Secretary for Development: The Hung Shui Kiu New Development Areas Study covers a total of over 700 hectares. The challenge in this particular study is slightly different from what we encountered in the North East New Territories Study Area. There are a lot of "brownfield sites", and there are different types of operators on these "brownfield sites". So the challenge will be how to reprovision certain space for the operators there. This will be a major obstacle in the clearance action. We are actively engaging them and in the meantime, we have been contemplating a study whereby a special purpose-built structure may be erected to house some of these operations there, so that the use of the land would be in a more reasonable manner.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Sunday, June 28, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:15
NNNN