https://www.scmp.com/rss/507569/feed Latest news and updates on Lantau Tomorrow Vision, Hong Kong’s ambitious plan to create a new metropolis on man-made islands in waters off Lantau Island at an estimated cost of at least HK$624 billion (US$80 billion). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Wu Alice Wu The annual “two sessions” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qiang included in his annual work report, delivered at the opening session of the National People’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have shelved a controversial reclamation project to build three artificial islands in the sea off Lantau, with the development minister saying the government does not have the “necessary conditions” to start. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho made it clear for the first time on Wednesday that the current administration would not begin the HK$580 billion (US$74.6 billion) project in the waters off Kau Yi Chau, as it was a lower priority than the Northern... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3325023/hong-kong-government-lacks-necessary-conditions-lantau-reclamation-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3325023/hong-kong-government-lacks-necessary-conditions-lantau-reclamation-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:00:03 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong’s development minister has suggested that local developers join hands with their mainland Chinese counterparts to take part in the Northern Metropolis border town megaproject using a new approach. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Saturday that the government was studying proposals submitted by various developers and aimed to put one or two large land parcels in the Northern Metropolis project up for tender in the second half of the year. Linn stressed that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316218/hong-kong-developers-eyeing-border-project-urged-link-mainland-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316218/hong-kong-developers-eyeing-border-project-urged-link-mainland-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:56:09 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong authorities should immediately halt plans to build three artificial islands in waters off Lantau as the scheme may drive down bidding prices for land in the Northern Metropolis megaproject, a representative of the city’s major developers has said. Louis Loong Hon-biu, a lawmaker and also the secretary general of the Real Estate Developers Association, made the remarks in an interview with the Post, saying the government could not support both megaprojects simultaneously. Loong said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3314820/halt-lantau-reclamation-or-risk-northern-metropolis-bids-hong-kong-developers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3314820/halt-lantau-reclamation-or-risk-northern-metropolis-bids-hong-kong-developers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Given that the Hong Kong government espouses the principle of “conservation in the south” of Lantau, has set up the Sustainable Lantau Office and recently invited expressions of interest to build the South Lantau Eco-recreation Corridor, you might expect that this project fully embraces the principles of sustainability and ecotourism. The United Nations defines ecotourism as “nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3307170/wheres-eco-south-lantaus-eco-recreation-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3307170/wheres-eco-south-lantaus-eco-recreation-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on property tycoons to back the government’s long-term development drives such as the Northern Metropolis by actively bidding for the projects involved, the city’s development minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Saturday revealed the appeals by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, a day after the senior Beijing official met about 30 local business leaders in Shenzhen. Xia urged them... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3285903/beijings-point-man-hong-kong-affairs-urges-tycoons-bid-long-term-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3285903/beijings-point-man-hong-kong-affairs-urges-tycoons-bid-long-term-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2024 13:00:08 +0000 Striking the right balance between conservation and development has long been the challenge facing the Hong Kong government. This has been made more difficult as the city’s ever-growing appetite for more and better public facilities is held back by greener public awareness and a ballooning budget deficit. The proposal to create an “ecotourism corridor” at South Lantau is the latest example. Packaged as a recreational initiative to promote environmental protection awareness and the local economy,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3265925/balance-conservation-and-development-hong-kongs-south-lantau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3265925/balance-conservation-and-development-hong-kongs-south-lantau?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 00:00:12 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification The Hong Kong public would benefit from an expansion of publicly funded services to include more health professions. These include the services highlighted in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, such... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3263335/optometrists-should-be-part-core-team-district-healthcare-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3263335/optometrists-should-be-part-core-team-district-healthcare-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 03:30:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Your correspondent’s suggestion that the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals be moved to Kau Yi Chau (“White elephant? Here’s how to help Hong Kong’s Kau Yi Chau project take flight”, March 25) ignores... