The Land & Development Advisory Committee was briefed by the Development Bureau today on the 2021 Policy Address initiatives.

At the meeting, committee members welcomed the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy as a visionary plan to drive Hong Kong’s development and foster the city’s integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

They also noted that the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, together with near-shore reclamation projects and other ongoing/planned large-scale projects, would be expected to produce 4,100 hectares of land, sufficient to meet the long-term shortfall of around 3,000 hectares as estimated in the Hong Kong 2030+ final report, with a reasonable buffer for contingency needs.

With 350 hectares of land identified for building about 330,000 public housing units and 170 hectares of land secured for private housing development for the coming 10 years, the members applauded the Government’s persistent efforts in identifying land.

The members also welcomed and called for the early implementation of the measures announced in the Policy Address to speed up land supply and build a liveable city. The initiatives include reviewing green belt zones, unlocking Tso/Tong land, standardisation of land premium assessment of land exchange applications in new development areas, streamlining statutory procedures for land development, and expediting urban renewal.

Going forward, the committee considered that simplifying development processes and inter-departmental co-operation would be key to ensuring efficient and effective implementation of the development proposals set out in the Policy Address.

They gave suggestions on various aspects, such as financing arrangements, giving due regard to ecological conservation and landscaping needs, the importance of adopting a transport-led approach at the early stage and stakeholder engagement. They also considered that the Government should continue to step up its efforts in increasing land supply through land resumption to meet the public's expectations.

In response, the bureau said it would take these views into account when taking forward the initiatives.

The Planning Department also briefed the members on the finalised Hong Kong 2030+ study at today's meeting.

Assessing the overall demand and supply of land over a 30-year period from 2019 to 2048 and recommending a series of solution spaces to meet the estimated land shortfall, the study was welcomed by the committee.

It suggested that the Government should keep in view the evolution of living patterns and climate change, facilitate better matching of the residential population and job opportunities in the new development areas, consider engaging cross-sector partners to mobilise the community’s efforts in implementation, and put in place an effective mechanism to track progress.