2007-08 Policy Address:
(10) New Development Areas (NDAs):
To ease pressure on developed areas and to meet the demand for land arising from population growth, we need to plan for NDAs without delay. The scope of NDAs will be smaller, less than one fourth of that of the existing new towns such as Tuen Mun and Sha Tin. The NDAs will provide land for various uses such as housing, employment, high value-added and non-polluting industries. Through comprehensive planning, the NDAs will provide quality living space and convenience to both residents and users. In this connection, we will revive planning and engineering studies on NDAs at Kwu Tung North, Fanling North, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling and Hung Shui Kiu, and work out implementation strategies.

New towns to be smaller and greener in future
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The four new towns in the northeastern New Territories mentioned in the policy address will be smaller, more user- friendly and greener than the current ones, the development chief said yesterday.

Speaking on an RTHK program, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the development of these towns, though smaller in scale, will be balanced with environmentally conscious designs and green landscape.

She said the overdevelopment of public housing in Tin Shui Wai, with few compatible community facilities, will not be seen in these towns.

Also, unlike the former policy of waiting for the population of towns to reach certain levels before facilities are built, Lam said public housing will in future go hand in hand with adequate community and leisure facilities.

In his policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen spoke of new development areas in the northeastern New Territories to meet population demands.

These developments include Hung Shui Kiu and the "three-in-one" plan comprising Kwu Tung North, Fan Ling North and Ta Kwu Ling.

In size, these new towns will be less than a quarter of the existing new towns like Sha Tin, which has a population of about 120,000.

A feasibility study of the three-in- one development will start early next year, followed by a study on Hung Shui Kiu.

Lawmakers meeting yesterday said that since these towns will be built from scratch, more stringent building and environmental restrictions should be placed to turn them into environment-friendly towns.

Current green plans call for green rooftops to be realized in 20 existing government buildings by next year to attenuate the urban heat island effect and improve air quality.

Lam said viable designs of green- conscious cities in other places may be incorporated into the new town planning model.

To implement the lower density development concept, a review of Hong Kong's outline zoning plans have already been initiated.

Out of the current 108 outline zoning plans, 50 do not have development restrictions such as plot ratios and height limits, Lam said.

Priority will be given to plans covering areas under high redevelopment pressure and the Victoria Harbour waterfront.

The development chief also recognized that adopting public consultation in the early stages of project planning, complete with a heritage impact assessment, will be necessary to speed up infrastructure projects which have been lagging behind over the past few years.

They should focus on redevelopment rather than developing new towns... (not to say they should stop that completely, but shift focus on making the old new)

Many areas in HK are beginning to age like crazy now.

They should focus on redevelopment rather than developing new towns... (not to say they should stop that completely, but shift focus on making the old new)

Many areas in HK are beginning to age like crazy now.

the new town is to decentralize the population and lower the population density.
we can't just redevelop all the locations with very high density. it's first not very pleasant to live and the infrastructures aren't able to support the population boom in old area.

They should focus on redevelopment rather than developing new towns... (not to say they should stop that completely, but shift focus on making the old new)

Many areas in HK are beginning to age like crazy now.

Both are happening, but if the city were to depend on urban redevelopment, then not much will change for years. Langham Place took over 15 years to redevelop from start to finish, and these projects are oftentimes very time consuming especially when trying to figure out complex ownership structures, locating the owners who may no longer live in HK, and then figuring out a settlement amount.

Northern areas earmarked for university, hi-tech plants
Development proposed to meet needs of 8.6m population
12 October 2007
South China Morning Post

Areas for development in the northern New Territories - flagged by the chief executive in his policy address on Wednesday - are intended to house a university, logistic and high-value-added industries and low-density residential developments, a Planning Department study released yesterday shows.

None of the plans will come to fruition if projections for the city's population growth shrink, the study says. On the other hand, more land will be needed in the area if projections rise. The developments would take 12 or 13 years to complete.

The study earmarks Kwu Tung North, Fanling North, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling in North District, and Hung Shui Kiu in Yuen Long District for development, and forecasts they will house 350,000 people.

The study, "HK2030: Planning Vision and Strategy", was started in 2000 and comprises the views of the public, expert opinion from a 12-strong panel of academics and professionals appointed by the department, and technical assessments.

The study says the rural characteristics of Kwu Tung North make it a desirable location for a new university campus, which would feature housing for students. It would target international and mainland students and skilled professionals.

The government predicts rising demand for land from "special industries" involved in hi-tech production, logistics and high-value-added manufacturing by 2030, and the study forecasts they will need gross floor area of up to 2.9 million square metres. Sites at Hung Shui Kiu, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling could be reserved for these industries, it says.

Residential developments would have a density only one quarter of that of traditional new towns such as Tseung Kwan O.

The study assumes a population of 8.6 million by 2036, up 1.6 million from now. It assumes 1.1 million of them will be housed in new towns such as Tung Chung and Tseung Kwan O and in metropolitan areas including the Kai Tak and West Kowloon developments.

The study warns the plans will cost tens of billions of dollars to implement, and says contingencies should be built into them to cope with unpredictable changes in population.

If, within the next few years, the population is projected to reach only 8 million by 2030, the government should consider scrapping the plans, the study says.

That is a realistic prospect, it says, given that the cost of living north of the border is lower and living conditions there are improving, and that Hong Kong lacks jobs for those with few skills - factors which may encourage some workers and retirees to move north.

If, on the other hand, the population is projected to reach 8.8 million by 2030, areas in Kam Tin, Au Tau, San Tin and Ngau Tam Mei, all in Yuen Long District, would be needed to accommodate the additional 200,000 people.

University of Hong Kong statistician Paul Yip Siu-fai said population growth was expected to vary in the coming years, but the government should be prudent about developing rural areas.

"About 25 per cent of our births last year were to mainlanders. The population is fluid," he said.

Dr Yip agreed that improvements in cross-border infrastructure was encouraging migration to the mainland.

He said the government had underestimated the proportion of the working population likely to move from Hong Kong to the mainland.

Ng Cho-nam, a member of the Town Planning Board and an adviser to the study, said it laid down major principles for Hong Kong's development.

發展新界東北容納18萬人
30/11/2007
東方日報

【 本 報 訊 】 政 府 首 度 披 露 新 界 東 北 三 個 新 發 展 區 的 發 展 藍 圖 ， 總 發 展 面 積 逾 八 百 公 頃 ， 共 可 容 納 約 十 八 萬 人 口 ， 其 中 以 古 洞 北 規 模 最 大 ， 可 容 納 約 十 萬 人 口 ， 並 可 創 造 約 一 萬 六 千 個 就 業 職 位 。 當 局 計 劃 明 年 中展 開 為 期 兩 年 半 的 檢 討 研 究 ， 進 行 環 境 影 響 評 估 及 擬 備 發 展 大 綱 圖 。

土 木 工 程 拓 展 署 向 環 境 保 護 署 提 交 的 工 程 項 目 簡 介 指 ， 因 應 人 口 增 加 ， 為 應 付 房 屋 需 求 及 製 造 就 業 機 會 ， 政 府 計 劃 在 上 水 古 洞 北 、 粉 嶺 北 和 坪 輋 ／ 打 鼓 嶺 拓 展 新 發 展 區 ， 其 中 以 古 洞 北 的 發 展 規 模 最 大 ， 佔 地 近 五 百 公 頃 。

文 件 指 出 ， 拓 展 署 初 步 發 現 ， 古 洞 北 有 多 個 具 生 態 價 值 的 地 方 ， 包 括 鷺 鳥 林 、 短 吻 果 蝠 棲 息 地 等 ， 粉 嶺 北 和 坪 輋 ／ 打 鼓 嶺 則 有 罕 見 的 虎 皮 蛙 及 狹 口 蛙 。 而 新 發 展 區 範 圍 內 暫 知 有 五 處 文 物 建 築 ， 包 括 被 列 為 法 定 古 蹟 的 古 洞 北 居 石 侯 公 祠 。

署 方 表 示 ， 將 來 在 新 發 展 區 會 進 行 紓 緩 措 施 ， 包 括 種 植 植 物 屏 障 ， 避 免 自 然 生 態 受人 類 活 動 滋 擾 ， 進 行 土 地 平 整 工 程 時 會 盡 量 避 免 破 壞 文 物 遺 產 。 由 於 坪 輋 ／ 打 鼓 嶺和 古 洞 北 均 鄰 近 堆 填 區 ， 署 方 亦 會 特 別 評 估 新 發 展 區 將 來 受 沼 氣 影 響 的 風 險 。

屯門東擬建休閒市鎮
07/02/2008
http://the-sun.on.cc/channels/img/endmarker.gif

【本報訊】屯門東十四幅土地擬作中至低密度住宅發展，以「休閒市鎮，環抱山海」為城市設計概念，樓宇最高不超過二十層，其中一幅地則撥作公屋。當局擬擴闊青山公路，以應付未來發展的交通流量。

土木工程拓展署聯同規劃署發表屯門東房屋用地發展諮詢文件，研究範圍西至三聖眤、北至大欖郊野公園、東至大欖涌明渠、南至海岸線，範圍內的西面和中部接近屯門市中心，東面主要被山林覆蓋。

當局初步建議屯門東以「休閒市鎮，環抱山海」為城市設計概念，以配合現有自然綠化環境、蜿蜒的海岸線和山巒起伏的背景。當局傾向十四幅用地的發展高度介乎三至二十層，並會進行空氣流通評估。

Private-public deals eyed for new towns
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The government hopes to promote private-public partnerships in an innovative attempt to develop the northeastern New Territories, the Development Bureau said yesterday.

It is focusing on two new development areas, one under the "Three-in-One" plan comprising Kwu Tung North, Fan Ling North and Ping Che/ Ta Kwu Ling, and the other at Hung Shui Kiu.

A planning and engineering study will begin as soon as the Legislative Council Finance Committee approves the study budget of HK$50.8 million.

In the government's "2030 Study" report, the new development areas will have a population of 350,000.

The study is expected to be completed in 30 months.

Since the sites consist mainly of privately-owned land amid scattered villages and squatters, development chief Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said land resumption was not suitable as this could lead to disputes and judicial challenges.

Private-public partnership, however, could work, Lam said.

The last such study was conducted in 2003 and a new study is needed since there have been vast changes in the economy, the public's aspiration for a better living environment, and awareness of heritage conservation.

While praising the initiative, lawmakers were concerned about the transparency in the partnerships since there is no current mechanism to monitor such operations.

Tin Shui Wai was cited by legislators as an example of a new town failure as the lack of planning caused massive social problems.

Lam vowed to learn from this failure and said future new towns with a population of 350,000 or more will not suffer from such planning mistakes.

The study will look into the low-density development at the sites with a mix of public and private housing.

It will also consider supporting community facilities, provide employment opportunities within the remote areas and transportation links to other areas.

These issues were not addressed in Tin Shui Wai until a series of cases involving family violence caught the attention of the public.

Lam said planning for the new towns would incorporate green strategies such as energy-saving and waste-recycling measures.

A heritage and ecological conservation study will also be commenced to identify areas to be protected.

A three-stage public consultation will take place during the study.

The two new projects, which will take 12 to 13 years to develop, were highlighted in last October's policy address as urgent means to provide housing to meet future needs.

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2008/0815/IMG_2666.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2008/0815/IMG_2700.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2008/0815/IMG_2698.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2008/0815/IMG_2891.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2008/0815/IMG_2902.jpg

Some excellent photos. I've always liked that area.

it snows in hongkong?

it snows in hongkong?

No. Even frost is a rare thing.

Rental flats for elderly set for Tin Shui Wai
6 October 2008
South China Morning Post

The Executive Council has agreed in principle to allocate 60,000 square metres of land in Tin Shui Wai to the Housing Society for a residential development for the elderly.

When the two-phase project is completed, the land near Hong Kong Wetland Park will feature 1,250 rental flats for the elderly plus recreational facilities and guesthouses.

Officials have boasted it would be an ideal retirement environment, and even touted it as an attraction for youngsters and medical tourism.

The first phase, with 600 rental flats, is expected to be completed in about five years and create 800 jobs. Facilities such as clinics and care homes will also be built to cater for the needs of the elderly.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday the project was the first of its kind.

"This innovative plan includes a guesthouse. As the scenery is beautiful in Tin Shui Wai, I believe youngsters are going to come and visit their elderly relatives," she said.

Housing Society chairman Yeung Ka-sing said the Integrated Elderly Community Project was aimed at creating job opportunities.

In return for the land, the Housing Society will return a lot on Tsing Luk Street, Tsing Yi, which it bought for about HK$370 million.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung described the project as "out of the ordinary".

He said the wide range of facilities would benefit locals, and the medical facilities could be attractive to those who visited Hong Kong for medical tourism.

The project is part of the government's wider plan to create jobs and revitalise the economy in the northwest New Territories, distant from the city and home to a large number of less-well-off new immigrants.

However, Tin Shui Wai Development Network chairwoman Chung Yuen-yi said she had reservations about the number of jobs that could be created through the project.

"Elderly-related jobs are likely to be part-time jobs. For example, a domestic helper only gets to work for a few hours from time to time."

Even if the number of jobs to be created was correct, the project would provide little help to the unemployed in the new town.

"There are about 20,000 unemployed people in Tin Shui Wai," she said. "Eight hundred jobs could only help very few people in this sense."

Meanwhile, the government is calling for expressions of interest for the development of recreational and commercial facilities on 30,000 square metres of land nearby.

Development limited to 12pc of border area
Preservation stressed in plans
14 May 2008
South China Morning Post

Development would be allowed on only about 12 per cent of the 2,400-hectare closed border area, according to concept plans revealed by the Planning Department yesterday.

Areas proposed for low-density development include the Lok Ma Chau Loop, Kong Nga Po and more than 20 small villages.

Natural and historic landscapes, comprising more than 80 per cent of the border area, will be protected by an outline zoning plan, expected to be completed before the border area is opened up in 2010.

But few details have been given on how villagers in the area will be involved in the new development.

A three-month public consultation will be launched on Friday on the plans, which will be sent to the Town Planning Board the same day. Based on the public's comments, more detailed development will be drafted later in the year.

According to the consultation document, a new community will be built at Kong Nga Po to showcase green architecture and sustainable-living concepts.

The 10-hectare area, north of Sheung Shui, was dredged to provide mud for public works and the site has been filled.

The site was chosen for low-rise buildings because it was government-owned and easily accessible from Sheung Shui, a Planning Department source said.

Orderly small-house development would also be allowed at more than 20 villages in the border area to show respect to the development rights of villagers.

"Less sensitive areas outside the border, like Kwu Tung North and Fanling North, are more suitable for new-town developments of higher density," the source said, adding that higher education and high-value-added production activities could be proposed at the loop.

Land use of the loop will be studied separately by the end of the year.

Apart from limiting new development, proposals have also been made to protect areas of ecological value. The department has proposed a country park at Robin's Nest, a large piece of woodland connecting Wutongshan National Forest Park in Shenzhen and Pat Sin Leng Country Park in Hong Kong. The area is recognised as an ecological corridor between Hong Kong and the mainland.

While protecting Hong Kong's largest colonies of egrets at Ho Sheung Heung and an ecologically sensitive stream at Lin Ma Hang, villagers will be encouraged to enhance their wetlands and revitalise abandoned farmland for organic farming.

At Ma Tso Lung, an eco-lodge is proposed for the appreciation of natural features, fish ponds, wetlands and rural landscapes.

For those interested in cultural heritage, trails linking historic buildings and structures in old villages would also be available at Ta Kwu Ling, Planning Department sources said. They added that incentives would be provided to non-governmental organisations for refurbishing vacant houses and disused schools for holiday camps, village-life experience centres and retirement villages.

The vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, Kim Chan Kim-on, said the careful development approach proposed by the department would be appreciated by the community.

"The border areas should be treasured and stored as backup land," he said. "Lots of land outside the border area is underused and not well planned, and these sites should be developed first."

NDAs have nothing to do with population growth
6 May 2008
South China Morning Post

"To ease pressure on developed areas and to meet the demand for land arising from population growth, we need to plan for NDAs [New Development Areas] without delay."

2007-08 Policy Address,

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen

"The [Heung Yee] Kuk proposed forming the long-awaited university hub at Heung Shui Kiu instead of Kwu Tung North {hellip}

Large container yards are proposed in Ta Kwu Ling and Ping Che, currently used for open storage {hellip}"

SCMP, May 5

So let's have it again, Donald, how development of these four NDAs is about relieving the pressure on urban areas of our booming population. It seems the Kuk has a different agenda. Cross your heart now and swear you were not hiding a Kuk script.

I mean we already have eight universities, or was it nine, all of them included in Hong Kong's top 10 and the Pearl River Delta's top 30 institutes of tertiary learning. Some of them even have students who can read and most have graduates who qualify for jobs as flight attendants, no less.

It was my understanding that the big idea behind "university hub" was to build on this record by making Hong Kong a new Oxford or Harvard, attracting students from around the world, even pulling them back home again from the University of British Columbia.

Laudable as this may be, however, I do not quite follow the steps of logic that would make it part of an effort to ease population pressures. I must be missing something here because it strikes me that "university hub" would do more to worsen than to ease these pressures.

Of course, I may have misunderstood the word "population".

Perhaps what was meant here was our population of container boxes, stacked higgledy-piggledy in rusting heaps everywhere in the New Territories. It may indeed be worthwhile to designate official refuse tips for these eyesores.

Then again, we may not have to suffer from this affliction much longer. Ports across the border are rapidly supplanting our own Kwai Chung container port as the premier shipping outlet for mainland-made goods. If this trend keeps up we will no longer need large container yards and at least two of these NDAs might thus be best kept as country park.

The simple fact is that one cannot be sure any longer whether the word "population" can even be associated with the word "growth" except in the fantasies of government planners.

The chart demonstrates what I mean. That red line on top represents the high-growth scenario of the Third Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS3), a 1997 study that still constitutes the basic justification for most infrastructure projects now under way.

It envisaged a population of about 8.4 million at the end of 2007. The actual figure was 6.96 million (the blue line at the bottom). For demographics this error is so huge as to be off the scale. Even the lowest growth scenario in CTS3 (the green line) yields a much greater population at present than we actually have.

And it obviously leads to the question of why the government is pushing these four NDAs at all.

I think the answer has mostly to do with the fact that contracts are contracts and they yield money with poured concrete as a by-product, which keeps functional constituencies happy in the Legislative Council.

But one constituency in particular here concerns me - the Kuk. I think its big boys are not entirely happy with all the attention given the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop on the Shenzhen River. This big plot of land is owned by cross-border interests rather than by Kuk members.

We are apparently obligated to allow development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop. Our official policy of craven acquiescence to the whims of provincial and municipal authorities across the border requires it. But the Kuk is annoyed being left out. It wants its share of the loot too rather than have all the money go across the border. In compensation we have thus agreed to let it have its way with four big pieces of land - those four NDAs.

I understand this and I understand the reasons for it. But I also thought the Kuk would have been more tactful about this and not rubbed our faces in it by publicly dictating development plans. Apparently I was wrong.