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3258187/links-between-hong-kong-island-and-lantau-needing-reclamation-been-there-considered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3258187/links-between-hong-kong-island-and-lantau-needing-reclamation-been-there-considered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 03:30:13 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I write in response to the letter, “Hong Kong must not sacrifice pink dolphins to infrastructure” (March 30). Your correspondent is correct to observe that the Lantau Tomorrow monstrosity will have... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3257663/hong-kong-should-drop-artificial-islands-plan-revitalise-south-lantau-instead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3257663/hong-kong-should-drop-artificial-islands-plan-revitalise-south-lantau-instead?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 06:30:26 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I am bothered by the possibility that we may never again see pink dolphins frolicking in Hong Kong’s waters because of the Lantau reclamation work. We badly need concerted efforts to save these... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3257170/hong-kong-must-not-sacrifice-pink-dolphins-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3257170/hong-kong-must-not-sacrifice-pink-dolphins-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Mar 2024 06:30:09 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the well-argued op-ed, “Artificial islands project: a white elephant that’s cheaper to abort now” (March 7). It is true that starting two mega projects now would be burning the candle at... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3256370/white-elephant-heres-how-help-hong-kongs-kau-yi-chau-project-take-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3256370/white-elephant-heres-how-help-hong-kongs-kau-yi-chau-project-take-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 03:30:10 +0000 Given Hong Kong’s fiscal deficits and dwindling reserves, clearly the government cannot simultaneously implement two colossal infrastructure projects, the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands and the Northern Metropolis. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po recently said that the former, a controversial reclamation project off Lantau Island, would be delayed by two to three years, though he vowed it wouldn’t be abandoned. While the government has rightly postponed the Kau Yi Chau project, it should use... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254273/artificial-islands-project-white-elephant-thats-cheaper-abort-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254273/artificial-islands-project-white-elephant-thats-cheaper-abort-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2024 01:30:21 +0000 Right now, the person who probably best understands Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is Heung Yee Kuk chairman Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, at least in terms of having to be the bearer of not-so-good news when there is so much pressure on telling the good stories of Hong Kong. Like Lau, who drew the No 15 “neutral” fortune stick for Hong Kong over the Lunar New Year holiday, Chan had the tough task of delivering a budget speech that wasn’t bad but definitely wasn’t good in laying out the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253812/hong-kongs-unsweetened-budget-leaves-middle-class-feeling-sour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253812/hong-kongs-unsweetened-budget-leaves-middle-class-feeling-sour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 01:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong authorities will press ahead this year with environmental and planning studies for a reclamation mega project off Lantau Island and aim to start work within the current administrative term, despite plans to delay the scheme by up to three years, a minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Sunday stressed the government’s determination to launch the Lantau Tomorrow Vision initiative remained unchanged, with the delay to have no effect on authorities’ wider... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3253990/hong-kong-press-ahead-studies-artificial-island-mega-project-year-despite-plans-delay-launch-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3253990/hong-kong-press-ahead-studies-artificial-island-mega-project-year-despite-plans-delay-launch-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2024 09:18:03 +0000 The start of a controversial reclamation project off Hong Kong’s Lantau Island will be delayed by two to three years, the city’s finance chief has revealed, but he vowed not to give up on the multibillion-dollar plan. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Friday that the reclamation under the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project would be an important source of land supply, especially given the site’s proposed role as a third business district and a link to a planned logistics hub. “The location... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3253769/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-plan-delayed-2-3-years-finance-chief-paul-chan-reveals-authorities-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3253769/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-plan-delayed-2-3-years-finance-chief-paul-chan-reveals-authorities-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 04:34:34 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the report “Ritual brings call for economic policy boost” (February 12), which is essentially Heung Yee Kuk chairman Kenneth Lau Ip-keung’s interpretation of the message on the No 15... