Property analysts say releasing land in Hong Kong's country parks should be considered as one of the options to help solve the city's housing shortage.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's government has been looking at a range of possible options, including reclamation outside Victoria Harbour and a change of land use for existing industrial, government and agricultural land.
But development chief Paul Chan Mo-po said earlier this month that the country parks, long protected from development, could also be considered.
"Every proposal has its advantages and disadvantages. Opening up country parks could be an option," said Charles Chan, managing director of property consultancy Savills Asia Pacific.
The option of reclamation, for example, would be environmentally destructive and involve substantial costs, and buying land from private owners in the New Territories to be auctioned off to developers would also be trouble, Chan said.
"Taking the current political situation and the fact that farmers disagree with the idea into account, the government could face a lot of difficulties in proceeding," he said.