沙頭角活化擬搞生態遊民初建築招客 不開放恐成空談
23 October 2008
太陽報

【太陽報專訊】規劃署研究改善仍屬禁區範圍的沙頭角鄉鎮及鄰近地區，擬發展生態及文化旅遊，當中的舊消防局、舊郵局和舊火車站，及一列民初時期建築物都是具吸引力的景點，遊人亦可坐船出海，到附近人○罕至的島嶼尋幽探秘。但沙頭角商會主席曾玉安說，區內有不少建築物具有吸引力，但若政府不開放沙頭角，遊人很難申請到來，沙頭角難發揮旅遊點的角色。規劃署指出，保安局年初宣布大幅縮減邊境禁區範圍，由二千八百公頃減至四百公頃，但因保安理由，沙頭角及沙頭角海仍維持在禁區範圍之內，令沙頭角更見特色。該署表示，早在八十年代，深圳發展為經濟特區，中英街吸引很多內地客到訪，但自從○三年內地開放個人遊，內地人來港更加方便，到訪中英街的內地人大幅減少，打擊沙頭角的經濟活動。該署又說，沙頭角居民一直要求開放禁區，以活化沙頭角經濟活動，保安局曾與居民商討，提出容許居民舉辦旅行團，利用碼頭前往附近島嶼遊覽。今次研究範圍包括沙頭角○、崗下及山咀等，合共面積三十三公頃土地，及鄰近地區如鳳坑、谷埔、榕樹凹、鎖羅盆、荔枝窩、三椏村、鴨洲、吉澳等合共三百零五公頃土地。該署計劃聘請顧問公司研究，明年開始，預計十九個月後完成，期間會諮詢居民意見。

此外，粵港兩地決定興建第五個跨境口岸蓮塘/香園圍，發展局初步總結諮詢結果，指公眾意見大致支持興建新口岸，但部分受影響村民擔心連接路走線會對他們造成影響，及關注搬遷賠償安排。發展局擬於下月向立法會申請撥款八千八百七十萬元，進行新口岸布局及連接路走線等的研究。地政總署已成立專責小組，與受搬村影竹園村居民商討搬村安排。而古洞北、粉嶺北及坪輋/打鼓嶺的三合一新發展區，由於區內多私人土地，發展局計劃以公私合營方式發展，新發展區會採中密度發展，規模較新市鎮細。發展局計劃年底進行第一階段公眾參與，在二○一一年完成新界東北新發展區研究。落馬洲河套區則會研究發展為高等桝育、高科技研發及創意工業等可行用途，發展局今年底會向立法會申請撥款，明年中展開全面規劃研究。

規劃署展開研究 增區內供應 東涌擬填海增住宅用地
22 October 2008
星島日報

日前離島區議會討論有關東涌餘下土地未來規劃，據了解，有關方面將計畫在東涌東面，透過填海的方式提供私樓發展用地，料可容納四萬人，估計私樓供應將涉近萬個單位；不過有測量界及學者均認為，公營房屋與私樓比較屬八二之比，明顯私樓供應量較少，建議私樓的比率應增加至五成。

規劃署及離島區議會日前初步就東涌未來規劃發展達成共識，計畫在東涌東、西面雙綫發展公屋私樓。據悉，為配合東涌將達到二十二萬人口的目標，規劃署及區議員均建議在東涌東、西區進行填海，以增加土地興建私樓以及公屋。預計未來東涌西區，即逸東邨對開增建公營房屋，將有足夠公屋應付十六萬人口，而東涌東面，即映灣園以東方向，則將建成私樓，以應付四萬個人口，公營房屋與私樓比較屬八二之比，是次涉及的為市中心三及四期，至於一期及二期分別已發展為逸東邨以及映灣園等私樓。

公屋私樓比例八比二

有業內人士預期，有關用地將建三十至四十座住宅，才可以應付二十二萬人口的需求，估料未來該區私樓單位新供應可達近萬伙。

理工大學建築及房地產學系教授許智文認為，以規劃新增人口二十萬計算，東涌的公屋及私樓比例可按三五之比發展，另外二成可興居屋作緩衝，換言之，即私樓的比率應增加至五成。

學者倡增私樓至五成

韋堅信測量師行商業及投資部董事許偉國亦認為，東涌區公屋與私樓的供應比例應該要平衡，但是次計畫內容就明顯私樓供應量較少；他續指，計畫屬於一項長遠的投資，雖然需時超過五年以上，但認為仔細的資料搜集為必須的，至於短期區內雖然無新供應，但由於現時經濟放緩，加上未來本港人口增長亦較慢，故該區新供應斷層應該未會造成太大影響。

中原測量師行董事黎堅輝則指，計畫中公屋比例較多，但由於該區目前私樓的供應量接近飽和，加上估計政府或會考慮騰空市區公屋，搬遷至東涌，故未來該區於公屋的供應量上增多亦屬正確的考慮，他又指，由於項目填海需時，而短期區內新供應有限則是可以預見的。

東涌地王抽出勾地表

有業界人士指出，現時東涌市中心區的私樓已近乎完全落成，該區短期內只有香港興業的水藍•天岸餘下單位，和長實的映灣園最後一期洋房新供應，整體新供應只有約一百伙，而年前勾地表中的東涌56區地皮，雖然面積偌大，不過亦已於本年度抽起，換言之，現時東涌市中心區短期內已沒有住宅地皮供應。

有測量師認為，在供應有限下，政府現時才開始研究東涌餘下的土地發展，反映較慢，由於有關研究需時，政府現時計畫最快在明年底，由土木工程拓展署委託展開研究，料二○一二年才完成，由填海至完成，連同批地時間等，料東涌未來或將出現私樓供應的斷層。

美聯營業董事歐沚軒表示，短期內該區由於私樓供應短缺，將會出現斷層。不過他稱，東涌餘下用地發展屬長遠規劃，相信屆時大批公屋住戶進駐後，該區可發展成較具競爭力的區域，部分有換樓需要的公屋住戶，將很大機會選擇同區物業，間接對該區私樓市場有幫助。

有關方面早前決定在東涌餘下用地的規劃方案，採用填海方式以增建住宅，不過有區議會擔心，由於有關用地涉及填海，料有關研究在諮詢過程中，將需要較多討論，同時報告預計在三年後完成，隨後連同發展期，有關新發展部分，大有機會於十年八年後才竣工，擔心出現社區人口及配套出現斷層。

濕地公園附近兩區 規劃大綱限建築顏色
10月23日 星期四 05:05

【明報專訊】擬作建造業訓練中心及長者屋的天水圍 112區及115區，鄰近濕地公園 ，為免騷擾園內雀鳥及破壞自然環境，規劃署 擬定規劃大綱時，首次規定建築物不能以白、黃或粉紅等反射率高的色系設計，並要設定30米緩衝區及35至40米的通風廊，新種的植物亦不應是非本地的品種。

將建長者屋建造訓練中心

佔地7.55公頃及6.44公頃的天水圍112區及115區，分別位於濕地公園西面及南面，發展局月初宣布批出115區予房協建綜合長者屋，至於112區部分土地將以5年租期用作興建建造業訓練中心，其餘土地則會以短期租約租出。

規劃署表示，兩地毗鄰濕地公園，為免發展會影響公園及米埔 濕地的自然環境，遂於規劃大綱訂立具體規定，包括設立30米緩衝區。署方又稱，雀鳥對噪音及活動特別敏感，遂建議停車場、公共空間等皆需遠離公園。

此外，地皮內不得興建逾11層高的樓宇，並應以梯級式由西向東發展，「樓宇應獨立發展，並需預留空間，確保不會產生屏風效應，以免不太靈活的雀鳥飛越地皮時撞傷」。

禁用反射率高色系

大綱更規定建築不能使用反射率高的色系，如白色、粉紅或黃色，建議改用灰、棕或綠等色，以配合公園的自然環境。大綱亦建議兩區需增設35至40米闊的通風廊及加強綠化，署方並以公園的植物較敏感為由，規定不應種植非本地的植物，以免影響自然生態。

城市規劃委員會 副主席黃澤恩表示，首次見到規劃大綱限定建築物的顏色，「對上一次已是位於特別樓宇如禮賓府 或立法會 旁的發展，政府會於地契上列明『設計、外觀及高度條款』，但都不會寫得如此嚴謹」。

他指濕地公園以木料興建觀鳥屋，又要求訪客保持肅靜，「建築署設計這公園時，連坐向也有考慮，確保訪客面向的是濕地而非毗鄰的公屋，所以毗鄰的112及115區必定要有仔細規定，以免影響公園的生態」。

學會：新市鎮建多元房屋
10月8日 星期三 06:30

(星島日報報道)本港新市鎮的規劃不時為人詬病，近年積極「落區」作規劃研究的規劃師學會，在兩個最「年輕」新市鎮作意見分析後，認為當局應在新市鎮提供更多元化的房屋類型組合，為居民創造多一點「選擇」。學會指出，房協近日落實在天水圍興建低密度長者屋，打造另類的「長者社區」，正切合有關方向，希望可作為未來新界北新市鎮的發展借鏡。

規劃師學會近年揀選了天水圍和東涌，透過積極探訪或舉辦城市規劃工作坊，作深入研究新市鎮規劃。規劃師學會會長凌嘉勤表示，天水圍雖然一直被人稱為「悲情城市」，但本身的規劃標準十分好，居住環境不錯，主要問題是區內房屋組合過於側重公屋，尤以天水圍北為甚，當局應設法令區內的房屋組合變得較為均衡。

讚房協建低密度長者屋

他又指出，天水圍樓宇布局予人一種「疏離」感覺，認為該區日後發展的地盤面積不適宜過大，又應減少平台式設計。他說，吸取近年規劃經驗後，發現規劃過程最重要是為居民創造多一點選擇，不能讓每個社區只是同一模樣。對於房協落實在天水圍興建低密度長者屋，正是切合方向，「意味政府可以利用政策，改變天水圍人口構成和分布。」

至於東涌，凌嘉勤稱也收集到類似的規劃意見，但由於東涌鄰近機場，職位數目較多，職位分布亦較廣，區內低技術人士所面對的民生問題，相信沒有天水圍那般嚴重。記者 歐志軍

天水圍濕地公園對開兩地改用途，區內潛在私樓供應減３８００伙
(經濟通)10月27日

天水圍濕地公園對開兩幅用地，原可作住宅發展，但現時政府計劃有變，其中第１１５區用地交予房協發展長者屋，而第１１２區用地則作建造業訓練中心及商業區，作五年短期出租，令該區潛在私人樓宇供應大減３８００伙。

按政府原擬定的規劃，天水圍區未來最少有４幅用地，可供興建私樓之用，其中兩幅為港鐵（０００６６）代為招標出售，包括輕鐵天水圍站上蓋項目，可建１６００伙，以及西鐵天水圍站上蓋項目，可建２５００伙，兩地暫時未落實招標日期。

至於另外兩幅可供私樓發展用地，坐落於濕地公園對開，分別為天水圍第１１２區及１１５區，均為政府用地，並規劃為「綜合發展區」，分別佔地９１﹒６萬及６９萬平方呎。

早前經規劃署就兩地用途檢討後，為要配合濕地公園的設計規範，降低兩地的發展密度，由地積比約２倍減至１﹒５倍，兩地可建樓面面積共２４０﹒９萬平方呎，提供３８００伙，政府原計劃把該兩幅用地加入勾地表內，供發展商申請。

天水圍第１１２區及１１５區兩幅用地，曾一度計劃最早可於２００７至２００８年度列入勾地表內供申請，但一直未有落實。

及至近日，兩地的發展出現變數，發展局局長林鄭月娥於本月中宣布，坐落於濕地公園以南的天水圍１１５區，整幅佔地６９萬平方呎用地，獲行政會議原則上同意透過換地批予房協，並發展有「富貴長者屋」之稱的綜合長者社區計劃，預算可於明年開始動工，５至６年後竣工。

《香港經濟日報》

施政報告:天水圍興建醫院料2015年落成
(星島)10月15日 星期三 12:42

行政長官曾蔭權今早在立法會發表新一份的《施政報告》。曾蔭權表示，天水圍新市鎮近年發展迅速，因應該區的服務需求，我們計劃在天水圍興建一所醫院，加強區內的醫療服務。預計工程可在2011年展開，並於2015年完成。

Clean, green and friendly - new towns won't be modelled on the past
13 November 2008
South China Morning Post

The government will join landowners to develop three new towns in northeast New Territories to create low-carbon-producing communities, it says in a consultation paper to be discussed by the Town Planning Board tomorrow.

Citing the undesirable example of Tin Shui Wai - an isolated town which lacks employment opportunities and has been the site of several suicides - the government said plans for the new towns would be people-oriented. The paper, to be released for a one-month public consultation after the board gives its views, also proposes different forms of partnerships with landowners.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, in his policy address delivered last year, said the government would press ahead with new developments in Kwu Tung North, Fanling North and an area covering Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling.

The new developments, aimed at creating communities that will contain 180,000 people, were initiated in the 1990s but were shelved in 2003 as population growth and housing demand slowed.

The paper highlighted potential uses like mixed-residential developments, tertiary educational facilities and special industries. The Planning Department said the new towns would be no more than a quarter of the size of present similar towns and a low-carbon economy would be promoted.

Consideration would be given to treating sewage produced by the new towns for reuse, and rubbish recycling, renewable energy and non-fossil-fuel-based transport like walking, cycling and railway transport would also be encouraged.

Recreational and social facilities for non-working mothers and young people would be provided.

The department said the new towns would be integrated with developments in Lok Ma Chau Loop and the new border crossing at Heung Yuen Wai.

Given that most land in the area is privately owned, the government will propose eight models of public-private partnership to choose from. For example, landowners are encouraged to submit development proposals and set up a development company to participate in new projects.

In some models, private developers are allowed to amalgamate private land for development consistent with government plans. The government might also build a business park or technology park to attract more private investments in the new towns.

Frank Chan Shung-fai, chairman of Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee, said three types of non-polluting land use, including fashion outlets, medical tourism and a software centre, had emerged from discussions among villagers there.

Mr Chan said residents mainly preferred either selling their land to the government or submitting development proposals. "Many of us want to contribute ideas and participate in the development, because our roots are here," he said.

Ng Mee-kam, associate professor in urban planning and design at University of Hong Kong, said local partnerships could help to avoid creating an isolated dead space, but to preserve community networks and raise sense of ownership.

According to the government, development plans will be drafted next year and detailed plans will be ready by 2010. The new towns are expected to be established by 2019.

Idea of HK-Shenzhen financial zone praised
Economists hail proposed border precinct
14 November 2008
South China Morning Post

A financial co-operation zone between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be a big step forward, but its success will depend on what schemes Beijing will allow, economists and industry players say.

They were commenting after Shenzhen Deputy Mayor Li Feng vowed to work more closely with the Hong Kong government to battle the financial crisis and set a long-term objective of building a financial co-operation zone straddling the border, for which he said a number of pilot schemes would be launched.

He said such a zone could provide experience "for opening up of the whole nation's financial sector".

Mr Li was speaking at a meeting at which Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen and Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng also signed five new agreements on issues including development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, tourism and education.

Mr Li also pledged to expand yuan business in Hong Kong, pushing for development of a system that would allow payments for imported goods to be settled in yuan, and to encourage more Shenzhen companies to seek a public listing in Hong Kong.

Economists and financial industry players applauded the move towards a financial co-operation zone, describing it as a big step forward in the mainland's efforts to open up its financial sector.

They said both cities as well as the whole Pearl River Delta would benefit from it, but the key for its success was how many high-level schemes the central government would allow.

"At the initial stage, the co-operation is expected to be limited to services that are simple and easily regulated," said Qu Jian, director of the China Development Institute's Shenzhen Economic Research Centre. He said the central government would not allow activities that could have a huge and abrupt impact on the whole nation's financial sector, because of Beijing's capital controls.

In August last year, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange unveiled a policy that would allow mainland residents to trade Hong Kong stocks themselves under a pilot scheme. However, the "through-train" programme was vetoed by the central government, worried that a huge capital outflow would undermine the mainland market.

Stanley Wong Yuen-fai, an executive director at ICBC (Asia), said it would be hard to establish a physical platform for co-operation in financial areas. "Some co-operation, such as linking the settlement networks of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, would facilitate some transactions conducted in both areas in light of closer economic integration between Hong Kong and the mainland," he said.

Daniel Chan Po-ming, a senior investment strategist at DBS Bank (Hong Kong), said the benefits could be great if the scheme allowed capital to flow in and out of Shenzhen, but this would not be easy to achieve.

"Something like allowing Hong Kong companies to borrow money in the mainland with their Hong Kong assets as collateral would provide much smaller benefits to the city," Mr Chan said.

Loop must wait until 2020 for roads, drains
8 December 2008
South China Morning Post

A border site proposed as Hong Kong's answer to Silicon Valley will only get basic roads and drainage by 2020 - 23 years after the area was made available for development.

The timetable, highlighted by a senior official yesterday during a seminar on proposals to develop the Lok Ma Chau Loop area, drew immediate criticism.

Samson Tam Wai-ho, who represents the information technology sector in the Legislative Council, said: "Ten years from now technology might have developed to a level beyond our imagination. I am not amused to hear that we have to wait until 2020 to have some basic things for a hi-tech hub."

Wong Chung-kiu, of the Hong Kong Computer Society, also said the government should not miss the chance to develop the border site.

The Loop - a pocket of land on the border - covers 84 hectares. It was part of Shenzhen before 1997 but came under Hong Kong jurisdiction after flood prevention work saw the Shenzhen River straightened.

How the loop should be developed has been hotly debated. Previous proposals included developing a light-industry estate or a residential complex for the elderly.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced in his policy address last year that the area would be developed with Shenzhen as one of 10 major infrastructure projects.

But it was not until last month that Hong Kong and Shenzhen signed an agreement to study the development of the site jointly. Three options were agreed - using the land for higher education, for hi-tech research or for creative industries.

Permanent Secretary for Development Raymond Young Lap-moon told yesterday's seminar at City University that construction of infrastructure could start in 2015 and be completed in early 2020.

Legislator Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, also the convenor of the Lok Ma Chau Loop Development Alliance, said she was shocked by the timetable.

But Mr Young said the timetable took into account the normal procedures and added: "We have not [yet] gone into details with Shenzhen."

Consultant sought to advise on Lok Ma Chau Loop toxic mud
2 December 2008
South China Morning Post

The government is seeking a consultant to study ways of handling a vast amount of putrid mud dumped on the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the piece of border land that has been selected as a key site for development.

The mud, dumped on the land sliced off from Shenzhen during straightening of the heavily polluted Shenzhen River in the 1990s, is a major obstacle to plans to develop the loop for higher education, hi-tech research and creative industries.

The Planning Department said in a paper issued yesterday that a contaminated-soil assessment would be made as part of a year-long planning and engineering study to be launched in the middle of next year.

The document, prepared for consultants interested in taking on the job, says the project will include a study of how mud can be treated on the site, and how it can be disposed of, if that is not possible.

The study will also look into the amount of contaminated mud and the level of the contamination.

The consultant is advised to investigate options that minimise dredging and decide the best way of transporting the mud.

The Development Bureau and its Shenzhen counterpart decided last month to press ahead with development of the loop, which is owned by Shenzhen but under Hong Kong administration because it now lies south of the river.

Earlier planning studies have estimated that more than 4 million cubic metres of mud was dumped in the area, a quarter of which was contaminated, which would cost billions of dollars to treat on-site.

A leading environmentalist, Man Chi-sum, said treating the contaminated mud on-site was preferable but more costly and time-consuming, which might defer future development.

But Dr Man, chief executive officer of Green Power, objected to the idea of dumping the mud in seabed pits off Chek Lap Kok - used for contaminated mud dredged from sites within Hong Kong - saying that the toxic chemicals could threaten the habitat of Chinese white dolphins in the area.

"One possibility is to transport the mud to Guangzhou for treatment at its mud-treating facilities. But it should be closely monitored," he said, adding that both governments should share the cost.

Taking toxic mud from Loop 'a risk to bird life'
1 January 2009
South China Morning Post

Fish ponds adjoining the Mai Po wetlands - and the waterfowl they support - could be threatened by the removal of a million cubic metres of toxic mud from the Lok Ma Chau Loop to allow development of the site, the government admits.

The health of site workers and future users of the area could also be at risk, it says.

Plans to clear the toxic mud are likely to include dumping it in underwater pits to be excavated at Sha Chau. But that area adjoins a habitat of the endangered Chinese white dolphin.

Green groups say the contaminated soil should be treated on site.

The Lok Ma Chau Loop is a 96-hectare site created by the straightening in the 1990s of the Shenzhen River which marks Hong Kong's border with the mainland. While the site is on the mainland side of the river, it is Hong Kong territory.

The Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments have agreed to jointly develop 84 hectares of it for higher education, hi-tech research and creative industries.

The mud is contaminated with chromium, copper, zinc, lead and inorganic materials from industrial waste discharged into the river. The toxic mud is in abandoned fish ponds which have been covered over.

In a project profile detailing the impact of development, the Civil Engineering and Development Department said there was a risk that pollutants from the toxic mud could leak into the wetlands nearby.

The site is close to the WWF's Mai Po nature reserve, the Inner Deep Bay site of special scientific interest and the wetlands at Hoo Hok Wai. The area is a globally significant habitat for migrating water birds and for indigenous wildlife. It is also home to the last population of Eurasian otters in southern China.

The department said the water quality of Deep Bay could be further degraded if contaminated sediment leaked during construction work. Mitigation measures would be adopted to avoid leaks, including avoiding excavation in the rainy season.