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3252404/year-wood-dragon-hong-kong-must-remain-grounded-not-look-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3252404/year-wood-dragon-hong-kong-must-remain-grounded-not-look-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2024 03:30:11 +0000 The story goes that the king of Siam would punish those who displeased him by giving them a white elephant, dooming them to the expensive upkeep of the sacred animal. Nowadays, the white elephant is a metaphor for a big, money-draining project, often an eyesore and a reminder of the time and resources wasted. White elephants happen when projects are poorly conceived without much cost-benefit analysis or poorly designed without satisfying basic functional needs, or both. It is not uncommon for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248270/belt-tightening-hong-kong-needs-learn-avoid-white-elephant-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248270/belt-tightening-hong-kong-needs-learn-avoid-white-elephant-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jan 2024 01:30:13 +0000 Happy 2024! This is a time for new beginnings. The Hong Kong government certainly wanted to start things off with a big bang – with the largest and longest New Year’s Eve fireworks in Victoria Harbour, after an extended blackout because of years of social unrest and Covid-19. The outsize pyrotechnic show, themed “New Year, New Legend”, was meant to remind the people of Hong Kong of our optimism and diligence, and showcase “boundless vitality and innovation”. And we certainly do need a little... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246688/hong-kong-must-return-fiscal-prudence-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246688/hong-kong-must-return-fiscal-prudence-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 01:30:09 +0000 Have you ever walked or cycled across the bridges of San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, London or Rotterdam? Did you enjoy the panoramic views offered by these vantage points? Ever wondered what the views would be if you were allowed access to Hong Kong’s bridges on foot or by bicycle? Imagine walking along Stonecutters Bridge high above the cranes moving containers between vessels and trucks below. Imagine cycling along the Tsing Ma Bridge while ships pass beneath and planes... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245788/hardly-bridge-too-far-hong-kong-be-inclusive-pedestrians-and-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245788/hardly-bridge-too-far-hong-kong-be-inclusive-pedestrians-and-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Dec 2023 01:30:09 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Recent proposed changes to the school curriculum emphasised the need to develop a sense of national pride and patriotism as well as an understanding of the Basic Law and the national security law.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3243364/teach-hong-kong-students-art-debate-too-not-just-patriotism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3243364/teach-hong-kong-students-art-debate-too-not-just-patriotism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 03:30:23 +0000 A buffalo lover on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island is rallying residents to push back against the government’s plan to sterilise two female buffaloes there. Jean Leung Siu-wah, known as “buffalo mama” in the community for feeding and taking care of the animals around Pui O in southern Lantau, is worried that those are the last fertile cows left in the area. She has been encouraging residents and animal-lovers to petition the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to halt its buffalo... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242797/population-control-or-wipeout-hong-kong-buffalo-mama-worries-lantau-island-cows-wants-sterilisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242797/population-control-or-wipeout-hong-kong-buffalo-mama-worries-lantau-island-cows-wants-sterilisation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 04:00:19 +0000 The government will help finance the development of the Northern Metropolis mega project along Hong Kong’s border with mainland China by using a land exchange arrangement in a bid to ease the pressure on taxpayers, a minister has revealed. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Monday also stressed that an earlier plan for protecting wetlands and establishing parks in the area could change, saying the figures previously given were not “promises”. Under the financing scheme,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239710/hong-kong-help-finance-northern-metropolis-pilot-land-exchange-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239710/hong-kong-help-finance-northern-metropolis-pilot-land-exchange-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:12:52 +0000 Hong Kong will record a higher-than-expected deficit in the current fiscal year as shrinking revenue from stamp duties and land sales have taken a toll on government coffers, the finance chief has said. Seeking to assure stakeholders, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Thursday said authorities had no plans to raise salary and profits taxes, expressing confidence in the city’s efforts to attract “strategic” companies to set up shop and create thousands of jobs that would generate more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239318/hong-kong-record-higher-expected-deficit-year-shrinking-income-stamp-duties-land-sales-hurts-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239318/hong-kong-record-higher-expected-deficit-year-shrinking-income-stamp-duties-land-sales-hurts-public?