Proposal converting New Territories brownfield sites wins industry support

The option can unlock land for housing and cause little environmental damage.

The proposal to convert large tracts of damaged agricultural land in New Territories as short- to medium-term and medium- to long-term land supply option has garnered public and industry support, according to a preliminary report by the Task Force on Land Supply. 

Also read: Reclamation and real estate revamp eyed to boost flat supply

“We have faithfully stated what the public has been saying about each of the five options, including what the supporters and opponents respectively say,” Task force chairman Stanley Wong was quoted in South China Morning Post. “Developing brownfield sites indeed has received little opposition. There are businesses operating on the sites expressing concerns about this option, but they did not say they absolutely opposed it.”

The Task Force earlier identified around 540 hectares of brownfield sites in northern Fanling, northern Kwu Tong, Hung Shui Kiu, southern Yuen Long and northern New Territories as sites with ‘high development potential.’

Also read: Land shortage exceeds government estimate of 1,200 hectares

“They believe [that the option] can not only release existing land resources for housing and other development as soon as possible, but can also improve the environment,” the report’s authors said.

Around 18 options that aims to ease Hong Kong’s worsening land shortage will be discussed in a year-end report although chief executive Carrie Lam has requested the release of preliminary report in preparation for her upcoming policy address on October.

Also read: Government mulls underground facilities to free up land for housing

Other options to boost home ownership in space-starved Hong Kong include reclamation and real estate revamp, developing land currently leased by private clubs like the Fanling Golf Course and building housing on country park peripheries.