The profile, submitted to the Environmental Protection Department yesterday, will be considered as part of the environmental impact assessment for the project.

Last month, the Planning Department commissioned consultants to study ways to treat the toxic mud.

The consultants will study how much it would cost and how long it would take to treat the mud on site, where to dispose of it if it is removed and how to replace the material removed.

Meanwhile, the Development Bureau said it would create four more mud pits at Sha Chau, north of Chek Lap Kok, where contaminated mud dredged from the city's container port is dumped.

Alan Leung Sze-lun, WWF senior conservation officer, said Sha Chau and The Brothers islands nearby were the only dump sites available and both were significant dolphin habitats.

He said treating the mud on site seemed the best option, though it would cost more.

Man Chi-sum, chief executive of another environmental group, Green Power, said new development should not be undertaken at the expense of the city's marine environment.

"Toxic mud should not be dumped into our waters any more. It is in conflict with the government spending billions of dollars to improve the harbour's water quality," he said. The mud could be purified on site, transported to a mud-treating facility in Guangzhou or burned in an incinerator.

Gov't Press Release:
LCQ12: North East New Territories New Development Areas (http://info.gov.hk/gia/general/200901/07/P200901070152.htm)

Delta team to promote financial co-operation
22 January 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong and Guangdong finally agreed yesterday to set up a taskforce to promote monetary co-operation after years of discussions, in an attempt to facilitate cross-border capital flow.

Making the announcement after meeting Guangdong Vice-Governor Wan Qingliang, Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said: "The taskforce will work on a number of projects; in the long run, financial resources will be able to move freely in the Pearl River Delta."

A total of 21 taskforces, ranging from environment to transport, have been formed under the Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Co-operation Conference. But none of them have dealt with financial co-operation despite years of discussions.

Both sides also agreed to set up a committee on how to implement the newly announced Pearl River Delta Development Framework, which the National Development and Reform Commission drafted to guide the delta's growth.

Experts welcomed the move, saying financial co-operation would give Hong Kong a big hinterland and eventually consolidate its status as an international financial centre.

They also said the future of Hong Kong and Guangdong were inseparable and that pursuing co-operation was the "right direction".

Charles Li Kui-wai, associate professor of City University's economics and finance department, said: "Setting up a taskforce on financial co-operation means they are narrowing down the discussion. It will be easier for them to reach a consensus."

Mr Wan, meanwhile, reiterated the provincial government would spend 1 billion yuan (HK$1.1 billion) to help Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwanese exporters through the global financial crisis.

He said the 30 rescue measures mainly focused on cutting costs, such as reducing fees and taxes, and assistance to those wanting to enter the mainland market.

The two governments also took the opportunity to map out their 2009 work plan, vowing work on the long-awaited Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge would begin this year.

The Legislative Council yesterday approved HK$230 million in the first batch of funding reserved for the bridge's early design and surveying.

While both sides will speed up the Lok Ma Chau Loop's development, making it a university town, they agreed there should be a division of labour among ports and airports to ensure effective use of resources.

Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau will examine how to set up a framework to promote co-operation in the Pearl River Delta.

"Implementing the central government's development framework for the delta is the provincial government's most important task," said Qiu Shan , professor at Guangdong's Academy of Social Sciences. "Forming a Hong Kong-Guangdong committee on the framework's execution will be beneficial to both sides."

$33m sought to draw up Lok Ma Chau Loop scheme
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The government will spend HK$33.7 million to study the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

After years of discussions on the Loop, both the Hong Kong and the Shenzhen governments are finally tackling the specifics of the project.

The HK$42 million planning and engineering study of the 87-hectare development will be equally shared by the two governments.

In addition to its HK$21 million share, the SAR government will also conduct a HK$12.7 million study of the area outside the loop which covers the Lok Ma Chau Terminus, Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the Kwu Tung areas.

A government spokesman said approval will be sought from the Legislative Council Finance Committee in April to obtain the HK$33.7 million needed for the endeavor which will start in June and will be completed in 28 months.

Two public consultations will be held in early 2010 and 2011 respectively and the study will be completed by late 2011.

An Environmental Impact Assessment will be carried out particularly to examine the contaminated mud under the Loop.

A government spokesman said there is no estimate at the moment on the cost of clearing the mud but it is believed to be "enormous."

"The mud-clearing cost will not hinder the development," the spokesman said. "We plan to establish universities and research institutions. I don't think the contaminated mud will affect the users much."

A Heritage Impact Assessment will also be conducted, he added.

Despite the progress, the spokesman said the ownership of the Loop has not been resolved but he believed both governments will come to an agreement in future meetings.

He added that according to the framework for the Pearl River Delta announced by the central government, the two governments can go ahead with their decisions on the Loop and need not wait for central government approval.

Study of Loop plan starts in June
18 February 2009
South China Morning Post

The government is set to begin a HK$33.7 million study in June for the proposed development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

The study, to be completed within 28 months, will carry out planning and technical assessments on the land use, and studies on environmental impact, cultural heritage, traffic, infrastructure, engineering, air ventilation and landscape.

A Development Bureau spokesman said yesterday that Hong Kong and Shenzhen would split the cost of the study, which was HK$42 million. Hong Kong will spend another HK$12.7 million for a study on connecting the city's neighbouring transport and infrastructure facilities with the Loop.

The study will be discussed in a Legislative Council development panel meeting on Tuesday.

The Lok Ma Chau Loop is a 96-hectare site created by the straightening in the 1990s of the Shenzhen River, which marks Hong Kong's border with the mainland. The two sides have agreed to develop 87 hectares of the site.

Last year, Hong Kong and Shenzhen agreed on developing higher education as the leading use of the Loop. It will also include hi-tech research and development facilities, and creative industries.

The two sides signed a co-operation agreement on introducing universities and research institutions of international and advanced standards into the area last month. According to the Development Bureau, the study process will be split, with the first stage focusing on planning and the second stage on engineering. Consultations with the public, the Legislative Council, Heung Yee Kuk, district councils, local communities and environmental groups will also be conducted.

The government promised that the study would not affect the environment or heritage sites.

However, it said the development and individual projects such as roads and sewage pumping stations would require an environmental impact assessment. In addition, a heritage impact assessment would also be conducted to cover all monuments and historic sites that the Antiquities and Monuments Office identified.

Officials in loop over border area land use
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A competition to design a passenger terminal building for the fifth boundary control port at Laintang/Heung Yuen Wai is to be organized by Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities.

Work on the control port, which is set to open by 2018, will start in 2013. Details of the competition will be released at a later date.

The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development yesterday held its third meeting in Shenzhen and a letter of intent on the use of cross-boundary land was signed. Hong Kong started a site investigation and preliminary design study on the project this month while Shenzhen will go into action later this year.

The Lok Ma Chau Loop area was also discussed, with both sides agreeing that higher education would be the leading user of the 87 hectares, complementing hi-tech research and development facilities, as well as cultural and creative industries.

The loop will be co-administered and co-developed by both sides. A government spokesman said infrastructure linking the loop and Kwu Tung will be considered as part of a comprehensive study set to start in June and be completed in 2011.

The study will include such areas as environment, transport, drainage, ventilation, landscape design and ecology.

He added 182 hectares around the loop have been identified for transportation and other support facilities. Most of the land is currently farmland and some government-owned. The spokesman, however, said it is too early to estimate how much land will be expropriated at this stage.

Both sides also agreed three smaller pieces of land along Shenzhen River will come under Hong Kong administration while five smaller lots will be administered by Shenzhen.

They have agreed to develop them into green spots, an ecological park and an artificial wetland.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, convener of the Task Force on Economic Challenges' education focus group, said there will only be 30 hectares that can be used in the loop to build a single university on the Hong Kong side.

A government spokesman said the rest of the 57 hectares are for infrastructure and other public facilities.

Lau added that the current 18,000 university spaces can only cater for 18 percent of the population. He hopes the government will encourage development of more private universities, and allocate more land for tertiary education while facilitating current universities to expand in the Pearl River Delta region.

A third of border loop to be built on
28 April 2009
South China Morning Post

Only a third of the Lok Ma Chau Loop area will be reserved for buildings, and development will be low-density, the government said yesterday after agreeing with Shenzhen on proposed use of the loop and eight other "cross-boundary sites".

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor signed a letter of intent with her Shenzhen counterpart yesterday on use of the sites, all of which were cut off by straightening of the Shenzhen River.

The 87-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop and a nearby, much smaller, site - formerly calculated as part of the loop but now being treated separately - fell under Hong Kong management although they remained part of Shenzhen, while the opposite was true of the seven other sites.

Only the loop will be developed, while the others will be turned into green space, parkland or wetland.

A government spokesman said that after taking out the space for infrastructure, including road networks and utilities, the net area for buildings on the loop would be just 30 hectares.

The loop has been designated for tertiary education, hi-tech research and creative industries after a long controversy involving developers who wanted full-scale development and environmentalists who wanted none. Two connecting highways will be built to join it with urban areas, including one to the nearby town of Kwu Tung.

The government is expected to conduct a planning study in June and a concept plan will be released for public consultation early next year. The final plan is expected to be completed in 2011.

The spokesman said the Shenzhen government would participate in the study, including studying the impact of the loop's development.

"The Shenzhen authorities will have to study the traffic impact of the loop's development on the city core of Shenzhen," the spokesman said.

The other cross-boundary site under Hong Kong management, a 4.7-hectare area east of the loop, is proposed for green space.

The spokesman said the seven sites managed by Shenzhen were designated for an ecological park of about 8 hectares, some artificial wetlands of about 3.5 hectares and green space of more than 5 hectares.

A change of land use would also require agreement from both governments.

The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force also agreed yesterday to hold a design competition for the passenger terminal of the proposed new land border crossing dubbed the Eastern Corridor, which is expected to be completed no later than 2018.

Now PolyU says it wants to build on border loop
6 May 2009
South China Morning Post

A second Hong Kong university has voiced interest in building facilities in a no-man's land near the border.

Polytechnic University would have a proposal ready by month's end for construction on the Lok Ma Chau Loop, said president Timothy Tong Wai-cheung. He said it wanted to set up research laboratories.

"We also hope to offer programmes for students from Hong Kong and Shenzhen," Professor Tong said. "We are discussing what subjects are most suitable. Commerce, engineering and community studies will very likely be included."

Chinese University's vice-chancellor, Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, voiced a desire last month to set up facilities on the loop, which was created by straightening the Shenzhen River more than a decade ago.

The area belongs to Hong Kong but is north of the river, has no physical link to the rest of the city, and is covered in a layer of toxic sludge.

The site has been earmarked by the two cities for university facilities, research and creative industries.

Professor Tong - in charge at PolyU for four months - said its development plans included expansion in the Pearl River Delta region.

"What happens there has direct influence on Hong Kong. Although we are in Hong Kong, Polytechnic University has to be far-sighted and strengthen collaboration with local businesses and institutes in such fields as scientific research and training," he said.

Professor Tong said the university had been in contact with local governments in the delta about the development of higher education.

"Several city governments have shown interest in getting outside institutes to provide education to their residents. We are also in talks with more than one university in the delta and a concrete plan will be laid down within 12 months."

He said the university's vision for developing higher education would not be confined to the delta. "We have set up training centres in various places on the mainland, including Xian , Wuhan , Hangzhou and Shenzhen. We will keep our focus on how to develop continuing education on the mainland and won't concentrate on the delta at the expense of other places."

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has unveiled a plan to pursue Hong Kong's long-term growth by developing services sectors including education.

Call made to a new frontier
15 June 2009
The Standard

Hong Kong should utilize the 28-hectare frontier closed area in the northern part of the New Territories as a second financial services center to manage the needs of mainlanders in Guangdong and other parts of China, Executive Council convener Leung Chun-ying said.

Leung, also the chairman of consultancy firm DZT, said the "virgin land" could be developed into a services center relating to retail, financial, accounting and even medical services.

"It would be ideal if the SAR could seek the central government's approval to allow mainlanders to enter the area visa-free," he said.

The area beside the Shenzhen river has more potential gross floor area than Hong Kong Island's eastern coast from Western District to Chai Wan, according to Leung.

As for challenges from the mainland and other nearby cities, Leung said, Hong Kong has nothing to fear.

"The comparative advantage of Hong Kong vis-a-vis both Guangdong and Taiwan are the same," he said. "We should develop these sectors robustly and be the services hub to both."

As the prime mover when it comes to measuring up against Taiwan and Guangdong, Leung added, "we do not necessarily need to compete with them but focus on value-added services."

So Hong Kong should opt for high- value-added sectors, such as professional, financial, trade, insurance and maritime services, upgrading itself and avoiding direct competition from neighboring areas that have cost-effectiveness advantages over the SAR, Leung added.

"It is not a question of what, but how," he said. "How do we lower or better still eliminate the barriers? We also need to increase our capacity."

He also said the government should be more proactive in promoting Hong Kong and supporting local firms in bidding for overseas and mainland projects through lobbying.

For example, there needs to be an effort to have more Taiwan firms listing in Hong Kong.

"CEPA 6 is good for Hong Kong," he said, referring to the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with the mainland. "It is a government-to-government agreement and therefore requires more government- to-government input at the implementation stage. Business to government has proven not workable."

Leung, who is widely tipped to run for chief executive in the next election, also said that with just seven million people Hong Kong needed to be more focused.

"We cannot be all things to all men," he said. "We need to pick the sectors that have good potential, good value-addedness and are early wins."

The SAR had to act fast and decide on its role as the window of opportunity was limited. "We cannot spend too much time scratching our heads."

He added: "The most valuable experience is in the importance of determination and the decisiveness. We cannot be too risk- averse."

Smiles greet new Shenzhen boss
24 June 2009
The Standard

Acting Shenzhen Mayor Wang Rong has called on Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to strengthen the partnership between the two cities .

The two leaders, meeting just 10 days after Wang's took over from his disgraced predecessor who is being held on corruption charges in the mainland, also agreed to step up the fight against cross-border drug trafficking by youngsters.

`` I especially wanted to thank Tsang for his contribution to the cooperation between the two sides,'' Wang said. ``Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation is meaningful.''

Wang, who also met with Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang Ying-yen, was Suzhou party secretary before taking up the Shenzhen post on June 13 after former mayor Xu Zongheng was fired.

Although Shenzhen has already developed into a market economy, Wang said it still lags behind Hong Kong which can offer help to its neighbor.

``The further opening of Shenzhen will also offer more opportunities to Hong Kong,'' Wang said.

The two also discussed cross- border infrastructure, speeding up the development of the Loop and allowing more Shenzhen residents to obtain multiple visit permits to Hong Kong.

Tsang said Shenzhen has always been one of the key channels through which Hong Kong could export capital, professional skills and management experience to the mainland.

``We will have even more opportunities for cooperation,'' he said.

Tsang praised Wang's contribution to the economic growth of Suzhou and Wuxi, expressing confidence that he could do even better in Shenzhen.

Delegates propose trade zone
7 March 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong and Shenzhen should jointly set up a "creative free-trade zone" to develop cross-border financial services, local delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference have urged.

A proposal co-signed by 108 Hong Kong and Macau delegates has been submitted to the nation's top advisory body. It was initiated by Li Guikang, deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, and fellow CPPCC members Zhang Guoliang and Wong Chor-bau.

The proposal suggested a 30 sq km zone in Qianhai and Houhai districts in Shenzhen, to complement the Lok Ma Chau Loop, which it said was too small.

Measures to open up financial services could be piloted in the zone, and trade settlement in yuan, free capital flow and free foreign exchange could be carried out there.

"This will provide conditions for the gradual internationalisation of renminbi," the document said.

Under the proposal, Hong Kong people would be allowed to purchase A shares and trade in mainland futures. Mainland banks could set up their southern China headquarters in the zone.

It was also suggested that measures be taken to attract Hong Kong and overseas banks.

The zone would also develop creative industries, logistics services and high-end technologies.

The zone would be administered by a semi-official governing committee jointly set up by Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

"Although its location is in Shenzhen, creative reforms to existing systems cannot be achieved if it is managed only by Shenzhen," Mr Zhang said.

"We hope new ways of thinking and new models of management can come out as Hong Kong and Shenzhen collaborate," he added.

"There are still legal problems to be solved before the idea can be realised."

New centre already helping mentally ill
5 May 2009
South China Morning Post

A new centre for mental patients in Tin Shui Wai has already had about 30 cases since its opening in March.

The Wellness Centre provides services to people with mental illness, newly discharged mental patients, rehabilitating mental patients and those suspected to have mental problems. Its offices are still under renovation and will be ready in October.

"We have two social workers at the centre and they mostly do home visits and counselling at their clients' homes, so the renovation problem does not affect our work badly. The social workers also have to hold activities to strengthen mutual aid in the community," centre co-ordinator Bonnie Leung Yin-ling said.

The centre, operated by the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, receives HK$3 million a year from the Social Welfare Department.

"The establishment of the centre in a way strengthens services for mental patients of different kinds in the community, as our centre only serves clients in Tin Shui Wai and does not have to take cases from other districts," Ms Leung said.

The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, a non-government organisation, previously handled suspected mental cases in both Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long. Ng Wang-tsang, chief executive of the society, said it handled about 150 cases from October 2007 until March.

"Our observations showed that the demand for our service was stronger in Tin Shui Wai than in Yuen Long. Of the cases we handled, approximately 70 per cent were from Tin Shui Wai."

Mr Ng explained that the profile of the population in the new town was one of the reasons for strong demand for the service. "There are many new arrivals living in Tin Shui Wai and some find it difficult to adjust to the way of life in Hong Kong, and some might have mental problems."

Landowners open to partnerships, but only for creative industries
13 April 2009
South China Morning Post

A group of landowners in the northeastern New Territories have responded to the government's call for partnerships to develop their properties. But they have stressed that they want their land used to develop creative industries, rather than more apartments or container storage lots.

Lam Kam-kwai has submitted a proposal to the Planning Department, which is now drafting an outline development plan for the combined areas of Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling, one of the three designated new towns and where he lives. The other two areas are Kwu Tung North and Fanling North.

The 23 hectares that Mr Lam and 17 other villagers own make up about 10 per cent of the 225-hectare new town site. Their lots were pooled under a company called North East Holding, which leases the former farmland to operators of war game venues, plant nurseries and container storage lots.

"This is just a short-term measure, since we don't want to leave our land idle," said Mr Lam, who is also vice-chairman of the Ta Kwu Ling Rural Committee. "We want to work with the government to figure out a long-term plan to turn it into a place of job opportunities."

Their land could be used to develop creative industries, or a business park, to do research and development on new products like electric cars, Mr Lam said.

"There's no space in urban areas. We could charge a lower rent, say HK$10 per square foot," he said.

Under his proposal, landlords would sell some of their land rights to the government, and some would go into a listed development company. The government's shares could be put on the market for public investors. The plan would need better transport links, he added, but the government had planned only one railway station for Kwu Tung North.

"We hope to contribute to society in another way," he said. "We don't want to sell it to developers to build apartments." Mr Lam also warned that issues such as uncertain land rights and landfill pollution would first have to be resolved.

The new towns were proposed in 1998 but shelved in 2003 as demand slowed. Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling were then earmarked for cargo-container storage and industry, while flats were planned for the other two areas. Since most land in the area is privately owned, the government proposed models of public-private partnerships instead of the conventional land-acquisition approach. Landowners are encouraged to submit development proposals and participate in projects.

A Planning Department spokeswoman said it was considering incorporating Mr Lam's ideas. It will further consult the public about a preliminary development plan in the third quarter of the year

Lok Ma Chau could get in the loop
27 August 2009
China Economic Review

Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen of Hong Kong said the Lok Ma Chau Loop between Hong Kong and Shenzhen can be turned into a base for the development of innovative technology.

He said, "The development cost of the loop will be high so we must do something which has value added."

Tang Ying-yen, who is responsible for cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong, said foreign investors are hesitant about investing in similar schemes in the Mainland even though the technological expertise is available since the protection of intellectual property rights there is weak.

Henry Tang Ying-yen then added, "But since Hong Kong will be responsible for the management of the loop, Hong Kong's intellectual property rights legislation will be applied."

As a confidence booster that leaves a little to be desired.

According to the Innovation and Technology Commission, there are currently 11 innovative technology areas. These are automotive parts and accessories; biotechnology; Chinese medicine; communication; consumer electronics; environmental technology; integrated circuit design; logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies; nanotechnology and advanced materials; optoelectronics and textiles and clothing.