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:13:13 +0000 The amount of land put up for sale by the Hong Kong government is more than a barometer of the current state of the property market. Not only does it reflect whether officials are upbeat about the outlook for homes, but also affects how much money is going into the public coffers as well as housing output in the longer term. A steady supply of land and income is essential for both the operation of government and development of the city. Tellingly, only a single parcel of land will be tendered in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237136/supply-homes-remain-balancing-act-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237136/supply-homes-remain-balancing-act-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2023 22:30:16 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The controversy surrounding the viability of the government’s proposal for artificial islands is based on real concerns over the financial burden and environmental impact of the project. Instead of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3235856/hong-kong-must-tread-carefully-avoid-artificial-islands-project-turning-white-elephant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3235856/hong-kong-must-tread-carefully-avoid-artificial-islands-project-turning-white-elephant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:30:10 +0000 Although Hong Kong’s 2024 budget is many months away, a great deal of preparation has been completed. The first half of each financial year is spent inviting ministers to offer proposals for spending on new and improved services. The treasury section of Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau advises how much room there is within trend growth rates to increase recurrent public expenditure. A committee chaired by the chief secretary then conducts the resource allocation exercise and puts... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233786/hong-kong-budget-city-must-continue-resist-magic-money-temptation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233786/hong-kong-budget-city-must-continue-resist-magic-money-temptation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:15:12 +0000 The government continues to paint a rosy picture over the mega reclamation project off Lantau, with television publicity featuring experts promoting its economic and social benefits. But the financial cost and environmental impact remain an issue of concern to some people, as reflected in the findings of a consultation on the project. Officials must do a better job in explaining the details. Four months after the end of a low-key public engagement exercise, the Development Bureau said 60 per... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232483/mega-project-lantau-dont-pull-wool-over-publics-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232483/mega-project-lantau-dont-pull-wool-over-publics-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 21:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance chief has brushed aside concerns over the impact of two multibillion-dollar megaprojects on the public coffers amid a faltering global economy. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday described the Lantau Tomorrow Vision and Northern Metropolis schemes as “the golden key” to economic development and boosting the housing supply. “[The two projects] are entirely financially viable,” Chan said. “The government’s determination to increase land supply will not waver... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3232065/hong-kongs-paul-chan-brushes-aside-concerns-over-fiscal-viability-lantau-tomorrow-northern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3232065/hong-kongs-paul-chan-brushes-aside-concerns-over-fiscal-viability-lantau-tomorrow-northern?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:11:18 +0000 Hong Kong economists have urged authorities to clear up residents’ doubts about the financial viability of a plan to build three artificial islands off Lantau, after a public consultation report on the mega project revealed people’s concerns amid a faltering global economy. The report, released by the Development Bureau on Sunday night, said residents had raised concerns about the impact of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project on public coffers, although 60 per cent of respondents still backed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3231778/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-vision-too-optimistic-survey-respondents-fear-financial-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3231778/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-vision-too-optimistic-survey-respondents-fear-financial-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:05:34 +0000 In today’s improved political environment where open opposition to the government is scarce, most of our lawmakers seem happy with government decisions most of the time. But if we look at how much Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho has been in the limelight lately, we get a sense that not all is fine and dandy. Linn has been outspoken on the need to enhance speed and efficiency in administrative procedures related to increasing land supply. When challenged over the government’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224360/hong-kong-needs-more-not-less-public-engagement-project-planning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224360/hong-kong-needs-more-not-less-public-engagement-project-planning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jun 2023 22:15:11 +0000 A shortage of affordable housing is becoming an increasingly common problem across the developed world. This is not unique to Hong Kong, but is a major cause of discontent among a large number of people. Home ownership plays a primary role in wealth creation and protection, but too many people are finding it a struggle to secure such a financial foothold. In Hong Kong, creative solutions are required to address key issues and tackle the complex process of land acquisition so that we can meet... