LCQ17: Development projects in progress

     Following is a question by the Hon Wilson Or and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, in the Legislative Council today (May 12):
 
     According to the papers submitted by the Government to the Panel on Development of this Council in January and December 2019 respectively and other published information, the engineering infrastructure works for the Kwu Tung North/Fanling North (KTN/FLN) New Development Areas (NDAs) and the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen (HSK/HT) NDA will be completed in 2031 and 2037/2038 respectively. Furthermore, the entire project of Tung Chung New Town Extension (TCNTE) is expected to be completed in 2030. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the types of works included in the engineering infrastructure works of the various NDAs;
 
(2) whether the sites for public housing development in the various NDAs will be handed over to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) or the Hong Kong Housing Society (HS) only after the completion of the site formation and engineering infrastructure works, and whether the costs of the relevant works are to be borne by the Government; and
 
(3) of the latest target dates of the following stages of the various development projects set out in the table below: (i) completion of all engineering infrastructure works, (ii) handing over of all public housing sites to the HA/HS, (iii) completion of all public housing construction works, and (iv) the entire planned population having moved into the NDAs (set out in the table below)?
 

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government has all along adopted a multi-pronged strategy to boost the supply of land and housing in Hong Kong. At present, the projects of Tung Chung New Town Extension, Kwu Tung North/Fanling North New Development Area (NDA), Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA, Yuen Long South Development and Kam Tin South Public Housing Development are all being taken forward in full swing.
      
     Regarding the various parts of the question, after consulting the relevant departments, I reply as follows:
 
(1) The above development projects involve the carrying out of site formation and infrastructure works. Generally speaking, infrastructure works mainly include roads, transport interchanges, drainage, sewerage, waterworks, common utility tunnels, pumping stations, landscaping works, cycle tracks, etc., as well as the environmental mitigation measures and environmental monitoring and audit programmes for these works. 
 
(2) For the public housing parts of the above development projects, the Government will first complete the site formation works in phases, and hand over the formed sites to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) or the Hong Kong Housing Society (HS) as soon as possible for building works. Infrastructure works will be completed in phases in tandem with the public housing development programmes. The expenditures on the site formation works for the public housing developments as well as the associated infrastructure works are covered by the project costs of the above development projects, which will be funded by the Government.
 
(3) As regards the development projects mentioned in the question, the table below sets out the estimated year for (i) phased completion of the infrastructure works, (ii) phased handing over of the public housing sites to the HA/HS, (iii) phased completion of the public housing construction works, and (iv) the entire planned population having moved in the public and private housing developments in the relevant area:
 

Note 1: Only the estimated year of completion of the first batch of public housing is given here. However, the public housing developments of each project will be completed in phases, and some of which are still at the early planning stage. The actual completion dates of all the public housing developments are subject to detailed design and will depend on the circumstances of individual sites.

Note 2: The estimated year for the entire planned population (including public and private housing) having moved in is based on the assumption that after the last batch of housing sites is formed, housing construction works can commence immediately, and residents will move in upon completion of the housing units.