Interestingly, Henry Tang Ying-yen said he saw no point in developing financial services in the loop as most deals now can be concluded through the internet.

There are other suggestion about how to deal with the areas. Executive Council convener Leung Chun-ying suggested turning the Frontier Closed Area, instead of the loop, into an economic zone since the latter was bogged down by "historical issues".

Leung said the zone, to which Mainlanders should be given free access, could be developed into an exhibition and convention center together with medical and educational facilities plus shopping.

Shenzhen mayor Xu Zongheng said earlier this month he has his own ideas about the Loop but it was too early to reveal them.

Three working groups have been set up by the two governments to look into development of the Loop. And it appears not everyone is in total agreement on how to proceed.

Henry Tang Ying-yen said, "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will be the next exciting project. It will only take us an hour to get to Guangzhou and then three hours to places outside Guangdong province such as Fujian, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang." The best thing is to attract Mainlanders to invest and buy property in Hong Kong. It is a status symbol for mainlanders to have property in Hong Kong/ The Standard reported that Tang had said the government has not made up its mind on who to appoint as chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. Tang said, "I can only say we need a different quality of person at each stage."

Still a lot to learn
7 September 2009
SCMP

The plan to develop Hong Kong into an education hub has been given a boost with the government's identification of the sector as one of the city's six "pillar industries" and reservation of two plots of land for the establishment of private universities.

Of recent government initiatives, the plan to develop higher education and set up research centres in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, in the restricted border zone, has elicited overwhelming interest from local universities.

The 87-hectare plot, between the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint on the Hong Kong side and the Huanggang one on the mainland, was formed by straightening the Shenzhen River more than a decade ago. The Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments agreed that an education hub, comprising research facilities and hi-tech and creative industries, would be set up to raise the competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta economy.

So far seven universities have handed in detailed development proposals to the Education Bureau, which says that a comprehensive report could be finished in 2011, with construction commencing the following year.

Chinese University vice-chancellor Professor Lawrence Lau Juen-yee has said that the site should be allotted to a single university, as only 30 hectares of it has been deemed suitable for development, which he says precludes a joint effort.

However, the Institute of Education's vice-president for research and development, Professor Cheng Yin-cheong, disagrees.

Cheng, who has researched the development of Hong Kong as a regional education hub, said: "The research centres of local tertiary institutions should work together in competing with institutes outside Hong Kong. Currently, internal competition is promoted among local institutes to strive for better results. That strategy has to be reversed, by pooling all the top research talent to compete with top-notch universities in Japan, Beijing and Singapore."

Also making headlines has been the government's land pledge for private universities, after the final meeting of the Task Force on Economic Challenges. Each of the two HK$1 billion sites reserved for private universities is to provide a floor area of 200,000 sq ft, to take in at least 2,000 students. With only 14,500 students, or 18 per cent of the school-age population, receiving subsidised university study each year, education experts have long called for an expansion of the self-financed tertiary sector.

Professor Peter Yuen Pok-man, dean of the Polytechnic University-affiliated College of Professional and Continuing Education, said Hong Kong could never become an education hub if it relied on University Grants Committee-funded institutions alone.

"We must attract students from around the world to enhance the quality of education. Our grants committee-funded universities are of a very high standard, but they don't have many overseas students as the admission quota is not even enough for local students."

Yuen said that with the ceiling on non-local students at UCG-funded institutes capped at 20 per cent, more private universities had to be set up to enlarge the pool of overseas students in Hong Kong.

"A land grant is a very good step for the government to develop private universities," he said. "The government has to choose institutions that have a high reputation for the job and ensure stringent quality-control mechanisms are in place."

A host of complaints, including poor admissions standards, that are plaguing the self-financed tertiary sector could be put down to confining admission to mostly local students, Yuen said.

"With all the best students scooped up by grants committee-funded institutions, the local associate-degree sector has to scrape the barrel to get enough students to balance the books as the sector is run on a self-financed basis," he said. "The springing up of self-financed colleges means there is a large supply, but the local demand has not grown accordingly. That's why the sector must look beyond Hong Kong and admit students from overseas and the mainland."

Cheng said untapped higher-education markets in Asia and beyond could make a substantial contribution to the economy.

"It is estimated that the number of students seeking to study overseas globally will rise to 7.2 million in 2025, of whom about 50 per cent will come from India and China," he said. "The market, especially on the mainland, is huge."

Cheng said Hong Kong's proximity and racial affinity with the mainland gave it an edge in attracting students.

"There are not many top-notch universities in southern China, especially the Pearl River Delta," he said. "With runaway growth sweeping across various industries in the delta, there will be a huge demand for training services for professionals and specialists. To develop education into a pillar industry, Hong Kong has to grasp the opportunities and expand the higher-education sector for the vast untapped market."

Yuen said that another glaring flaw in the government's plan was the lack of a law on establishment of private universities.

"We only have the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance," he said. "Written a long time ago, the ordinance is outmoded and totally out of sync with the current higher-education scene. Without such a law spelling out the procedures and a road map for establishment of private universities, investors will be at a loss over how many years they have to wait before they can get a university title."

Polytechnic University's continuing education arm now offers self-financed programmes in campuses at West Kowloon and Hung Hom Bay. It has shown an interest in setting up a private university but, Yuen said, the indefinite wait for university status was frustrating.

"We want to be independent of PolyU and have our own degree-awarding status," he said. "We have sent our application to the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, which will conduct an institutional review in October.

"After the review, they need to observe us for an indefinite time. And Shue Yan University was observed for 25 years before it was granted university status."

NT needs a plan, but not the kuk's legal dumping
13 September 2009
South China Morning Post

The illegal dumping of waste on farmland is a problem that has surfaced all too frequently in recent years. It is one of the abuses turning parts of the New Territories into an eyesore. Lawmakers have long been discussing whether the law could be strengthened to curb this menace and the government has promised to consult stakeholders on the best way forward.

Now the Heung Yee Kuk, which represents indigenous villagers, has put forward a proposal of its own: scrap anti-dumping laws. This flies in the face of efforts to clean up the New Territories. It would amount to a licence to dump waste on agricultural land and then develop it. The kuk argues that there are sound reasons for legalising dumping on private farmland. It claims this would help absorb spoil excavated for infrastructure projects and save the costly exporting of the waste to the mainland.

The proposal is part of the kuk's development blueprint for rural areas in the New Territories. According to kuk vice-chairman Cheung Hok-ming, large swathes of private farmland and many fishponds in low-lying areas have been abandoned and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Others have been leased to store cargo containers and scrap cars and metal. For this, he blames the government's lack of town planning. Construction of large-scale projects such as the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail line and the MTR's West Island line will require the excavation of huge amounts of soil. Cheung argues it is too expensive to ship the soil to the mainland. Why not dump it on abandoned farm sites, level them off and develop properties on top of them, he reasons. The idea is presented with a veneer of academic respectability; the kuk has hired Baptist University to conduct a study. The research will also explore ways of developing abandoned farmland.

Cheung said the kuk did not intend the dumping plan to include construction waste or for it to affect ecologically sensitive sites. But there is no escaping the fact that if dumping is made legal, landowners will take advantage of the situation. Once material has been dumped and levelled, they will have a stronger case when pushing the Planning Department to allow the land to be used for development.

The kuk is proposing the opposite of what Hong Kong should be doing. We need to toughen the law and increase penalties, not the other round. Illegal dumping is a serious problem across the New Territories. If approved, the kuk's plan would turn much of our rural areas into a free dumping ground.

It may have a point in arguing that the government needs to be more flexible in deciding what to do with disused farmland in low-lying areas. Greater town planning is certainly needed. But the fault lies only partly with the government. Eyesores such as illegal dumps, ill-planned village developments and container and scrap metal yards are primarily the responsibility of unscrupulous and careless landowners. The misguided small-house policy allows every indigenous adult male to build and own a three-storey house; it has made it impossible to introduce effective town planning across much of the New Territories, and should be reviewed.

There is nothing wrong with devising a plan for the sensitive development of the New Territories. But we also need tougher anti-dumping laws and better monitoring. In the long run, that will benefit everyone.

Villagers clash amid bid to fix dump site
Police question four as row escalates
16 October 2009
South China Morning Post

The row over illegal dumping of waste in Ho Sheung Heung escalated into a clash between villagers yesterday, and police had to be called to intervene.

Hau Mo-yi, whose mother's farmland was trashed with tonnes of construction waste, said she, her sister-in-law and two men were being held for questioning at Lok Ma Chau police station last night. Hau said she and her sister-in-law had been accused of breaking a padlock at the site in the Sheung Shui village.

Hau claimed they were harassed and sprayed with water by two men as they photographed soil being dumped.

One of the men, she alleged, was the brother of the village head Hau Chi-keung.

While the two women were not hurt - their clothes were left wet - one of the two cameras used to record the dumping appeared to have suffered water damage.

Hau said the village head was present during the incident. She called police for help at about 5.40pm and about eight officers arrived in 10 minutes.

The village head last night described the incident as a "minor one" in which two villagers got wet accidentally as his colleagues and brothers were irrigating the site. He said he had dropped by after the incident.

Hau Mo-yi, who lives in the village, said she visited the site every day to monitor activity. She took photos, video and even jotted down the details of the trucks unloading waste.

She said that work on the site had continued since some brown soil was dumped four days ago. The fresh soil was being laid on top of the waste and that was being covered by slabs of turf. Three more truckloads of soil were dumped yesterday and a bulldozer was working to level the rest of the site.

The moves were believed to be a ploy to meet the Planning Department's order to remove the waste and restore the site to its original condition. However, the department's order was being suspended pending an administrative review lodged by landlords of the site.

"The dumping has never stopped. It has become more hideous. Some of the trucks also had their licence plates blackened with dirt," Hau said.

She said that a man, believed to have been hired to guard the site and act as a lookout, warned truck drivers of the two women's presence.

"One of the truck drivers, on seeing us, was afraid to unload the soil. But he gave in after the people in charge shouted at him," she said.

Officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and Planning Department also visited the site yesterday.

A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department refused to say if they were inspecting whether the soil being used to cover the waste was suitable for agriculture. Proof of the soil's suitability for farming is crucial. Under planning rules, land-filling using genuine soil suitable for farming is allowed, although the height of the fill is capped at 1.2 metres.

"We were there at the request of the Planning Department to offer some technical advice," the spokesman said.

Sha Tau Kok seeks open access
Residents of border town demand end to travel curbs and look to housing development
28 October 2009
South China Morning Post

Property owners and retailers in the Sha Tau Kok want travel restrictions to be lifted when the Hong Kong government begins to shrink the security cordon next year around the area, which borders the mainland.

"Sha Tau Kok is like an empty town, as it is isolated from the rest of the world by the travel restrictions," said John Tsang Yuk-on, the chairman of the local chamber of commerce.

"It is a waste of land resources if the town remains closed to outsiders.

"The town is the only place in the frontier closed area with built-up community facilities and is ready for housing development once the restrictions are lifted."

In 1952, in an effort to combat illegal immigration and smuggling, the Hong Kong government set up the "frontier closed area" on its northeastern border with China. It covers about 2,800 hectares, including the former fishing village and small port of Sha Tau Kok on Starling Inlet.

Under existing restrictions, visitors have to apply for permits to enter the fenced-off area, and it can take up to a week to obtain one.

In 2006, the government said it would begin to wind back the closed area from about 2,800 hectares to 400 hectares, allowing unrestricted access to all land south of the existing boundary patrol road on the northern border, together with the Lok Ma Chau Loop, Hoo Hok Wai and two patches of land northwest of Lin Ma Hang Village and north of Pak Fu Shan.

Residents of Sha Tau Kok appealed for their town to be included in the scheme, but Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong has said that since there were no barriers or checkpoints to mark the boundary between Hong Kong and the mainland, which ran through the town along Chung Ying Street, this could not be considered.

"Chung Ying Street is a narrow street," Lee said. "There is no physical barrier to delineate the boundary between Hong Kong and the mainland, nor are there any proper boundary-control facilities.

"In addition, smuggling and illegal immigration activities conducted through Chung Ying Street persist."

The government is willing to discuss a partial opening up of sections of the town, including a pier on Starling Inlet to allow for eco-tourism.

Tsang said this meant the town's shops would continue to suffer from a lack of business.

In addition, three plots of land that could be developed into an estimated 1,000 units would lie idle.

The town, which has about 6,000 residents, has full community facilities, such as a post office, a bank, shops, and a ferry pier - recently renovated at a cost of HK$64 million - that linked it to 14 villages in the area, but these facilities would also be underused, he said.

The appeal to release the land for development comes in the wake of a statement last week from the Transport and Housing Bureau that new housing units available for sale had fallen to 47,000 units at the end of last month from 49,000 at the end of June. The supply pipeline is at its lowest level since the bureau began to keep records in the third quarter of 2004.

Fuelled by the tight supply of new flats, home prices have jumped 27.56 per cent since the beginning of the year, according to the Centaline City Leading Index, and returned to the peak level of last year.

In Sha Tau Kok, seaview units sell for HK$2,000 per square foot, with some flats in older buildings selling for as little as HK$1,000 per square foot, said Tsang, who expected prices to jump 20 per cent to 30 per cent if access to the town opened further.

In the hope of capitalising on that rise, villager Wan Wah-yan bought two properties in Sha Tau Kok.

"Now, I have to keep the two properties for my own use. Who will buy them if it remains a closed area?" he said.

Because of the restrictions imposed by the closed area, there have been fewer than 10 property transactions in Sha Tau Kok since January, with each deal worth HK$600,000 to HK$700,000, he said.

Tsang, who is indigenous to the area, has moved to Sha Tin because of Sha Tau Kok's inaccessibility. Buying daily necessities is hard, as only a few shops are open for business.

"I will move back to Sha Tau Kok if the town opens, and so will other villagers. With an improvement in accessibility, buyers may considering moving here, as home prices will be less expensive when compared with urban areas," he said.

Some villagers have moved to the more developed and prosperous Shenzhen border, Tsang said.

These villagers have left their Sha Tau Kok properties vacant because they still need entry permits to travel to Shenzhen through the closed area.

Opinion : Villages could become slums
26 October 2009
SCMP

The urban sprawl in the New Territories is growing rapidly without any co-ordination from government departments. New three-storey buildings are coming up as close as two metres apart, balcony to balcony, kitchen to kitchen.

The lack of co-ordination on regulations on construction design, fire access, drainage and above all road access, has resulted in a spate of disputes which have been widely reported. These disputes will increase as more residents move in to the villages.

Because these houses are being built so close together, there will be a repeat of the old Kowloon City scenario.

The environment will deteriorate and property values will be depressed. Just as in old Kowloon City, so in these New Territories villages, we will see the growth of slums.

Tim Hallworth ("Government must sort out the mess in New Territories villages", October 17) has made the point about the lack of government co-ordination.

Hopefully, officials can stop sticking their heads in the sand and get the Planning Department to actually "plan" instead of just rubber-stamping applications that contravene sensible urban planning rules.

Thomas Wee, Kwun Tong

Low-rise housing, eco-village project urged for border area
30 October 2009
SCMP

The Planning Department recommends releasing 10 hectares of the closed border area for low-rise residential development - at Kong Nga Po and Hung Lung Hang - in a draft development plan for the 2,400-hectare border area to be opened next year.

The plan also includes developments such as an eco-village in Ma Tso Lung and an exhibition and retail centre south of the Man Kam To border crossing. But most areas in the east and west of the border area - more than 1,800 hectares - will be protected as green belts, conservation areas, a country park and agricultural land.

Kong Nga Po, government land near the centre of the border area, is expected to offer more than 11 million square feet of residential floor space in a seven-hectare, low-carbon community. Residential blocks will be three to six storeys high.

Hung Lung Hang, south of Kong Nga Po, is currently home to car parks and storage areas.

Surveyor Charles Chan Chiu-kok said the per-square-foot price of the low-rise apartments to be sold in Kong Nga Po could be as high as HK$10,000, attracting mainland investors and Hong Kong factory owners who needed to cross the border frequently.

After listening to villagers' views, the department recommended an exhibition and retail centre near Man Kam To to support cross-border activities.

The 40-hectare centre, as large as the West Kowloon arts hub, will offer space for wholesale centres, showrooms, shops and commercial uses to meet the needs of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen residents.

Similar developments are also expected at the Lok Ma Chau and Heung Yuen Wai border crossings.

Lam Kam-kwai, vice-chairman of Ta Kwu Ling rural committee, said the proposed exhibition centre would offer business opportunities to local residents. "It gives convenience to Shenzhen residents as they won't need to travel to the city centre, like Tsim Sha Tsui, to buy high-quality products," he said.

On the conservation side, an "eco-lodge" is proposed for the hills of Ma Tso Lung, overlooking the extensive fish ponds and wetlands at Hoo Hok Wai.

The eco-village will consist of 80 accommodation blocks no higher than six metres.

Private parties and landowners will be encouraged to submit proposals to develop Ma Tso Lung and Hoo Hok Wai with conservation initiatives. But developers must follow guidelines to be drawn up by the government and open the sites for public visits.

Other preservation measures include setting up a country park at Robin's Nest. Hiking and heritage trails will be set up to showcase the natural and historic attractions inside the border area.

The area is expected to house a population of about 30,000 after it is opened up in stages, starting from the end of next year.

Professor Ng Cho-nam, of the University of Hong Kong's geography department, said the conservation-led development plan would help preserve the natural environment of the Shenzhen River's catchment area.

"Futian [district], on the north bank of the river, is already fully developed," he said.

The draft development plan will be discussed at a Town Planning Board meeting today.

^^ The idea is good, just hope it won't turn into a low-rise, medium dense luxury exclusive living community.

^^ The idea is good, just hope it won't turn into a low-rise, medium dense luxury exclusive living community.

I heard the TV reports and they mentioned the likelihood of turning these into luxury units is low since they are not well-connected to transport.

New towns blueprint aims to deliver a green dream
The Standard
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

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A development blueprint for three parts of the northeast New Territories will provide 46,000 public and private flats for 130,000 people and provide 45,200 jobs.

The government plan covers 805 hectares and pinpoints three areas: Kwu Tung North; Fan Ling North and Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling, which are currently home to around 8,000 people - of whom 6,000 are from 1,500 households.

Officials will negotiate with the landowners to resume the land for development, a spokesman for the Development Bureau said yesterday.

The plan will be put up for a second round of public consultation, after a three-month consultation ended last November.

According to a bureau paper to be discussed at the Legislative Council development panel next Tuesday, the plot ratio in the development zones under the proposal is capped at five.

This means flat heights would be limited to 35 stories.

Under the plan, a special industries area in Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling is to be reserved for high-value-added, non- polluting businesses and industries as well as port backup and logistics operations.

A commercial, research and development zone planned along Fan Ling Highway has the potential to be developed into offices and hotels as well as to support the six key industries strongly promoted by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in his last policy address.

They are testing and certification, medical services, innovation and technology, the culture and creative industry, environmental industries and educational services.

The plan aims to help Hong Kong cope with a population which is forecast to balloon from seven million today to 8.4 million by 2030.

There will also be a mix of public and private housing.

Zoning will be done in such a way that residential areas will easily connect to the existing Fan Ling and Sheung Shui railway stations.

In the Kwu Tung North plan, more than 80 percent of the population will live within 500 meters of the proposed rail station.

The government also plans to create a sustainable living environment, adopting green building designs.

Land has also been set aside for the installation of a cooling system in the commercial, research and development zone at Kwu Tung North and the special industries area at Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling.

The government believes the areas have the potential for development because of their geographical proximity to Shenzhen.

Population of NT new towns cut by 27pc
Plan's timetable labelled optimistic
18 November 2009
South China Morning Post

The new towns proposed in the northeastern New Territories will accommodate a population of 131,000 and offer sites for the development of pillar industries from 2019, according to the Development Bureau.

But the timetable has been criticised as too optimistic, with the government still having to work out how to obtain private sites that comprise 57 per cent of the new town area.

The concept plan announced yesterday was a refined version of a planning study, commissioned in 1998, which proposed three new towns housing a population of 180,000 in Kwu Tung North, Fanling North and Ta Kwu Ling, Ping Che.

There were plans for a university hub at Kwu Tung and a centre for non-polluting industries at Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling. The original plan was set aside in 2003 due to reduced demand for housing and only revived for public consultation last year.