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224160/hong-kongs-solution-housing-problem-must-not-sacrifice-natural-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3224160/hong-kongs-solution-housing-problem-must-not-sacrifice-natural-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:15:13 +0000 The controversy over building public housing on the 112-year-old Fanling golf course erupted again last week after the Planning Department proposed a temporary change to the use of the earmarked 32-hectare site from “residential” to “undetermined”. This set off a barrage of debate on both social and mainstream media. It was only in May that the Environmental Protection Department approved an environmental impact report on partial development of the course for public housing. Because of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223700/hong-kong-doesnt-need-homes-fanling-golf-course-big-housing-projects-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223700/hong-kong-doesnt-need-homes-fanling-golf-course-big-housing-projects-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 00:15:13 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Given its immense cost, complexity and risk, the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands reclamation project has been imposed upon the public by successive administrations with a cavalier attitude and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3222976/lantau-tomorrow-vision-kau-yi-chau-artificial-islands-name-change-has-not-made-reclamation-plan-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3222976/lantau-tomorrow-vision-kau-yi-chau-artificial-islands-name-change-has-not-made-reclamation-plan-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 06:30:09 +0000 The saga of Hong Kong’s housing woes has been the toughest nut that past administrations, to their credit, have tried to crack. The city’s first chief executive tried to roll out an ill-fated 85,000 flat per year policy – ill-fated because it coincided with the 1997 Asian financial crisis that sent property prices plummeting. The policy was blamed for causing negative equity for homeowners. Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying proposed building public housing on the periphery of Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222762/quest-housing-justice-hong-kong-there-should-be-no-room-well-public-flat-tenants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222762/quest-housing-justice-hong-kong-there-should-be-no-room-well-public-flat-tenants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 08:30:10 +0000 In case you missed it, a large part of Hong Kong’s Central waterfront is going to be closed off for most of the next decade as MTR Corporation builds a 460m overrun tunnel for the Airport Express. I don’t know what upsets me most: the fact that we are going to lose access to some of Hong Kong’s most iconic leisure space again, having only recently recovered it after two decades of reclamation turmoil; that a project originally intended to cost HK$88 million is now set to cost around HK$5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221016/hk5-billion-reason-be-wary-hong-kongs-result-oriented-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221016/hk5-billion-reason-be-wary-hong-kongs-result-oriented-government?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2023 22:15:08 +0000 Delays and going over budget are the twin evils that haunt almost every Hong Kong government construction project. From the Sha Tin-Central rail link to the West Kowloon Cultural District and the Kai Tak Sports Park, we are accustomed to postponed openings, additional funding requests or cost overruns. Rarely has a project finished on time and within budget. Covid-19 delivered the perfect storm but there is only so much that we can blame the virus for. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220765/what-hong-kong-can-learn-frank-gehry-delivering-mega-projects-time-and-within-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220765/what-hong-kong-can-learn-frank-gehry-delivering-mega-projects-time-and-within-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 May 2023 22:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance chief has suggested issuing retail bonds to fund a large part of the controversial HK$580 billion (US$73.95 billion) reclamation project off Lantau, after critics raised concerns over the burden the development may place on public coffers and the government’s ability to secure enough money. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday stressed that the government had to “move ahead at full speed” with the artificial islands project and the planned Northern Metropolis near... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3220522/hong-kong-may-issue-retail-bonds-fund-part-hk580-billion-artificial-islands-project-lantau-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3220522/hong-kong-may-issue-retail-bonds-fund-part-hk580-billion-artificial-islands-project-lantau-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 May 2023 09:32:33 +0000 Building up long-term land supply for affordable housing and commercial use requires looking beyond the high-density hub around Victoria Harbour. A paradigm shift in planning, encompassing the Northern Metropolis development and beyond, has been taking shape in recent years. This will achieve a better development balance between the north and south of the city – in terms of job opportunities, land prices and transport – improve livability and integrate Hong Kong more organically into the Greater... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219812/how-hong-kongs-artificial-islands-project-can-tell-citys-story-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219812/how-hong-kongs-artificial-islands-project-can-tell-citys-story-well?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 00:15:07 +0000 As far as Greenpeace Hong Kong is concerned, the government did not go far enough to gather views on the ambitious Kau Yi Chau artificial island plan to house up to 550,000 people. Better known as the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, it is estimated to cost at least HK$580 billion (US$7.4 billion) and span 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres). “This is the largest infrastructure project ever. It will take decades to build, and the impact will span generations,” said Chan Hall-sion, Greenpeace Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3219423/do-hong-kong-policymakers-really-want-hear-what-residents-think-or-only-after-rice-cooked-why-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3219423/do-hong-kong-policymakers-really-want-hear-what-residents-think-or-only-after-rice-cooked-why-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 