​Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (November 19):
Reporter: Secretary, so given the recent unsuccessful tenders, should there be any adjustments in tendering conditions or their land use? Does it affect the government's overall land supply and the plan in having more land? And second on the Northern Metropolis, is the government still on track with its goal of starting land resumption procedures for all development projects by 2027?
Secretary for Development: First of all, on your question about the failed tender, I think failed tender is largely because of the current economic situation in Hong Kong and in the world. So it shouldn't be something permanent. And whenever we have a failed tender, we will consider rolling out the site again sometime later, under different market circumstances, and sometimes with adjustments to the tender conditions, for example in the past when a particular site is a bit large, we may sort of reduce it, cut it up into two different sites, and that may help the tender, but it depends on the site concerned.
As regards whether we will change the land use, whenever there is a failed tender, I think we should not run into knee-jerk reactions because the land uses for different parcels of land are premised on comprehensive planning and known demand. So if we change it too readily, it will upset the balance of the different land uses we have in mind. As regards your question as to whether failed tenders will affect our plan in land supply and producing land, we will not. Because tender is about the situation reaction in a particular market condition, but the production of land and increase of land supply is a long-term land supply issue, and we have to be determined to roll out different sources of land supply if we are to meet the different demands of land for Hong Kong's development.
Regarding your question about the Northern Metropolis, in the recently published Action Agenda (Northern Metropolis Action Agenda) we have pledged that we will commence the resumption of land for all the development projects by 2027, it is by 2027. Actually we have commenced resumption of land for different land parcels, for example those in Hung Shui Kiu and Kwu Tung North quite some years ago. So our pledge is to commence the resumption for the rest of the development areas by 2027, actually it's continuing.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)