Government proposes measure to expedite development procedures

The bill outlined five directions to amend the current procedures.

The government has proposed a bill that will amend development-related statutory procedures to compress development timetables and accelerate land production.

In a statement, the government said the Development (Town Planning, Lands and Works) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2022 will cover procedures in town planning, land resumption, reclamation, roads, and railway works.

The bill will amend the procedures through the following directions:  streamlining and shortening statutory time limits; avoiding repetitive procedures of a similar nature; providing an express mandate in the law for the Government to proceed with different procedures in parallel; improving inconsistent or ambiguous arrangements; and streamlining other miscellaneous processes for more effective use of public resources.

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“Apart from enhancing speed and efficiency, the proposals will ensure that development procedures remain professionally based with suitable public participation, and allow us to process rehousing and compensation matters for affected persons at the earliest opportunity,” a spokesperson for the Development Bureau said. 

Under the bill, the time required to convert a piece of “primitive land” into a “spade-ready” site for housing development will be cut from at least six years to four years.

For large-scale projects such as New Development Areas, meanwhile, the time required will be down to seven years from 13 years, the spokesperson said.

The Development Bureau will also strengthen the enforcement-related provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance to protect more the rural areas with high ecological value that are subject to development pressure and environmental degradation risks.