Caverns for public facilities could free up land for homes

Three sites could be freed for homes by moving public facilities now on the land into caverns, the government proposed yesterday.

But a critic of the scheme said it would cost too much. And one site, in Sai Kung, is potentially controversial as reclamation is suggested to enlarge the area.

Details of the cavern idea, and six reclamation schemes, were announced yesterday for public consultation, a day after preliminary details were released.

Caverns, which would have to be dug into hillsides, and reclamation are among initiatives to build up a land reserve for the city, Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said.

"We need to have a reserve that goes beyond our short-term needs," he said.

Sites reclaimed or vacated by moving unpopular facilities could be used for flats, commercial, logistics, recreation and other projects, Chan said. The public will be asked if they support six reclamation schemes that could produce more than 2,000 hectares of land, and the kind of land use they would like to see.