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James Tien queries 'ridiculously expensive' scheme

The controversial Tamar development will cost  more than $40,000  per square metre of floor space to build and the utility rate will be slightly highly than 60 per cent, legislators heard yesterday.

The figures were calculated by the vice-chairman of the panel on planning, lands and works, Patrick Lau Sau-shing.

Although the government did not reveal the gross floor area of the Tamar development, Mr Lau, a retired professor of architecture, estimated the project would have  a  gross floor area of about 125,480 square metres, based on the site area and the plot ratio provided by the government.

The government has only revealed  that the net operating floor area for the future government offices would be 62,340 square metres, with  16,090 square metres for the Legislative Council. Net operating floor area excludes toilets,  bathrooms and showers. The project will cost $5.13 billion.

Speaking at the panel, Director of Architectural Services  Yue Chi-hang  said the construction cost per  square metre of the gross floor area would be between $13,000 and $14,000.

'It is similar to the construction cost of other grade-A  offices,' he said. He  added about 10 per cent of the estimated expenditure would be on furniture and machines.

He did not provide further information on spending.

Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun said: 'Our party supports the Tamar project, but from the data you provide, it seems it is ridiculously expensive. I'm building an office block in Kowloon Bay; your estimation makes no sense.'

Mr Tien also questioned the low utility rate of the  development.

Independent legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip  said: 'We are talking about a $5 billion project. I have never seen the government provide so little information for a project of this scale. If we let it pass the panel without first examining the breakdowns, we are not doing our job properly.'   The panel  managed to push for an extra  meeting early next month to continue the discussion.

The government will let the Public Works Subcommittee examine the project at the end of next month  and ask the Finance Committee for $5.13 billion on June 23.



Tamar project cost more than $40,000 a square metre: expert