The latest plans would see about 6,000 people from 1,500 households relocated - 75 per cent of the existing local population. They advocate a lower density environment for the developments, with the population cut by 27 per cent and the number of flats reduced by 36 per cent, from 71,700 to 46,000.

Public housing and private residential developments - no more than 35 storeys tall - are retained for Kwu Tung and Fanling North, along with areas reserved for commercial use, tertiary education, and research and development in Kwu Tung.

Residential development no higher than 10 storeys is added in Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling, where a 46 hectare industrial centre will be set up for the six pillar industries mentioned in the chief executive's policy address - education, medicine, environmental industries, innovative science, cultural development, and food safety and product testing.

Testing and certification services, innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries, and environmental industries are some examples of what could move into the industrial centre, similar in size to the West Kowloon arts hub.

Planning Department assistant director Raymond Wong Wai-man said the government would do its best to preserve the natural landscape and villages, except for Kwu Tung Village, which occupies the site set aside for the new town centre in Kwu Tung.

The village housed 3,600 people and a few thousand squatters would also be affected, Wong said.

Whether land owners will be asked to leave or to participate in future developments hinges on the development model to be adopted by the government.

Wong said the government was still considering which approach to adopt.

"The development approach we choose must be fair and we are considering some legal issues," he said, adding that the government had yet to determine the scale of public-private partnership to be adopted in developing the new towns.

It has been reported that major developers such as Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land and Cheung Kong (Holdings) own sites in Kwu Tong.

Town Planning Board member Professor Ng Cho-nam said the government timetable, which suggests commencing construction in 2014, was too optimistic. "Obtaining those private sites is a huge challenge to the government," he said.

Kwu Tung Village representative Nam Siu-fu said he would object to the plan if the government did not relocate the village.

"Our village has a history of 100 years, and some families have lived here for five generations. We have a strong sense of belonging," he said.

Opinion is split among villagers on whether to participate in the development. Ta Kwu Ling rural committee chairman Frank Chan Shung-fai suggested pooling private land to form a trust, which would control and manage development.

But Hau Kam-lam, a North District councillor and an indigenous villager in Ho Sheung Heung, Kwu Tung North, said he doubted the partnership approach could succeed. "Many villagers don't believe in forming a company with developers and waiting until the project is completed to reap profits," he said. "Who can guarantee the project will be delivered?"

Heung Yee Kuk vice-chairman Cheung Hok-ming said past government practice of buying up land to build new towns was unfair to landlords, because land was bought cheap and sold high.

He said officials had yet to explain what they meant by partnership.

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development holds fourth meeting
Monday, November 23, 2009
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Executive Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Xu Qin, convened the fourth meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development in Hong Kong today (November 23).

The Joint Task Force noted the progress reports submitted by the three working groups on the development of the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point and Lok Ma Chau Loop, and deliberated on the work plan. Both sides are satisfied with the substantial progress made on the two projects.

The Hong Kong and the Shenzhen authorities have exchanged views on the work schedule of the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point project, the mode of co-operation of work projects linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen and preparation for the design competition for the passenger terminal building. According to the current work plan, the Boundary Control Point will be opened not later than 2018.

The Planning and Engineering Study on Development of Lok Ma Chau Loop officially commenced in the middle of this year. Based on the initial view of the Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities that higher education could be the leading use in the Loop, and complemented with high-tech research and development facilities, as well as cultural and creative industries, the Task Force considered that the Lok Ma Chau Loop should be developed along the principle of sustainable development to build up an area for fostering cross-boundary talent and exchange of knowledge and technology. The Study Consultant will formulate the draft development plan for Lok Ma Chau Loop based on the above principle. It is scheduled that members of the public in Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be consulted in the first half of 2010.

HK and Shenzhen unveil Qianhai plan
1 December 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong and Shenzhen yesterday announced the establishment of a joint committee to plan the development of service industries in Qianhai, a pilot zone in Shenzhen.

The two cities said in August that they would study ways to promote service industries in Qianhai. But the document did not outline any specific co-operation projects.

At the annual Hong Kong/Shenzhen Co-operation Meeting, acting Shenzhen Mayor Wang Rong said non-permanent residents would be eligible to apply in Shenzhen for permits to travel to Hong Kong under the individual visit scheme starting from December 15.

Unlike permanent residents, who can apply for year-round multiple-entry visit permits to Hong Kong, non-permanent residents have until now had to apply for visas in their home provinces.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said that Shenzhen would set up a body by early next year to manage Qianhai, a 10 sq km zone in Shekou . Hong Kong and Shenzhen will set up an expert group to discuss cross-border co-operation on developing the zone.

Shenzhen will play the leading role in the development of Qianhai and be responsible for managing the area, while Hong Kong will provide comments on the study and formulation of issues such as development planning.

The two sides will encourage Hong Kong enterprises to run businesses there.

There are about seven million non-permanent residents in Shenzhen. The city is understood to be planning to implement the new scheme in two phases. In the first phase, more than two million non-permanent residents, it is estimated, will be allowed to apply in Shenzhen for permits to travel to Hong Kong.

They will be allowed to apply for a permit every three months.

The long-awaited lifting of restrictions had originally been expected to begin on May 1.

Wang said Shenzhen's transport-card company had been pushing ahead with plans to integrate its stored-value card system with Hong Kong's Octopus system.

"There are still some technical aspects such as software upgrading to be resolved," he said.

"I hope these can be tackled as soon as possible."

Conservationists fret over rezoning proposal
Sheung Shui plan designed to please landowners, critics say
12 December 2009
South China Morning Post

Opposition is looming over proposed land-zoning changes at one of the priority conservation sites in Sheung Shui, a result of a plan for a new town in the northern New Territories.

The Kwu Tung (North) development plan was issued for public consultation last month, along with a plan for the closed frontier areas.

Worries have been expressed over the suggestion to turn the existing agricultural zoning of the wetlands at Long Valley and Ho Sheung Heung into comprehensive development and nature conservation. The move has been interpreted as development-led zoning that waters down the conservation importance of the site to please property owners.

Mike Kilburn, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, said the proposed zoning was problematic and might violate the "common sense" of town planning. "While this sounds like a conservation zoning, it is not. In practice it leads to piecemeal degradation on a case-by-case basis."

He said there were similar problems in San Tin and Hoo Hok Wai, within the frontier closed areas, which are to be opened.

The plan maps out future use of 450 hectares of land to house 65,000 people. About 14 per cent of the land would be turned to residential use, and 19 per cent to comprehensive development and nature conservation.

Planning officials have said Long Valley's core would largely be kept intact, but low-density housing or eco-tourism development could still be allowed in less sensitive parts - which they said could address questions over the rights of the landowners.

The Advisory Council on the Environment will discuss the plan on Monday.

Kilburn said it was "highly troubling" that Long Valley was not zoned as a conservation area and that officials might have succumbed to pressure from landowners, as they bluntly admitted in an earlier meeting that it was not possible to zone private land as a conservation area.

Long Valley was the subject of dispute over the building of the Lok Ma Chau spur railway line traversing the heart of the bird haven.

The rail plan was later amended by putting the railway underground, after the rail operator lost a landmark appeal in 2002.

The government later identified Long Valley and Ho Sheung Heung, where most land is zoned as agricultural, as one of the 12 priority sites for conservation under the nature-conservation policy introduced in 2004.

But this July, piles of construction waste were dumped on farmland in Ho Sheung Heung. These dumping sites would be turned from agricultural zoning to village development under the plan.

Another issue of concern is the size of the proposed zone, found to be smaller than the priority conservation sites drawn up by the Environmental Protection Department in 2004. Peter Li Siu-man, a campaign manager at the Conservancy Association, questioned the criteria for redefining the boundary, and was worried that it only served the purpose of justifying developments on the conservation priority site.

Dr Alan Leung Sze-lun, a senior conservation officer of WWF Hong Kong, said he was worried that officials had quietly changed the conservation policy. He said development on ecological areas should be presumed undesirable, and that should be reflected in appropriate protection zoning.

"It is not preferable to change the zoning of any such area prior to [presenting for formal discussion] any feasible options for development."

A spokesman for the Planning Department said the boundary was drawn based on an ecological survey conducted by its consultant. He said the plan could actually achieve a balance between conservation and development needs.

Protesters out to create chaos over border closure
22 February 2010
The Standard

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More than 1,000 protesters are expected to descend on Man Kam To control point tomorrow.

They, along with up to 100 vehicles, hope to create chaos over the closure for reconstruction of the Shenzhen Wenjindu port passenger clearance area until 2012.

As a result of the closure, clearance services for passenger vehicles, including cross-border buses and cars, will be suspended.

Goods vehicles will not be affected and cross- border students traveling by school coaches will clear as normal thanks to special arrangements.

About 150 North District residents marched from Chater Garden to government headquarters in Central yesterday to protest against the closure.

Pro-democrat legislator Wong Sing-chi, who joined the march, said the government did not consult the residents. ``Many knew about the closure only yesterday,'' Wong said. ``No government department answered our request for talks.''

He said about 10,000 people crossed the border each day at Man Kam To, while two buses travel to the border area from Sheung Shui and Fan Ling.

With the closure, residents need to go to Huanggang to cross the border which, according to Wong, takes 40 more minutes and costs an extra HK$40.

About 2.2 million people used the Man Kam To control point last year.

District's residents fight for right to use border crossing
23 February 2010
South China Morning Post

Residents of North District are demanding that they be allowed to use the Man Kam To border crossing which was closed to the general public at midnight on Sunday.

The two-year closure of the border crossing - due to renovations on the Shenzhen side - has angered the district's residents because it came with little warning. However, buses carrying school children and trucks are still allowed to use the crossing.

A lawmaker and rural committee members will meet Security Bureau officials today to demand that the district's residents also be allowed to use the border control point.

About 2,000 residents cross the border for work, while another 6,000 do so for shopping and leisure, legislator and North District councillor Wong Sing-chi said. With the scrapping of the bus service from Sheung Shui to Man Kam To, residents would have to spend twice as much time and money travelling to another border crossing, he said.

Wong criticised the bureau for the lack of publicity about the closure which had come as surprise to many residents.

A Security Bureau spokesman said yesterday the Hong Kong government was informed about the closure in late 2009, and steps were taken to inform "relevant stakeholders". However, the effective date was only made known to it earlier this month.

Several car drivers who were unaware of the closure were turned back at the border yesterday as were travellers seeking to catch a cross-border bus there.

One traveller said he preferred taking a bus because it cost HK$20 to Tsim Sha Tsui, and was far cheaper than the HK$34.80 for a trip on MTR's East Rail.

Sammy Chow Hing-wong, chairman of the Hong Kong Guangdong Boundary Crossing Bus Association, said the hardest hit were the 2,600 people who used to travel by bus from Sheung Shui to Man Kam To every day.

Among those affected are school children who cross the border every day. Although school buses can continue to use the Man Kam To crossing when the children are on board, empty buses cannot do so. Chow said he has asked that empty school buses also be allowed to use the crossing.

Rethink on closure of Man Kam To crossing
2 March 2010
South China Morning Post

The closed Man Kam To border crossing is set to reopen - with limits - to the public under a new arrangement by the mainland authorities.

The mainland has agreed in principle to provide a clearance for travellers using a limited cross-boundary coach service between Sheung Shui and Man Kam To during rush hours, a Hong Kong government spokesman said in press release on a government website last night.

The department concerned was working out the details with the cross-boundary bus service providers, he said, adding that there would be an announcement once the service was confirmed.

North District residents reacted angrily to the closure of the border checkpoint from February 22 for 2½ years due to renovations on the Shenzhen side, where the checkpoint is called Wenjindu port.

Clearance services for passengers, including cross-boundary buses and private cars, will be suspended, but buses carrying cross-border schoolchildren and trucks are unaffected.

Residents were angered by the lack of publicity and consultation on the closure. A notice came in a Hong Kong government press release 11 days before it closed.

Man Kam To crossing reopens for bus trips
16 March 2010
SCMP

The partially closed Man Kam To border crossing is set to reopen for limited trips by cross-border buses next week, the government said after reaching a deal with mainland authorities.

From March 27, mainland authorities will provide clearance services to travellers using limited cross-border bus services. Three round trips will run between Sheung Shui and the Man Kam To border post during peak commuter periods in the morning and afternoon, a Hong Kong government spokesman said. Legislator and North District councillor Wong Sing-chi, who has called for cross-boundary bus services since the border closed in late February, said he welcomed the 12 trips daily but would fight for 50 daily bus trips.

"A coach can take 50 passengers. What if there are 200 people waiting for buses at the stop? They should have thought for them," said Wong. He said he would check with the Security Bureau about details of the new services in a bid to avoid possible chaos from March 27. North District residents reacted angrily to the closure of the border checkpoint from February 22 for 2-1/2 years due to renovations on the Shenzhen side, where the checkpoint is called Wenjindu.

Clearance services for passengers, including cross-boundary buses and private cars, were suspended, but buses carrying cross-border schoolchildren and trucks are unaffected. Residents were angered by the lack of publicity and consultation on the closure. A notice came in a Hong Kong government press release 11 days before the closure. Between 6,000 and 8,000 commuters were affected by the closure, more than 1,000 being cross-border workers, according to Wong.

Yesterday, about 30 private seven-seater-vehicle drivers blocked the only major route to the border post at about 11am, for about 15 minutes. They left when police arrived. The professional private car drivers, who provide cross-border passenger services, say their jobs are in jeopardy because the the border is closed to them. The government spokesman said cross-border private car quotas issued by mainland authorities were for personal use only, and were not for commercial purposes.

Board wants briefing on planning debate
29 May 2010
South China Morning Post

The Town Planning Board has asked to be briefed on planning officials' discussions in 2004 about linking the record of activities at a particular piece of land to consideration of any planning application involving the land, a link described as the "clean record test".

The test was proposed as a way to address the common practice in rural areas of carrying out work before applying for planning permission, commonly referred to as "destroy first and develop later", but planning officials concluded at the time that a bad record would not be sufficient grounds for rejecting a planning application.

The request for a briefing came after a meeting of the board's Rural and New Town Planning Committee yesterday which, as expected, approved a controversial small house application on an illegal dumping site in Ho Sheung Heung, Sheung Shui.

Four other small house applications for the area affected by the illegal dumping, which took place last year, were approved in 2008, and six owners recently filed a joint land-filling application for their land at the illegal dumping site.

The six were ordered to remove the waste dumped on their properties last year and to cover the site with grass by April, but the restoration work has not been completed, the Planning Department said.

The department has yet to decide whether to support the new land-filling application, although the committee's approval of the small house application and associated land-filling yesterday means the six owners are likely to get their way.

The indigenous landowner whose application was approved yesterday, Hau Wai-nam, has also failed to fully comply with the order to remove all waste and grass the site.

At the committee meeting, Yau Wing-kwong queried whether members should ignore Hau's application until the enforcement issue was fully settled or proceed with discussion regardless.

Hui Wai-keung, district planning officer for North District, assured the committee that while he had no power to oversee enforcement, Hau would not be allowed to evade his obligation to restore the site. "Even if the application is approved, he will have to sort out himself how to satisfy the reinstatement order as required by the law," he said.

Explaining the decision to approve the application, a spokeswoman for the committee said the jurisdiction of the committee, under the Town Planning Ordinance, did not cover enforcement issues, which were the job of the Planning Department. "That means the planning request and enforcement are dealt with separately," she said.

The application satisfied the criteria for assessing small house applications, she said, and there was no major concern on land use compatibility since four small houses nearby had been approved in 2008.

But the committee attached a special condition to the approval requiring the owner to complete construction of a drainage system to the satisfaction of the Drainage Services Department before starting work on building the house.

The meeting was told the house site would be elevated, but some members raised concerns that doing so would aggravate flooding problems in the area.

`Landing visas' hailed as key to border zone
The Standard
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A think-tank led by Executive Council convener Leung Chun-ying has suggested the government issue "landing visas" that would allow mainlanders to visit restricted areas in the northern New Territories for a specified period.

The One Country Two Systems Research Institute said such visas would speed up the development of some sections of the border area without affecting sites set aside for conservation purposes.

The visas can be issued by Hong Kong to spare mainlanders the hassle of securing exit and entry permits from the Public Security Bureau.

In a report handed to the Planning Department, the institute urged the creation of a special border development zone covering the frontier closed area of Kwu Tung North, Fan Ling North and Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling.

It said Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling is mainly flat and derelict agricultural land that is suitable for all-round development.

It suggested land visa holders be allowed to stay in the zone for no more than seven days at a time to enjoy services such as education, medical treatment and one-stop shopping. However, they will not be allowed to seek employment.

Institute executive director Cheung Chi-kong said the visas may be issued by Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" policy.

"The concept is similar to Taiwan's landing visa available to Hong Kong travelers," he said. "Currently, mainlanders have to apply for an exit-entry permit to travel to and from Hong Kong and Macau - a decision that rests with mainland authorities."

Cheung said he is aware that conservationists want to see the border area protected, but there is no reason why a balance cannot be struck.

"The area that involves infrastructure is merely about 28 hectares, and mostly unused agricultural land with little conservation value."

The report also said the development of the zone may ease over- congestion on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and relieve unemployment in New Territories North.

The Planning Department is currently undertaking studies on a long- term plan for the frontier closed area and the three-in-one new development area.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen mooted the idea of opening up the frontier closed area to development in his 2007 policy address.

The nearby Lok Ma Chau Loop is also targeted for one of 10 leading infrastructure projects being planned.

Opinion : Shenzhen and HK citizens can benefit from green border zone
31 August 2010
SCMP

A 2,400-hectare border area is to be opened next year ("Development urged for green border zone", August 25).

A think tank has suggested that the area could be used for a range of purposes, from private hospitals and outlet malls to conference and exhibition venues and university campuses as Hong Kong needs land for various kinds of development.

I do not think the suggestion from the One Country Two Systems Research Institute would make good use of this green space.

I believe the original plan for the border area by the Planning Department is a better one.

It proposed a conservation-led development for the 2,400-hectare border area.

It wanted more than half of the area to be preserved as a green belt, country parks or conservation zones to serve "as a green buffer between Hong Kong and Shenzhen".

However, the new proposal would turn a large green belt in the middle of the border zone, including the ecologically-important wetlands, into built-up areas.

I think the department's original proposal is better than the new one, for Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

If there is even more development of this border area, the pollution problems will be exacerbated.

The ecological environment of this area situated between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is already very vulnerable, because there has been too much development in Shenzhen. The manufacturing sector is flourishing, but this means more emissions from factories and more sewage in rivers.

Environmental protection regulations were very lax and this threatened the ecological balance in the area in question. Those involved in industries have ignored the adverse impact on the environment and it is not only Shenzhen which suffers. Harmful pollutants are blown over the border.

In the long term, the environment will not be able to withstand further developments such as the ones being proposed by this think tank. There could come a point where the damage done is irreversible.

The department's original proposal not only allows for a green buffer which can ease pollution problems, but it will be an area which can be enjoyed by the people of both cities.

They will have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful and natural scenery. We need to strike a balance between development and environmental protection. The think tank's plan is not consistent with sustainable development.

I appreciate that land is limited in Hong Kong and we need land for more developments to maintain our position in the international community.

However, developing the green border area will not solve our land shortage problems.

As I said, it can only lead to a deterioration of the environment and of people's living standards. And I have doubts about how many people would benefit from the developments suggested by the think tank.

Lo Fung-ha, Tseung Kwan O

Time warp in the shadow of Shenzhen
The Standard
Wednesday, September 01, 2010

I recently visited one of Hong Kong's unusual spots. It is a small rural village on a bay with plenty of woodland and hills and old buildings.

There is a row of two-story shophouses built in the 1930s, a fortified walled village built in the mid- 19th century by a prominent Hakka businessman, a row of 1930s homes built with money sent back by migrants to the Caribbean and a small old temple now used as an office for a local school. I will probably write more about them some time.

Look in one direction and you see a city with high-rise buildings, including some modern, upmarket residential blocks. It feels like you are standing in this city's backyard - it is not far away. But although the village and greenery are in Hong Kong, the urban area is in fact part of Yantian district, in Shenzhen.

You are standing in Sha Tau Kok, right at the eastern end of the boundary with the mainland. It is in the Closed Area - the buffer zone running along the Hong Kong side of the border with the mainland. You need a permit to come here because in some parts, like the famous Chung Ying Street, you cross the border simply by crossing the road.

