Government’s ambitious 2030 land reclamation plan to cost HK$400 billion, group says
Cost of East Lantau Metropolis project came under question at first public forum on Saturday
The government’s grand long-term blueprint for Hong Kong, which envisions a 1,000-hectare man-made island in the middle of the sea, could cost over HK$400 billion, a concern group estimated.
The estimate for the East Lantau Metropolis (ELM) project was raised Saturday at the first public forum on the 2030 Plus blueprint.
The ELM is envisaged to be the city’s third business district, with railway and road connections to Lantau, western Hong Kong Island and Tuen Mun in the New Territories. The new town would accommodate a population of between 400,000 and 700,000.
However, the ambitious plan has not yet sold everyone.
“If the government is logical and rational, it will consider making better use of existing land resources as a more economical option,” said Dr Thomas Yam Hinbong, a member of the Save Lantau Alliance, which estimated the cost.