Hong Kong’s land shortage worse than predicted, officials say
Development Bureau and Planning Department say current predicted shortfall of 1,200 hectares does not account for a number of factors
Hong Kong’s land shortage over the next three decades will be even worse than previously thought, government officials said on Thursday.
The Development Bureau and Planning Department said the current predicted shortfall of 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) was the baseline estimate and did not take into account a number of factors.
“Our estimate was based on the best information given at the time when we were preparing the 2030 Plus blueprint in 2015 and 2016,” a Planning Department spokeswoman said, referring to the blueprint that outlines the city’s planning and development strategy beyond 2030.
“It does not include any of the government’s newest policies or areas still under study, as well as land demands such as those in the hotel and retail sectors, which tend to fluctuate with the market. There’s no way for us to accurately project those figures, but we can imagine that we will only need more land and not less,” she said.
Forcibly taking back golf course for housing ‘would backfire’, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says
According to the government’s planning blueprint for the next 30 years, Hong Kong requires 4,800 hectares of land. Authorities have already identified 3,600 hectares of land, which means the city faces a shortfall of 1,200 hectares – equivalent to 342 Taikoo Shing estates.