Traditionally, we think of Hong Kong as busy, urbanized and developed, and the mainland as more rural and developing. In small and quiet Sha Tau Kok, however, it is very clearly the other way around.

Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, sees culture from all perspectives.

Qianhai options - a bait to see if anyone in HK will bite?
9 November 2010
SCMP

Give me any one of these and I can set up an instantly successful special economic zone, too. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you can leave the competition far behind if you can get your government to kick it out of the way.

Take this suggestion of giving Qianhai a pilot scheme for free convertibility of the yuan. Everyone in China wants to be able to exchange funny money for real money and if one little corner of Shenzhen gets the exclusive nod, that little corner of Shenzhen will undoubtedly grow rich. If I enter the winning Mark 6 number I will win the Mark 6. Hard to figure out how this works, isn't it?

Likewise the suggestion that taxes in Qianhai should be set much lower than taxes elsewhere in China. I like it. I shall try a variant of this idea on the Jockey Club one day. I am prepared to buy a racehorse if the Jockey Club will guarantee my horse a head start of half the length of the race every time it runs.

Well, why not? Why should Qianhai be the only place where people can get that kind of head start? Why not Happy Valley, too? I'll put my hand up for the trial run and if you want to tell me that I am no-one special, well, what is so special about Qianhai?

The place is a stretch of mud on the way to the Shenzhen Airport, which was filled in with excavation muck from other construction sites and declared "reclaimed" long before that muck has had time to settle, a perfect prescription for leaning buildings and cracked walls.

We have a solid foundation here for the Pearl River Delta's new financial centre. I also suspect it was second choice. These things are always murky, of course, but do you remember the Lok Ma Chau Loop?

It is an 87-hectare piece of land that was made Hong Kong territory in 1997 by straightening a loop of the Shenzhen River. The Shenzhen authorities have ever since been in a flying mad rush to develop it into a new centre for the entire delta. But the loop is made up of contaminated mud that can only be removed at prohibitive expense and it has no roads, water, power or any other services. Most telling of all, the Shenzhen authorities forgot to pay off the reigning New Territories bosses, a big mistake. The loop remains mud and grass.

It is also notable that the Shenzhen authorities have been much less noisy about developing it recently. Methinks they've given up and decided to go with that Qianhai site a few kilometres north instead.

It was always puzzling, however, that they should have been so eager to develop the loop and so quiet when asked who owns it. I think it is appropriate to ask the same question about the Qianhai reclamation. Who owns it?

One other question I must ask. Do you boys really think that Beijing will give you a free convertibility zone and big tax cuts just for the asking or is this just bait to see if anyone in Hong Kong will bite? Happy fishing, lads, but I suggest you try a more convincing lure.

We need new thinking to break the conventions. Hong Kong is too small for the advancement of certain research areas like energy saving and new energy development. That local money could not be channelled across the border for research that has the potential to benefit Hong Kong doesn't make sense.

Tai Hay-lap, University Grants Committee

Yes indeed, Mr Tai, we need new thinking here. For instance, could we get a new theme song for academia? The unvarying lyrics of the existing one - "Gimme me more money" - are getting a little tiresome, particularly when never accompanied by even a word of thanks for all the money the public purse has given academia.

But could you also do us a favour and define your meaning of the word "sense"? I would have thought our best option, if Hong Kong is too small for energy research, would be to make use of other people's energy research and concentrate instead on what we can do well.

I would also have thought that a good word for pouring research money down some bottomless hole across the border is "nonsense". Do it with your own money, Mr Tai, but the public purse is also mine.

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development holds fifth meeting
Monday, November 22, 2010
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Executive Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Lu Ruifeng, convened the fifth meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development in Shenzhen today (November 22).

At the meeting, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities agreed to launch concurrently the Stage One Public Engagement of the Planning and Engineering Study on Development of Lok Ma Chau Loop tomorrow (November 23). The public engagement, which will last for two months, aims to seek public views from both Hong Kong and Shenzhen on the preliminary Outline Development Plan for the Lok Ma Chau Loop and development proposals for its surrounding areas, so as to enhance the planning framework.

Regarding the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point project, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities have reached a consensus on the scale of clearance, the mode of co-operation for work projects linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and the preparation work for the international design ideas competition for the passenger terminal building. On the Hong Kong side, the study on investigation and preliminary design, the ground investigation and the re-provisioning works for Chuk Yuen Village have begun.

In addition, the Shenzhen authority has approved the proposals for the Boundary Control Point project and is now carrying out the environmental impact assessment as well as drafting the detailed blueprints. According to the current schedule, construction work on the project will commence in Hong Kong and Shenzhen in 2013, with a view to opening the Boundary Control Point not later than 2018.

Varsities eye role in loop education hub
The Standard
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The government says universities in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong, including the University of Hong Kong, have expressed interest in setting up schools in the Lok Ma Chau loop.

According to Planning Department deputy director Ling Kar-kan, the authorities in both cities have launched a two-month consultation on developing the area into a tertiary education hub.

"The best way to enhance the competitiveness in the knowledge- based economy is to nurture professionals capable of working in both places," Ling said.

"Universities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen have expressed interest to us in setting up schools in the zone."

The 88-hectare loop, bounded by the new and old Shenzhen River channel next to Huanggang port, is a closed area with no one living on the land.

Ling said the zone can accommodate up to four education institutes totalling 24,000 students, adding the government will seek views from the public on the mode of operation, and who would run these institutes.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Hong Kong have all expressed interest.

An HKU spokeswoman said: "The university has submitted proposals to the government to build campuses in Lok Ma Chau. We are now pending responses from the authorities."

The planning department also said the remaining 33-hectare area will be reserved for high technology facilities and cultural and creative industries.

All buildings in the loop will be restricted to a maximum height of 15 stories, Ling said, adding an ecological zone will be included to preserve the existing bird-flight lines in the loop.

Civil Engineering and Development Department chief engineer Liu Chun-san said work on the HK$10 billion infrastructure will start in 2013 and will be completed not later than 2020. All costs will be shared by the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments, Liu added.

Education hub too large and ecological zone too narrow, says WWF
24 November 2010
South China Morning Post

While toxic mud may no longer be an issue, a green zone mapped out for protecting the flight path of migratory birds has a conservation group worried that it is too small.

The mud, dumped on the land sliced off from Shenzhen during the straightening of the polluted Shenzhen River in the 1990s, was a major obstacle to plans to develop the loop. There were concerns that dumping the mud in Sha Chau would harm the endangered Chinese white dolphin.

However, studies showed the mud was less of a problem than thought, said Liu Chun-san, of the Civil Engineering and Development Department.

Liu said tens of thousands of cubic metres of toxic mud could be deposited in five separate areas and be treated on site at a cost of HK$100 million. The heavy metals in the mud would be solidified with cement and the mud buried without causing more pollution.

But Alan Leung Sze-lun, of WWF Hong Kong, said the environmental concern would be the scale of the education hub. "It is much larger than we expected. The loop lies in the flight path of migratory birds. The ecological zone is simply too narrow," Leung said.

HK$10b university hub planned for border loop
24,000 students will study at up to four tertiary institutions
24 November 2010
South China Morning Post

An uninhabited pocket of land polluted by toxic mud will be turned into a hub for higher learning, according to the Planning Department.

Up to four new tertiary institutions may be built on the Lok Ma Chau Loop, a swathe of land that will also feature research and development facilities and a nature conservation area, it said. Officials yesterday disclosed details of the plan for the 870,000-square-metre area, which belongs to Shenzhen but is managed by the Hong Kong government. At least five local universities have expressed interest in opening new campuses there.

"The site is ideal for training talent for the Pearl River Delta so that it can compete with the Yangtze River Delta, which has a lot more tertiary institutions," said deputy director of planning Ling Kar-kan.

The loop was carved from Shenzhen's territory during the straightening of the Shenzhen River in the 1990s. Controversy has dogged the site. Developers wanted full-scale building while environmentalists fought for its conservation after cleaning up the toxic mud from industrial waste discharged into the river. The new plan will disappoint both groups. The result of a joint study by the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments, it will be open for public consultation until January.

Ling said the loop could produce a floor area of 1.2 million square metres for the new education hub. More than half the space, or 720,000 square metres, will be reserved for educational facilities. That space should be enough for one to four institutions to set up a new campus or faculty, or even a new university, Ling said.

The facilities, to open no sooner than 2020, will accommodate 24,000 students, half of whom will live in dormitories on the site. Building the infrastructure is expected to cost about HK$10 billion. It will include new roads, sewage treatment plants and possibly a light-rail system. Hong Kong will pay for most of that but is in negotiation with Shenzhen over possibly sharing the cost.

A University of Hong Kong spokeswoman said it had already handed in a development proposal for the site. "We are interested in setting up a school zone in Lok Ma Chau," she said.

"We are waiting for the results of government research. [The proposal] could help HKU further its development in teaching and research."

Chinese University said the site's geographical proximity to Shenzhen made it ideal for its expansion plan. "We have always hoped to make use of this edge to help cope with the demand for talents from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta," a university spokesman said.

The University of Science and Technology, Baptist University and the Polytechnic University, along with several educational institutions based in Shenzhen, have expressed interest. Ling hopes to attract interest from overseas universities, as well.

The rest of the loop will go to hi-tech research and development, and creative industries. Buildings on the loop will be restricted to 15 storeys or less. To be a low-carbon area, only electric cars and bicycles will be allowed in. The loop will be linked to the Lok Ma Chau boundary control point with a road or light rail system, which will make it a 10-minute journey for commuters to travel to the hub from the control point.

An ecological zone, intended to be a no-go area, will be created along the edge of the loop to preserve the flight paths of migratory birds.

Areas adjoining the loop - covering 182 hectares of land that contain villagers, hills and fish ponds - will see small-scale, commercial developments such as restaurants, shops and guest houses. Across the border, a similar-sized site in Shenzhen, including the Huangguang and Futian ports, will have offices, hotels, exhibition venues and research facilities to support the education hub.

Public forums will be held in Hong Kong and Shenzhen to collect public views.

Hong Kong is developing really fast.

Is Hong Kong still the richest part from China?

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Hong Kong is developing really fast.

Is Hong Kong still the richest part from China?

Yes - on a per capita income basis.

Motives behind secret deal for City of Sadness
7 December 2010
SCMP

Rapid population growth and the need to build a new frontier town quickly in Tin Shui Wai led to a secret deal between the government and a consortium of developers, says a scholar who studied the agreement.

The poverty-stricken satellite town, dubbed the "City of Sadness" because of its association with domestic violence, murders and suicides, might have had a happier history were it not for the secret pact in the 1980s to limit commercial development - and the jobs that might have come with it.

The deal, revealed in yesterday's South China Morning Post, ensured retail businesses in government-owned buildings posed no serious competition to those in privately developed sections of the district.

The pact put limits on shops, markets and commercial enterprises in an area that could have sorely used the employment opportunities.

Dr Law Chi-kwong, associate professor in the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong, explained why the colonial government made such a deal.

Law, one of the few people outside the government to have actually seen the agreement, said: "There was a pressing need to build more new towns in Hong Kong to satisfy the growing population.

"But the government itself was not able to do it without the participation of private developers." He said the government had to rely on the private sector to realise its 10-year housing policy and thus offered incentives to the private sector during the 1970s and '80s to increase development. "To the government, it was a win-win solution to sign the joint venture agreement," he added.

In the 1982 deal, the then-territorial government bought 488 hectares of Tin Shui Wai land for HK$2.3 billion from a consortium called Mightycity, now owned by Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong (Holdings) and China Resources.

The government immediately sold back almost 40 hectares to Mightycity for HK$800 million.

The consortium eventually built private residences, including Kingswood Villas, as well as the Kingswood Ginza mall and the 1,102-room Harbour Plaza Resort city. The government used the remaining land to build public and subsidised housing, together with local-scaled shopping centres and markets. But it also secretly promised not to allow businesses in those areas to become large enough to compete with businesses on the land owned by Mightycity.

Law noted: "The colonial government was not comfortable to see the 488 hectares of land in the hands of Chinese government-controlled China Resources, and thus the government decided to buy back all the lands from Mightycity and entered into a joint venture agreement with them."

A leading member of the Consumer Council said there seemed to be no good commercial reason for the business restrictions placed on the government-developed sections of Tin Shui Wai.

Thomas Cheng, chairman of the council's competition policy committee, said the government had the right to sign any agreement with any private company. But he couldn't see a reason for the authority to conceal a pledge that affected the livelihoods of 270,000 people.

He said: "There was no justifiable reason, from a competition perspective, for the Hong Kong government to sign a private memorandum to protect Mightycity's interest in commercial properties."

He added: "While there may be other policy reasons for signing such a memorandum, these reasons should be explained to the public."

Tung Chung reclamation proposed
11 December 2010
South China Morning Post

As much as 160 hectares of the seabed off Tung Chung on Lantau Island could be filled in to create land for massive residential developments and possibly a theme park.

The reclamation, which officials term a new town extension project, is among studies to be conducted to find land for future housing.

With further reclamation of the harbour largely banned by law, the government is eyeing the New Territories' coastline for new sites.

According to a document tabled at a Legislative Council joint panel meeting yesterday, the Tung Chung project would involve reclamation east and west of Tung Chung new town. Some 120 hectares would be used for property development.

"Residential uses will be the major component of the proposed development with ancillary commercial uses, community facilities and open spaces," the paper, prepared jointly by the Planning Department and Civil Engineering and Development Department, said.

A further 40 hectares of reclaimed land would be reserved for a theme park or other large-scale recreational use under a long-term concept plan.

The development would be inter-related with infrastructure projects, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

The idea of reclaiming the sea in the New Territories was first touched on by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in his policy address in October.

Tsang said the government would explore proposals "for reclamation on an appropriate scale outside Victoria Harbour to generate more land in the long run".

At yesterday's meeting of the housing and development panels, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government was determined to boost land supply to stabilise the market. "We are confident that the new residential sites on the 2011-12 application list can produce more than 10,000 flats," she said. Under the application list system, a site is auctioned if a developer makes an initial bid high enough to trigger a sale.

Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit asked the government to consider resuming regular land sales.

Housing chief Eva Cheng said about 74,600 public rental flats would be supplied in the five years until 2014-15. Of them, 84 per cent would be in urban areas.

Colonial deal built 'City of Sadness''
6 December 2010
SCMP

To the poor people of Tin Shui Wai, more shops, markets and commercial developments would have meant more jobs close to home.

This could have been the difference between survival and desperation in the "City of Sadness", a place with a long history of family tragedies and abuse.

But a secret deal between the colonial government and a consortium - dubbed "unimaginable by today's standards" by one academic - has, in effect, limited the number of such outlets to this day to ensure that businesses in government buildings did not pose too much competition to those in the district's sole private estate, Kingswood Villas.

Though officials said the agreement was cancelled in 2002, the limits on proper zoning and town planning had been imposed. The undisclosed deal also raises questions whether there might be other secret agreements being kept from the public over the years that might have an impact on today's city planning.

The town of 273,800 residents has more than 9 per cent unemployment, the highest in Hong Kong. They face long and expensive trips to work elsewhere, if they can find jobs.

Under a private memorandum signed between the pre-handover government and developer Mightycity Company, now owned by Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong (Holdings) and China Resources, commercial developments in the government buildings are not allowed to compete with the private shops in any way that would damage their viability.

This has meant that while public and subsidised housing estates occupy the bulk of the town, they have mainly small local-style businesses, shops and markets.

The memorandum even put paid to plans for a permanent market in the public part of the troubled town.

It was part of a deal - never publicly disclosed in full - under which the government bought almost 500 hectares of former fish ponds and farms back from developers 28 years ago at an above-market price then agreed to develop them as a joint venture.

This arrangement, which turned on its head the principle that developers wanting to develop agricultural land have to pay a premium, is also raising eyebrows. "The government's decision to purchase back the land at a premium from developers and the private memorandum are unimaginable by today's standards," said Dr Law Chi-kwong, associate professor in the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong.

Law, one of the very few people outside the government to have seen the agreement, said he understood only a handful of senior officials had access to it.

The story goes back to 1977 when the Special Committee on Land Production recommended a study on developing Tin Shui Wai.

Sensing an opportunity Mightycity, then owned 51 per cent by China Resources, 12.5 per cent by Li's Cheung Kong and 36.5 per cent by Wheelock Marden, Trafalgar Housing and others, began buying land in 1979, amassing 488 hectares.

Mightycity then approached the government with a proposal to build a new town to house more than half a million people. Its original business plan was to surrender land for public housing in exchange for the government building all the infrastructure.

The proposal was rejected in 1982 but the consortium accepted a better counter offer. On July 29, 1982, Nicky Chan Nai-keong, secretary for lands and works, said the government would pay Mightycity HK$2.258 billion for all the land and grant it almost 40 hectares for HK$800 million.

The government paid HK$46 a square foot, much higher than the valuation calculated from a land auction held by a court in 1980 to determine the value of an unresolved 7 per cent stake in Mightycity.

"The price of the land at HK$46 a sq ft was not low compared with the 1980 auction price at about HK$11.50 a sq ft. Moreover 1980 was a period of property boom while 1982 was a declining year," Lee Chi Ming wrote in an unpublished dissertation in 1987 at the University of Hong Kong.

Under the joint venture deal, inked on July 29, 1982, 169 hectares was designated a development zone, of which 38.8 hectares was granted to Mightycity for a private residential estate and 130 hectares was for public and subsidised housing. The government kept the rest as a land bank.

Cheung Kong and its chairman Li Ka-shing raised their stakes in Mightycity to 48.25 per cent and 0.75 per cent, respectively, in 1988 when the multibillion-dollar project went ahead. Cheung Kong was appointed project manager in the same year.

Mightycity built Kingswood Villas, the only private estate in Tin Shui Wai with 15,880 flats, in phases from 1992 to 1999. It included 75,000 square metres of commercial areas comprising the Kingswood Ginza mall and the 1,102-room Harbour Plaza Resort City.

At the same time the government was restrained from developing a self-sustaining new town by the memorandum stating that it could only develop commercial space as neighbourhood shops in the public housing estates and that "only to such extent as is calculated not to render the commercial accommodation to be provided by [Tin Shui Wai Development Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mightycity] on the 38.8 hectares not commercially viable".

The effects of this were felt in 1988 when the government proposed to build a permanent market in Tin Shui Wai Area 33, which is now a bus terminus and the Central Park Towers. After the developer objected, the plan was changed to a temporary market.

In the Tin Shui Wai Outline Development Plan dated March 1989, the Territory Development Department wrote: "A permanent market was planned on the site ... to cater for the needs of the private residential development. [Mightycity] however objected to it on the grounds that the market may compete with the commercial facility within their private developments."

The department removed the project from its 1993 programme and the market had never been built, a University of Hong Kong study said.

The then Lands and Works Branch has never released the entire joint venture document in 28 years.

But Law said he had seen the document in 2006 when he was a member of the Commission on Poverty.

"I met some housing department officers to find out why the department was unable to build more markets and shopping centres in Tin Shui Wai to stimulate the local economy," he said.

"They leaked to me that they were constrained in developing commercial properties as a result of a private memorandum between the government and Mightycity."

Law then asked a "very senior government official", whom he refused to name, to show him the secret paper, and he understood the Housing Authority had kept one copy.

Replying to inquiries, the Housing Authority did not deny or confirm whether it had a copy, saying only: "The HA is not a party to the `memorandum' mentioned in the question and is not the authority in land administration."

It took the Development Bureau more than two weeks to dig out the document and digest it after being approached by the Post. A spokeswoman said the 1982 agreement was cancelled in 2002, as "there were no outstanding obligations remaining to be fulfilled by any of the parties".

By then, a master development plan for the 318 hectare reserve zone in Tin Shui Wai North had been endorsed in 1995 and the latest outline zoning plan for Tin Shui Wai had been approved in 1998. These plans assigned most of the land for residential purposes, in which 75 per cent was for public housing and the rest for private housing.

The unusual planning strategy left little space for commercial activities and what does exist, comprising 61,000 square metres of floor area, was sold to The Link in 2005.

Cheung Kong did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

that's so scandalous

Low-carbon lifestyle within reach,but will HK grasp the opportunity?
Pilot project, awareness needed for green new towns to be reality
4 December 2010
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong is well placed to establish low-carbon communities, but a lack of pilot projects and low public awareness of their potential means the opportunity could be missed.

