The Lands Department (LandsD) today (May 30) posted resumption notices and acquisition notices in accordance with relevant ordinances to resume about 176 hectares of land for the implementation of the Second Phase development of the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA).
Section 4 of the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Chapter 124), section 4 of the Land Acquisition (Possessory Title) Ordinance (Chapter 130), section 14 of the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Chapter 370) and section 14 of Chapter 370 as applied by section 26 of the Water Pollution Control (Sewerage) Regulation (Chapter 358, Subsidiary Legislation AL) will be invoked.
A total of 2 548 private lots with an area of about 176 hectares will be resumed, and the land being occupied by 27 graves and 23 urns with an area of government land of about 1 460 square metres will be acquired. The said land will revert to or vest in the Government upon the expiry of a period of three months from the date of affixing the notices (i.e. August 31, 2024). The Government will release ex-gratia land compensation to the relevant land owners after land reversion.
The abovementioned land reversion date is the date of vesting of the ownership of the land in the Government. It is not the departure deadline of the affected households and business undertakings. According to the information obtained earlier from the freezing survey, there are a total of 1 693 households and 364 business undertakings within the Second Phase development of the HSK/HT NDA. According to the project schedule, they are scheduled to depart in batches from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025. The LandsD sent notification letters to the affected households and business undertakings in November 2022 informing them of the scheduled departure dates and the compensation and rehousing arrangements for their reference and early preparation for departure. The LandsD and its appointed Compensation and Rehousing Service Team will maintain communication with the affected households and business undertakings, and provide updated information as necessary, including the posting of notices three months before the departure deadlines of the affected households and business undertakings in relevant areas in accordance with the applicable procedures.
The Government is handling the compensation and rehousing matters of the affected persons at full stream, and will endeavour to arrange rehousing for or release compensation to eligible persons before the clearance commences. As of May 29, 2024, the LandsD has engaged all the households who have to depart as the first batch (274 households), amongst them, 85 households are eligible for rehousing or ex-gratia cash compensation, 147 households have their cases being processed or are yet to submit necessary information, and 42 households are not eligible based on available information (the main reasons for ineligibility include households having moved into the development area after the freezing survey, living in unauthorised structures, or owning a domestic property in Hong Kong). The LandsD will continue to contact the affected persons, so as to follow up on their rehousing and compensation matters.
The HSK/HT NDA is one of the new development area projects in the Northern Metropolis, which will supply land for residential, industrial, commercial and other developments. The construction works for the First Phase development commenced in July 2020. The construction works for the Second Phase development (including site clearance and formation, roads, drainage, sewerage and water supply systems, and river revitalisation works) will commence progressively this year.
Upon full development, the HSK/HT NDA will provide about 66 700 additional housing units accommodating a new population of about 184 000. In addition, the industrial and commercial land in the NDA will create about 6.4 million sq m of gross floor area, providing about 150 000 employment opportunities.
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