That's the assessment of a professional who has pioneered such communities elsewhere in the world. It comes as the city prepares for big new developments at West Kowloon and Kai Tak, as well as three new towns in the New Territories.

The government pledged in 2008 to design three new development areas in the New Territories - Kwu Tung North, Fan Ling North, and Ta Kwu Ling - to have minimal carbon emissions. Little progress has so far been reported publicly but an engineering study is being conducted to explore the feasibility and the extent of the designs.

Chris Twinn, a veteran engineer who started one of the first zero-carbon residential projects in London 10 years ago, said that, in order to pave the way for such developments, the government should first demonstrate the feasibility of the concept to developers with a small-scale residential project.

"Developers will not make a financial commitment until they have seen the details of what it means and submit tenders. Otherwise, it involves an enormous cost premium, which will be mostly an innovation cost," said Twinn, a director of the global engineering firm Ove Arup which is conducting a site engineering study and will propose land uses for the three new towns.

He said Hong Kong residents also needed to know more about the energy they were using as they consumed it. Since electricity meters were installed outside their apartments and were difficult to reach, occupants were generally not aware of how much they were using until they got their bills.

"Until they know where and how energy is being used, homeowners will not know how to reduce their energy consumption. Many don't realise, for instance, that boiling water uses a lot more energy than, say, watching TV."

Government design rules for the new towns, which are expected to accommodate more than 130,000 people, will require developments to be green and sustainable.

For example, neighbourhoods should be within walking distance of each other to encourage high pedestrian activity, reduce car dependency, and promote cycling. Twinn, who is also advising the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park on how to achieve zero-carbon emissions in its phase three development, said it would be a green prototype for commercial developments.

But Hong Kong needed another pilot project for residential developments to reduce the initial development costs and leave developers with no easy excuses. Public land in the location where the three new towns were to be sited would provide a suitable place for a demonstration.

"You want it on a small development and then large developments copy it," he said.

Relying on wind, solar power and a power unit that burns wood chips to generate energy, Twinn's 2001 project in Beddington was one of the few residential developments in London to achieve zero-carbon emissions - not adding any additional carbon into the atmosphere.

The community, powered by renewable energy such as solar, provides charging points for electric vehicles and a car sharing programme was set up to discourage the use of private cars.

Bill savings have become an attraction of the apartments and owners generally enjoy a 15 per cent higher resale value than similar-sized properties in the same area.

"Residents can bring in electricity from the grid at night, but their site should generate electricity from its renewable sources during the day equivalent to what it took at night and feed it back to the grid," said Twinn.

The project, on a small scale, cost 30 per cent more than usual to cover costs such as triple-glazed windows. To ensure its viability, the government allowed it a lower land premium and it was undertaken by a charitable housing association.

Twinn said the development costs of similar zero-carbon projects nowadays were much lower - 10 per cent higher than normal projects - as they could follow the pilot project.

The British government's policy target of decarbonising the grid by generating 80 per cent of energy with renewable sources by 2050 also forces developers to build communities that emit less carbon.

Twinn said Hong Kong had waste that could be used to produce renewable energy. "But you also need to reduce your energy demand dramatically, say halve it. The city can't be business as usual any more."

Next year the British government will initiate a plan requiring every household to install a smart meter within 10 years. This will show both occupants and power companies the amount of energy consumed by major electrical appliances and the amount of renewable energy generated from their homes.

Twinn said suppliers of fridges and washing machine were now considering designs that would connect the appliances to the smart meter via a wireless sensor.

"You've got a meter and you put on the kettle, suddenly, the meter is moving fast, that is getting people to realise their lifestyle and choices and influence them," he said.

A similar idea has been proposed in another carbon neutral project in Dongtan, Shanghai. Residents will have their smart meter installed in the kitchen and their electricity bills will be tripled if their consumption exceeds the maximum amount allowed.

Without defining exactly how low a low-carbon community should be, the Hong Kong government said it would release recommended development plans for the three new towns early next year for a final public consultation.

The Planning Department is also considering raising the development density in Fan Ling North and Kwu Tung North, from buildings of about 10 storeys to not more than 18 storeys, to meet increasing housing demand.

Twinn said green infrastructure in larger-scale developments would enjoy much lower running costs, adding that Hong Kong should aim at achieving zero-carbon emissions in new communities.

"There is a learning curve but I don't think it's necessarily that much more difficult for Hong Kong," he said. "The issue is a route map. You don't have to achieve zero carbon in the first year. Low carbon isn't defined. Low energy just means slightly lower than it would have been otherwise. It's very difficult to hold people to a target. It requires political will, an open grid and a good demonstration," he added.

British power companies are required to open their grids and pay for the electricity generated from different residential and commercial sites.

Arup deputy chairman Andrew Chan Ka-ching, president of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, said the new town projects under consideration would require cross-departmental co-operation and they could be developed as an example for the city and the region.

He said the construction and operation of an environment-friendly transport system and district cooling system would be uneconomical if they were not widely used.

"The government should invite major players like the MTR and the Urban Renewal Authority to take a leading role in building green communities, or requiring new developments to use the systems through land lease conditions."

He also urged the government to set clear goals for the new towns and conduct studies to find out which energy targets are feasible.

The chief executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, Romilly Madew, said Hong Kong should move beyond individual green buildings to green communities.

"You have green principles for Kai Tak and West Kowloon, but how do you know the government and developers are going to do it? It's important to ensure the policies are in place so that you can monitor and measure their performance."

The Australian government has recently regenerated an old shipping terminal in Sydney, similar to Kai Tak, into a green star community. Under the green star rating, the district is required in principle to embrace environment-friendly designs, enhance residents' quality of life, create economic opportunities, and to be governed by visionary leadership and sustainable financing models. A rating tool is being developed to assess which communities are eligible for a green star and track their performances over time.

"Don't make it a missed opportunity. Use those two areas as an opportunity to showcase green precincts in Hong Kong," Madew said. "Creating a behavioural change is all about empowering the public with information. They won't want a big bay window and a grand marble lobby if you tell them they will cost you this much energy."

Parting praise for landfill
5 January 2011
SCMP

Reclamation would be a great answer for Hong Kong's construction waste, says John Chai Sung-veng, the outgoing director of the Civil Engineering and Development Department.

Chai, who retires tomorrow after a 32-year career in the civil service, said Hongkongers should reconsider their aversion to landfills.

Although there was a consensus that Victoria Harbour should be narrowed no further, reclamation could be suitable in other areas such as Tuen Mun West and Yam O, he said.

"Now the public becomes very defensive when they hear reclamation, but they need to be more sensible," he said. "There are differences between reclamation based on careful consideration and casual reclamation."

Hong Kong generates six to 10 million tonnes of construction waste a year. Unlike other rubbish which is of little use, construction waste is stored in fill banks for future reclamation.

The two fill banks in Tseung Kwan O and Tuen Mun have reached their maximum capacity. Since 2007, new waste has been transported to the mainland for reclamation.

Chai said the waste helped reclaim 300 hectares of land in Taishan , Guangdong. "If that piece of land were in Hong Kong, it would be so great."

Although it seemed perfect to transport waste to where more land was needed, Chai said the cost for Hong Kong to do so was very high and the city would see no economic benefit. Chai will succeeded by Hon Chi-keung.

New town set to be a cut above 'City of Sadness'
19 January 2011
South China Morning Post

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The proposed Hung Shui Kiu new town will be less densely populated and have fewer public housing estates than its embattled neighbour Tin Shui Wai, dubbed the "City of Sadness".

The government said yesterday that it would spend more than HK$70 million on a study into the development of the area between Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai, long identified as the location of a new town.

"The building density in Tin Shui Wai is too high, and there are too many public estates," a spokesman for the Planning Department said, adding that the new town would be better planned and provide a higher quality living environment.

The spokesman said the plot ratio in the new town centre would be about 5.0, markedly lower than the ratio of more than 6.5 in existing new towns such as Tin Shui Wai and Tseung Kwan O.

Plot ratio defines the total floor area of buildings permitted on a site. It is calculated by dividing the net floor area of all buildings on the site by the net site area

Private sector housing would make up about 60 per cent of housing in the new town. In Tin Shui Wai, more than 60 per cent of housing is public.

The spokesman said Hong Kong was in urgent need of new towns in order to increase the supply of housing and prevent property prices from continuing to climb.

"The need to develop new towns is pressing. We have to address the long-term housing demand and create jobs," he said.

The 790-hectare site will provide homes for about 160,000 people, along with local shops and community facilities. New business and industrial developments will create 48,000 jobs.

The new town could be used to develop "special industries", such as hi-tech production, logistics and high-value-added manufacturing, given its proximity to Shenzhen and the Qianhai development, the spokesman said.

The State Council has designated Qianhai as a "Hong Kong-Shenzhen modern service industries co-operation zone".

The department plans to seek funding from the Legislative Council in the second quarter of this year and begin the three-year study in August.

The study will assess land use and its impact on the environment, cultural heritage, traffic, infrastructure engineering, ventilation, landscape and urban design, and will eventually bring forward proposals on how the site should be used, the spokesman added. It will also look at the feasibility of a new MTR station between Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong.

Depending on the results of the survey, construction work will begin in 2019 and the new town will welcome its first citizens by 2023.

More than 60 per cent of the land at the site of the proposed town is privately owned, and about 25,000 people live there. About 30 per cent of the land is used as open storage, 20 per cent is in residential use and 13 per cent is agricultural land.

There are 25 villages in the proposed development site, of which 19 are inhabited by indigenous villagers.

The spokesman said the department hoped the new town would not affect indigenous villagers and said it would try to minimise the impact on squatters. But he conceded that "land acquisitions and demolitions would be inevitable".

Hung Shui Kiu was first identified as suitable for new development in 2000, but the plan was shelved because of slow population growth.

But Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced in his 2007 policy address that the new town would be one of 10 major infrastructure projects designed to promote economic growth.

`City of sadness' repeat ruled out
19 January 2011
The Standard

There will be no repeat of Tin Shui Wai when an area of Yuen Long is developed into a new town, the government said.

Hung Shui Kiu in the northwest New Territories is being lined up to accommodate at least 160,000 residents.

The ratio of public and private housing in the once rural area will be kept at 4:6, a spokesman for the Planning Department said yesterday.

At neighboring Tin Shui Wai, about 70 percent of homes are public housing.

``We will not follow the same proportion of housing mix in Tin Shui Wai to minimize social problems,'' he said.

Tin Shui Wai has been dubbed the ``city of sadness'' for its high rate of unemployment and suicides. Government figures show 80 percent of its 270,000 residents are on social welfare.

Gary Chan Hak-kan, a member of the Legislative Council housing panel, said: ``The problem with Tin Shui Wai is that there are insufficient community facilities, such as family counseling centers for the grassroots.

``A balanced housing mix is very important for sustainable development of a new town.''

Kwong Yuet-sum, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Tin Shui Wai Women Association and a Yuen Long district councillor, said the spending power of those in private housing can help boost employment opportunities in the community and therefore minimize the unemployment problems of isolated new towns.

The 790-hectare proposed site, located between Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai, currently has a population of 25,000 and is mostly village and agricultural land.

A government spokesman said it will become a low-density residential area with the industrial potential to increase economic integration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The government will apply to the Legco Finance Committee for HK$70.4 million to conduct a three-year study with a view to starting construction in 2019.

A West Rail station at Hung Shui Kiu will be completed before the first batch of residents move in in 2024, the spokesman added.

At the new town site, 64 percent of land is now under private ownership and there are 25 scattered villages, 19 of which are indigenous. The spokesman said efforts will be made to minimize the impact on locals.

North Lantau Hospital Phase I Foundation Laying Ceremony
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Government Press Release

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (January 20) officiated at the Foundation Laying Ceremony of North Lantau Hospital Phase I. The new hospital is being constructed to cope with the development of North Lantau New Town and its growing population, and is also in the proximity of Hong Kong International Airport and some major tourist facilities situated on Lantau Island. A funding of HK$2.48 billion was approved by the Legislative Council in December 2009 to support the establishment of North Lantau Hospital Phase I. The construction works commenced in January 2010 and are expected to be completed by December 2012.

Accompanying the Chief Executive at the ceremony were the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow; Hospital Authority Chairman, Mr Anthony Wu; Hospital Authority Chief Executive, Dr Leung Pak-yin; Director of Architectural Services, Mrs Marigold Lau; Chairman of Islands District Council, Mr Daniel Lam and Chief Executive of Kowloon West Cluster, Dr Nancy Tung.

North Lantau Hospital Phase I occupies about 1.9 hectares in Tung Chung Area 25. It will comprise a seven-storey C-shaped block atop a single storey podium, with provision of 160 in-patient beds and 20 day beds for ambulatory care services including an accident and emergency (A&E) department, specialist out-patient clinics, primary care clinics, a day rehabilitation centre and an ambulatory surgery centre. The in-patient and out-patient services will also be supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment facilities, such as an emergency laboratory, radiology suite, computed tomography scanner, ultrasound scanner and blood bank.

In addition, there will be a variety of community care services comprising community geriatric assessment service, a psychiatric outreaching team, community nursing services, patient resources centre, community health education, medical social services, and so on, ensuring proper care for patents and also enhancing the health of the community.

The North Lantau Hospital Project is being taken forward in two phases. The facilities and services of Phase I will be sufficient to meet the demand for public hospital services for the projected population on Lantau Island by 2015. To cope with the long-term development and population growth on Lantau Island, the Government will explore the feasibility of public-private-partnership for Phase II of the North Lantau Hospital project.

Public and lawmakers demand details of mystery regional plan
8 February 2011
SCMP

An ambitious joint study by Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau has proposed building a new town in North Lantau, a cross-border checkpoint in the West Kowloon arts hub and new cultural villages in Tai O and Fanling to attract tourists.

And crowded Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay will transform into low-carbon areas with priority given to pedestrians over vehicles.

The study is titled "The Action Plan for the Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary" and was jointly produced by authorities in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Dongguan , Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Zhongshan , with the aim of upgrading the region's quality of life.

However, the 18-page public consultation digest - and the 45-page Powerpoint document that goes with it - aims high but is short on detail.

The document has gone unnoticed - at least until recently - with the Planning Department only making a brief statement about it in mid-January before launching a one-month public consultation.

But now, more than 7,000 people have expressed concerns about it and joined a Facebook petition urging the government to extend its public consultation, which is to close on Thursday.

Lawmakers have complained they were not consulted on the plan. The Legislative Council has not received information about it.

"We do not accept our future being decided without us having a fair say," Chan Kim-ching, who started the Facebook campaign, said. "We are also uncertain about whether it is a genuine consultation. The Northern Link is still under study. But they have included it in the action plan. Does it mean the government will build it for sure?"

The action plan is one of several attempts at better integrating Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland.

The State Council has outlined a plan for the Pearl River Delta region between 2008 and 2020.

Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau jointly commissioned Peking University and Guangdong Urban and Regional Planning and Design Institute to report on the issues between March and April last year.

Under the action plan, the region will become a "bay for quality living", building on an advanced public transport network, residential communities with diversified housing types and adequate infrastructure and facilities. It also wants the region to excel in scientific research and development, boost its service sector and expand as a financial and transport hub.

Details of the plan relating to Hong Kong were not included in the text, but low-resolution maps included in the document show a new town in northern Lantau, a cross-border checkpoint in West Kowloon, cultural villages at Tai O and Fanling, and a low-carbon emission plan for Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.

The Northern Link and the express rail connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen airports, though still under study, are also included.

Authorities in Macau and Guangdong will co-ordinate land use and development of 500 hectares of Macau land - whose reclamation was approved by Beijing in December 2009 - and the business district in Henqin, Zhuhai. The new plan envisages a Zhuhai-Macau industrial zone as a logistics and exhibition centre.

Lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan has demanded an explanation from the Planning Department as to why the Legislative Council was excluded from the exercise.

Paul Zimmerman of Designing Hong Kong urged the government to publish the full report, in English, and criticised the Planning Department's lack of attempt to engage the non-Chinese speaking community in Hong Kong. "The information available is not the full report," he said. "It doesn't even have the population of each city involved in the study. I understand the study was conducted in Chinese. But the Planning Department should translate the materials into English so everyone in Hong Kong can participate in the discussion."

A Planning Department spokeswoman said the government would continue to listen to public responses to the plan.

Extension of deadline for expression of interest in Queen's Hill site
Friday, February 18, 2011
Government Press Release

The Education Bureau today (February 18) announced that the deadline for expression of interest in the development of self-financing tertiary education at the Queen's Hill site (the Site) will be extended to May 31, 2011.

The Education Bureau in December last year invited expression of interest for the development of self-financing tertiary education at the Site. A spokesman for the Bureau said "Having considered the encouraging response received so far and institutions' feedback that more time is needed to consider development proposals and prepare responses, the bureau has decided to extend the deadline by two months to May 31, 2011."

"The expression of interest exercise is open to local and non-local institutions/organisations and other interested parties. The tertiary institution(s) to be operated at the Site should be non-profit-making and run on a self-financing basis. We estimate that the Site will provide a gross floor area of more than 100,000 square metres and is suitable for the development of self-financing tertiary institution(s) with boarding facilities. The Site may provide some 8,000 self-financing places."

Reply form for the expression of interest can be downloaded from the website of the Information Portal for Accredited Self-financing Post-secondary Programmes (www.ipass.gov.hk/eng/eoi.aspx). Interested parties may express interest by submitting the reply form by May 31, 2011 to the Further Education Division, Education Bureau, 11/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The reply form can also be submitted by fax to (852) 2899 2967 or by email to sls_lgs_enq@edb.gov.hk.

HK law may rule in Qianhai test zone
6 March 2011
SCMP

Hong Kong lawyers may be allowed to mediate in disputes between Hong Kong and mainland companies under plans for Qianhai, a strip of land near the border that Shenzhen aims to use as an economic test lab.

Although details are sketchy, a draft law submitted to Shenzhen's legislature could see some of Hong Kong's legal procedures adopted in the 15-square-kilometre zone in Shekou .

The idea includes allowing permanent Hong Kong residents to serve as adjudicators - the closest thing to a jury under the mainland's legal system - in legal proceedings involving Hong Kong companies.

This is one of a range of bold suggestions in the draft aimed at helping Qianhai become a "Hong Kong-Shenzhen service industries co-operation zone".

The draft, submitted to the standing committee of the Shenzhen People's Congress on February 24, is expected to be endorsed by the end of the year.

Hong Kong Law Society president Huen Wong hopes Qianhai - the "special zone within the special economic zone" - can go further.

The National Development and Reform Commission had previously suggested setting up a means by which companies operating in Qianhai could get legal advice from Hong Kong lawyers.

Some Hong Kong lawyers had been looking for ways to apply common law principles in Qianhai, as Shenzhen authorities had pledged to use the zone as a testing ground for initiatives not tried elsewhere on the mainland.

Wong said the Qianhai development blueprint reminded him of the concept for the Dubai International Financial Centre, which had its own civil and commercial laws modelled closely on common law principles.

Qiu Mei, a Shenzhen deputy to the National People's Congress, says she will table to the NPC a proposal for a special court in Qianhai where "some of Hong Kong's laws and court procedures could be adopted".

Wong said he had heard some mainland officials had reservations about applying common law there.

The Law Society's council endorsed on Tuesday a list of services it wants to see Hong Kong lawyers provide in Qianhai. It will submit the list to the National Development and Reform Commission soon.

"I think it's a legitimate expectation that the mainland authorities would allow greater flexibility for Hong Kong lawyers in Qianhai than in the rest of the country under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement," Wong said.

The society's proposals included allowing Hong Kong law firms to forge full partnerships with mainland counterparts. Wong said the society also hoped Hong Kong lawyers would be allowed to provide mediation in Qianhai as an alternative to litigation for resolving disputes.

The society's wish list included the establishment of a World Trade Organisation dispute-resolution centre in the pilot zone.

Wong also wanted Qianhai to be a testing ground for two concepts that have been implemented in Britain but not in Hong Kong - the alternative business structure and legal disciplinary practices.

The alternative business structure allows lawyers and non-lawyers to establish a firm offering a "one-stop shop" of integrated legal and other professional services such as insurance, real estate or banking.

Legal disciplinary practices are law firms providing the type of services offered by solicitors and notaries, but up to 25 per cent of the staff can be non-lawyer partners.

Guo Wanda , vice-president of the Shenzhen-based China Development Institute, said applying some Hong Kong law in Qianhai could help lure foreign and Hong Kong-capital firms to invest. But he said a full-scale application of Hong Kong law might not be realistic.

'Manhattan' of delta sets its sights high
19 March 2011
South China Morning Post

It is empty land now. Most of it has been flattened, waiting for construction. About a fifth of the 15 square kilometres has not been touched.

Apart from a few temporary prefabricated houses and the criss-crossing of newly-laid roads, the area is essentially a void, bracketed by two of the world's busiest cities, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Yet in a decade or two, this narrow strip of wasteland will be the site of a gleaming new town - Qianhai .

Shenzhen's government, in a plan that has Beijing's blessing, is laying ambitious plans for a "Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta", a beating heart for a dynamic regional economic powerhouse.

Qianhai, with Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai , is written into China's 12th five-year plan for 2011 to 2015 as a test ground of strategic importance.

Guangdong authorities hope that by granting Qianhai the liberty to experiment with new ideas in governance and economic policy, the new special zone will push the Pearl River Delta to a new levels of prosperity, much as Shenzhen did for China in the past three decades,

They are talking about granting Qianhai taxation and administrative autonomy, setting up a new anti-corruption body similar to Hong Kong's ICAC and even establishing a new court that will adopt some of Hong Kong's judiciary practices and laws.

The Qianhai special zone will be run by an 11-member administration committee - two of them from Hong Kong, although selected by the Shenzhen government.

Advocates say the blend will combine the best of two worlds - the mainland's production efficiency with Hong Kong's transparency and checks and balances - to create a magnet for foreign investment.

But many doubt the two systems can be so easily united.

"For example, we are told Qianhai will have an ICAC-like body to supervise the operation of the administration committee," said Dr Fang Zhou, assistant chief research officer of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute, based in Hong Kong.

"But we really don't know how independent this new body will be from the Communist Party and if it will really be able to tackle the high-level corruption problem.

"It's very difficult, if not altogether impossible, to incorporate Hong Kong's laws and court practice [with the mainland legal system]."

Ultimately, Qianhai's success will be judged by how much new investment it can pull in and if it can really blaze a new trail of governance.

On investment, Qianhai already looks like a winner. Zheng Hongjie, director of the Qianhai management bureau, said 34 companies had signed agreements of co-operation to set up business and more than 50 large companies were in talks.

Zheng expected as many as five major investors would sign contracts with them this year.

China Investment Corp is said to be preparing to bankroll some of Qianhai's development, business magazine Caijing reported.

CIC has proposed teaming up with the Shenzhen government to develop between 6 per cent and 13 per cent of Qianhai's land.

The report said CIC could then sell its share of the joint venture to foreign investors.

But to some, Qianhai is nothing more than a clever device for Shenzhen to attract investment and milk preferential policies from Beijing.

"By collaborating with Hong Kong, it can get more relaxed policies to develop financial business, offshore RMB centres, fundraising and other services businesses," Fang said.

"Now, with public endorsement from the State Council and by being written into the country's five-year plan, Shenzhen can negotiate with powerful central organs like the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the People's Bank of China or the State Administration of Taxation on a stronger footing."

Mainland authorities have promised that Qianhai will have greater legal and administrative autonomy as a "special zone within the special economic zone" of Shenzhen. But they have still to work out details.

Shenzhen will finalise most of Qianhai's laws, regulations and its tax regime by the end of this year.

Zheng said the first joint conference bringing together the National Development and Reform Commission, State Council, top officials from Hong Kong, Guangdong province and Shenzhen would probably be held in the second half of the year.

They will try to flesh out policies for the zone's administration.

Mainland media reported that the layout of Qianhai and its infrastructure were finalised after the government consulted with 10 international planning agencies.

The blueprint is expected to be approved by Shenzhen authorities by June.

Additional reporting by Fanny W. Y. Fung in Beijing

SCMA speaks to the media
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, this afternoon (April 3) attended a forum on the National 12th Five-Year Plan organised by the National School of Administration Hong Kong Alumni Association. Following is the transcript (English portion) of Mr Lam's remarks to the media afterwards:

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: The adoption of the National 12th Five-Year is to be warmly applauded and accepted in Hong Kong. There are a number of important areas which will benefit Hong Kong's development of the Mainland market access henceforth.

Firstly, the Central Government has made clear that it will support and upgrade Hong Kong's position as an international financial, trading and shipping centre. Therefore, the development of the Renminbi (RMB) business in Hong Kong will continue to expand. As at early 2010, we only had about RMB 50 billion accumulated in Hong Kong. But by the end of 2010, we already had over RMB 370 billion. As at the end of February, the amount has grown to over RMB 400 billion. So we are experiencing exponential growth in the RMB business in Hong Kong and we believe that this will continue. Henceforth, our mission is to develop more RMB business products so that more financial returns can be made by investors and more employment opportunities will be provided in Hong Kong.

Secondly, the Central Government has also undertaken to allow the free trade arrangements between Hong Kong and the Mainland to continue to expand, in particular certain pilot measures currently only established in Guangdong can be extended to other provinces and regions in the Mainland.

Thirdly, there will be new opportunities for regional co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland. For example, in the last year and a half, we have been discussing very actively with the Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to establish a new area in Shenzhen called Qianhai. Even though this is only a limited territory of 15 square kilometres, we believe that it has every potential of being developed into a new financial, professional and service industry centre for Hong Kong service providers to establish themselves in the Mainland. We also believe that this will start off another round of developments for the next 30 years. Following the industralisation of the southern Mainland region in the last 30 years, we will now have the opportunity to upgrade the professional and service industries in the Mainland through very active participation by Hong Kong.

Qianhai set to make history with law to reveal income
24 March 2011
SCMP

The Qianhai Special Zone in Shenzhen will try to benefit from Hong Kong's experience, requiring all top-level officials to declare their incomes and financial records. It will be one of the few places on the mainland to do so.

According to a draft law announced yesterday by the Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress, all 11 members of the committee - two of whom are from Hong Kong, along with directors of the Qianhai Management Bureau, its senior management staff, ombudsman and assistant ombudsman - would be required to make their incomes public and declare any connections or interests that may relate to the decisions they make regarding policymaking and management.

Although several regions, including the Altay prefecture of Xinjiang , began requiring their 1,000 county-level cadres to declare their income from 2008, this would be the first law on the mainland that requires the declaration of income and interest. Qianhai will make history if the law is approved by the Shenzhen People's Congress next month in its second examination after this month's public consultation.

But the income and interest declaration will not apply to other Shenzhen cadres, as only Qianhai has been given that Hong Kong-style autonomy. The declaration system will apply only to Qianhai's management team, and Shenzhen's current laws and regulations will apply to Qianhai only if they are specifically legislated for that area.

Professor Tsao King-kwun of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who specialises in administrative and civil service reform in China, said if Qianhai officials were required to make public personal income and interests, it would be different from a property declaration.

"[It] doesn't require officials to declare their property and other assets ... According to the draft, Qian officials may need to make public only their income. The draft doesn't define income and whether it includes investment income," Tsao said in The Southern Metropolis News.

Mainland cadres are notorious for widespread corruption, and academics blamed its pervasiveness on a lack of effective anti-graft mechanisms. In grass-roots governments, financial and supervisory power is in the hands of Communist Party bosses and bureau chiefs.

Besides high salaries and generous perks such as public houses and cars, officials have various ways to embezzle public money and take bribes - known as "grey income".

A survey that attempted to put a monetary value on the country's corruption-fuelled grey income, conducted by the National Economic Research Institute in Beijing last year, estimated that China's rich may hide up to 9.3 trillion yuan (HK$11 trillion) in grey income, equal to one-third of the country's gross domestic product, after interviewing 4,000 households from 64 cities. About 5 per cent of those interviewed were party cadres at different levels.

At least seven city, district, county or prefecture-level governments require officials to declare their assets from 2008, including Pudong district in Shanghai, and Liuyang city and Xiangxiang county in Hunan.

Shenzhen's government, in a plan that has Beijing's blessing, is laying ambitious plans for a "Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta", a beating heart for a dynamic regional economic powerhouse.

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development holds sixth meeting
Monday, May 23, 2011
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Executive Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Lu Ruifeng, convened the sixth meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development in Hong Kong today (May 23).

The task force was briefed by its working group on the progress of the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point project and discussed the way forward. With higher education to be the leading land use in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the task force has set up a Working Group on Higher Education Development in Lok Ma Chau Loop. Comprising officials from education authorities in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the working group will discuss issues related to higher education development in the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

With regard to the Planning and Engineering Study on Development of Lok Ma Chau Loop, both Hong Kong and Shenzhen have commenced concurrently the public engagement exercise. Positive feedback from the community including suggestions on how to improve the development of Areas A, B and C has been received. Both sides have begun to revise the outline development plan in light of the public feedback. Upon completion of the revision, the Stage Two public engagement will commence.

Regarding the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point project, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities have launched an international design ideas competition for the passenger terminal building. The assessment panel conducted the first round of assessment in early May. Ten entries each from both the professional group and open group were selected. An exhibition of the selected entries will be held in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen in June. The selected entries will also be uploaded onto the competition website (www.lthywbcp-design.hk). Public views on the selected entries will be collected. The assessment panel will conduct the second round of assessment in July. Taking into account the public views, the winning entries will be announced in an award presentation ceremony in August.

The Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities have reached a consensus on the mode of co-operation on the construction work of the bridge and footbridge connecting the boundary control points of both sides. Details of the entrustment arrangement and agreement are being worked out. Meanwhile, both Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities are now taking forward various preparatory works for the boundary control points' construction. The study on investigation and preliminary design of the boundary control point on the Hong Kong side was completed in late 2010. The detailed design and construction supervision consultancy agreement commenced in mid-March and the reprovisioning works for Chuk Yuen Village have also begun. The detailed planning of the boundary control point on the Shenzhen side has been generally completed while the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment are now being carried out. According to the schedule, the construction work of the boundary control points will commence in Hong Kong and Shenzhen in 2013, with a view to opening the boundary control points no later than 2018.

The task force was pleased to note that both the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point project had made marked progress.

Build on both our strengths, Shenzhen urges
25 May 2011
SCMP

Hong Kong and Shenzhen were meant to complement each other rather than compete, Shenzhen's Communist Party chief said yesterday in Hong Kong, urging greater investment in the proposed Qianhai district across the border.

Speaking to about 300 business executives from major global companies - including IBM and Maersk, as well as Hong Kong and mainland government officials - Wang Rong said Qianhai needed about 40 billion yuan (HK$47.8 billion) in investment over the next three years.

Qianhai is a 15-square kilometre area of mostly bare landfill north of Shekou in Shenzhen's Nanshan district. But in March it gained strategic importance in the mainland's 12th five-year plan. The goal is to turn the area into the "Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta", with new industries, such as finance, hi-tech, IT, logistics, media, communications and professional services

Guangdong officials are considering granting Qianhai the chance to experiment with new forms of governance and economic policy. This could include taxation and administrative autonomy, the establishment of a new anti-corruption body similar to Hong Kong's ICAC and even establishing a new court that would adopt some of Hong Kong's judiciary practices and laws.

"The two cities [Hong Kong and Shenzhen] should extend their complementary roles," said Wang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress' Guangdong provincial committee. "We are located right next to Hong Kong, an advantage other mainland cities do not have, and it is a contributor to what Shenzhen is today."

Shenzhen is betting on the Qianhai project as its future growth engine. The proposal for the area comes as Beijing is pushing manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta to either make higher value products and upgrade their technology, or relocate to other parts of the country. Wang said he preferred to have companies stay put and upgrade.

But Federation of Hong Kong Industries chairman Cliff Sun Kai-lit said many of the trade body's 3,000 members complained that the rules were changing too rapidly and wanted a longer transition period.

"The time between the announcement and implementation of the rules is so short that it puts many manufacturers in a difficult situation," Sun said.

He cited examples of proposed rules to allow migrant workers to play a part in managing the factories they work in and future regulations on pension funds for the labourers. These issues remain under discussion after complaints by Hong Kong factory owners since late last year.

Shenzhen dumps nearly all its bold plans for Qianhai
Development zone told to concentrate on economy rather than striving for Hong Kong-style autonomy
29 June 2011
South China Morning Post

Shenzhen authorities have told Qianhai - a 15-square-kilometre development zone - to focus only on its economy, just six months after the city's leaders vowed to turn it into a mini Hong Kong with greater legal and administrative autonomy.

A final version of Qianhai's administrative regulation approved by the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen People's Congress on Monday deleted almost all the bold experimental measures that promised to learn from Hong Kong's experience.

These included the appointment of two Hong Kong members to its 11-member decision-making committee, having a Hong Kong-style independent commission against corruption and an ombudsman, and requiring all senior officials to declare their incomes and financial records.

The State Council designated Qianhai, 15 square kilometres of reclaimed land north of Shekou, as a "Shenzhen-Hong Kong modern service industries co-operation zone" in August and said it should be turned into "the Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta" by allowing it to test some groundbreaking ideas. One was to invite Hong Kong people to help manage the area and set up a Hong Kong-style anti-corruption mechanism.

Dr Fang Zhou , assistant chief research officer at the Hong Kong-based One Country Two Systems Research Institute, said the regulation approved by the Shenzhen legislature suggested that Hong Kong would not be directly involved in Qianhai's management, although it might be connected economically.

"Unlike Singapore's co-operation with Suzhou , Hong Kong doesn't have any government department to focus on co-development issues, and can't directly get involved in Qianhai's development," Fang said. "Also, inviting Hong Kong people to manage Qianhai and many other innovative measures surpassed the limits of Shenzhen's authority. It's realistic to delete them."

Zhou Rongsheng , deputy director of the Shenzhen People's Congress' legal committee, was quoted in yesterday's Southern Metropolis News as saying the U-turn had been made because "Qianhai is still at the beginning stage of attracting investment and construction. Its management shouldn't take too many responsibilities besides economic development."

Hong Kong's Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau yesterday said it was a decision for Shenzhen and declined to comment on the city's U-turn on the bold reforms.

"The Shenzhen municipal government is responsible for the development and management of Qianhai, while the SAR government provides comments on the study and formulation of issues like development planning and the related policies under the principle of 'one country, two systems'," it said yesterday. "We won't comment on media reports on individual aspects of the legislative work in Shenzhen."

The spokesman said Hong Kong would support Qianhai by encouraging its businesses to invest there.

Mainland media reported that people were disappointed that the regulation no longer included many experimental measures aimed at blazing a trail for democratisation and fighting widespread corruption. The proposal for a Hong Kong-style graft-buster and ombudsman was changed to a joint supervisory team involving the Communist Party's disciplinary watchdog, prosecutors, police and auditors.

Qianhai, along with Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai, was written into China's 12th five-year plan for 2011-15 as a testing ground of strategic importance. Before the U-turn, it was set to have its own laws, regulations and tax regime by the end of the year.

Results of International Design Ideas Competition for Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai BCP Passenger Terminal Building announced
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Government Press Release

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20110902/photo/0902-00407-069b1.jpg

The governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Shenzhen today (September 1) announced the results of the International Design Ideas Competition for Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (BCP) Passenger Terminal Building at the Prize Award Ceremony for the competition.

Launched in December 2010, the competition received an overwhelming response from entrants worldwide. More than 170 entries from over 10 countries and regions including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Holland were received. The six winners of the Professional Group and the Open Group are from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Executive Vice-Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Mr Lu Ruifeng, officiated at the ceremony and presented prizes to the winners.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mrs Lam said the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai BCP is one of the seven major projects involving co-operation between Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau under the 12th National Five-Year Plan. It will be the seventh land-based Hong Kong-Shenzhen BCP, connected to the Eastern Corridor in Shenzhen to provide a more efficient cross-border link to the eastern part of Shenzhen, as well as Huizhou, eastern parts of Guangdong and neighbouring provinces.

"When both governments agreed on the construction of the BCP, they decided that the BCP's design should be people-oriented. The Government of the HKSAR has attached great importance to public engagement and creativity when implementing major infrastructure projects in recent years. Hence, we came up with the idea of an international design competition for the Passenger Terminal Building and the four road bridges across the Shenzhen River. I am very pleased that this idea has received full support from the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government.

"This competition is the first design competition jointly organised by the governments of the HKSAR and Shenzhen. The prize award ceremony today not only marks an important milestone for the BCP project, but also fully demonstrates the increasingly close ties and co-operation between the two places.

"To further enhance its characteristics with regard to convenience and benefits for the public, we have made reference to the arrangement at the Shenzhen side that all passengers could arrive at the terminal building via public or private transport, or on foot. The BCP on the Hong Kong side will be designed as a land-based BCP directly accessible by both pedestrians, through a pedestrian subway, and private vehicles," Mrs Lam said.

Mr Lu added, "The enhancement of cross-boundary infrastructure development is the basis and focus of co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The two places jointly organised this competition with a view toward uplifting the design standard of planning for cross-boundary infrastructure facilities. The success of the event is the result of close co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and has fully realised the spirit of people-oriented design and public participation, and has embraced creativity."

The jury, led by the Head Juror, Professor He Jingtang of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, selected 10 finalist entries each from the Professional Group and the Open Group in the first round of adjudication in early May this year. To solicit public views, these finalist entries were exhibited in public roving exhibitions in Hong Kong and Shenzhen and on the competition website from June 1 to July 5. Subsequently, the jury consolidated the public opinions collected in the second round of adjudication and selected three winning entries, three commendation entries and four finalist entries each from the Professional Group and the Open Group. The jury said that the standard of the entries was very high. Participants showed their innovative ideas and unique perspectives on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen connection and the design of the Passenger Terminal Building. The winning entries of the Professional Group will be taken as a reference by both governments for the future detailed design of the Passenger Terminal Building.

The details of the winners in the Professional Group and the Open Group and their entry titles are shown in the Annex. All the entries have been uploaded to the competition website at www.lthywbcp-design.hk. The winning entries will be displayed in a roving exhibition in Hong Kong and Shenzhen from tomorrow (September 2) until October 31. Admission to the roving exhibition is free. For details, please refer to the website above.

Ho_UBchmSto

i hope hongkong will build a new ferry jety..the existing one look so old and fragile

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development holds seventh meeting
Monday, October 31, 2011
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Executive Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Lu Ruifeng, convened the seventh meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development (Joint Task Force) in Hong Kong today (October 31).

The Joint Task Force was briefed by its working groups on the progress of the Lok Ma Chau Loop Development, including its mode of development, and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (BCP) project, and discussed the way forward.

Regarding the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai BCP project, the International Design Ideas Competition for the BCP Passenger Terminal Building jointly organised by Hong Kong and Shenzhen has been completed. The results were announced in a prize award ceremony hosted by the Secretary for Development and the Executive Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government in September. The Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities agreed to make reference to the winning entry in taking forward the design of the passenger terminal building and would actively prepare for the detailed design work. Meanwhile, both Hong Kong and Shenzhen sides are undertaking various preparatory works for the construction of the BCP.

The detailed design and construction supervision consultancy agreement for the site formation works of the BCP and the construction works of the BCP connecting road on the Hong Kong side commenced in mid-March while the associated investigation works have just begun in late October. The Shenzhen side has already completed the detailed planning, site selection, land requirement, environmental impact assessment and preparation of the feasibility study report while the preliminary investigation works are underway. According to the schedule, the site formation works of the BCP will commence in Hong Kong and Shenzhen in 2013, with a view to commissioning the BCP no later than 2018.

With regard to the co-development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities continued to actively explore various issues including the development positioning, applicable laws, land administration and co-development mechanism of the Loop. The discussion is making good progress. Regarding the planning and engineering study, both sides will continue to refine the development scheme of the Loop in the light of the public views received earlier and the results of technical assessments. The Recommended Outline Development Plan is expected to be available for public consultation in early 2012.

The Joint Task Force was pleased to note that both the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai BCP project had made marked progress.

To tie in with the expansion of the Man Kam To BCP in Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Municipal Government suggested to use a small part of cross-boundary land formed as a result of the river training works for the Shenzhen River near the Man Kam To BCP to help ease traffic congestion at the passenger vehicles throughway. The Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities agreed to the suggestion during the meeting.

The meeting was held at the Hong Kong Science Park (Science Park). After the meeting, representatives of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation briefed the Joint Task Force on the development of the Science Park and led a tour of its facilities.