01:00:17 +0000 Nearly 60 per cent of Hong Kong residents have expressed support for a massive reclamation project off Lantau Island, development authorities said as they wrapped up a three-month public consultation on the controversial scheme on Thursday. But some concern groups questioned the conclusions reached in the exercise, which were hailed by the development chief, and pointed to starkly contrasting findings of a survey commissioned by a leading environmental organisation last month. Does Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3218643/60-cent-residents-favour-massive-hong-kong-reclamation-project-authorities-say-concern-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3218643/60-cent-residents-favour-massive-hong-kong-reclamation-project-authorities-say-concern-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:15:27 +0000 The ambitious plan to build a new business district in Hong Kong on artificial islands reclaimed from the sea has been controversial since it was announced in 2018. Concerns remain about the feasibility, financial viability and economic impact of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, with its breathtaking HK$580 billion (US$73.9 billion) price tag. Only 30 per cent of respondents to a Greenpeace poll published this week said they had confidence in the project, while 55 per cent said they did not.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218489/hong-kongs-lantau-islands-vision-has-be-lot-clearer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218489/hong-kongs-lantau-islands-vision-has-be-lot-clearer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 22:45:07 +0000 In recent discussions on the development of the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands, better known as the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, experts have called for the correct science to be used to assess Hong Kong’s risk of a sea level rise from climate change. As an international research centre focused on health emergencies and disaster-risk management, we know that the risk of flooding disasters from climate change, including storm surges and rising sea levels, make up the key hidden cost in the development... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218203/lantau-artificial-islands-hong-kongs-money-better-spent-climate-resilience-sea-levels-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218203/lantau-artificial-islands-hong-kongs-money-better-spent-climate-resilience-sea-levels-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:15:14 +0000 Hong Kong is best known for its stunning skyline on either side of the harbour. But for many residents, the appeal of the leafy outlying islands, a short boat trip away, trumps the crowded streets and frenetic pace of life in town. I only lasted a few months on Hong Kong Island before moving to Lantau, where I lived for 28 years, before returning to the UK in August. The view across the sea to the distant skyscrapers from first Mui Wo and later Discovery Bay was a joy. I couldn’t believe how... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3218001/lantau-today-better-governments-plans-lantau-tomorrow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3218001/lantau-today-better-governments-plans-lantau-tomorrow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 00:00:15 +0000 Only a third of Hong Kong residents have confidence in the economic benefits of a HK$580 billion (US$73.9 billion) government plan to create three artificial islands off Lantau and more than half were not optimistic about the success of the scheme’s proposed business district, a survey by an environmental group has found. An academic on Wednesday said the findings of the Greenpeace poll, which had more than 1,000 responses, were in line with earlier surveys, and confirmed a majority of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217623/survey-shows-hong-kong-residents-have-doubts-over-hk580-million-lantau-tomorrow-vision-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217623/survey-shows-hong-kong-residents-have-doubts-over-hk580-million-lantau-tomorrow-vision-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Apr 2023 12:52:10 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Ordinance and its regulations came into operation in April 1998. Since then, there has not been a major review of the ordinance until last year. Then chief... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3217288/climate-change-impact-hong-kongs-artificial-island-project-must-be-assessed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3217288/climate-change-impact-hong-kongs-artificial-island-project-must-be-assessed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Apr 2023 03:30:15 +0000 A top Hong Kong government official has vowed residential and commercial developments under the Northern Metropolis scheme and the planned artificial islands off Lantau will be sustainable. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun on Monday said authorities would minimise the environmental impact of the two mega projects. “We are making sure that Hong Kong continues to be sustainable,” said Wong, who is supervising land development in the city, at a conference organised by the Housing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3217343/developments-under-northern-metropolis-scheme-artificial-islands-lantau-be-sustainable-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3217343/developments-under-northern-metropolis-scheme-artificial-islands-lantau-be-sustainable-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:13:36 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. On the subject of land reclamation for development, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu recently referred to the example of Singapore. We at the Society for Protection of the Harbour would like to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216819/hongkongers-must-protect-victoria-harbour-dangerous-legal-tinkering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216819/hongkongers-must-protect-victoria-harbour-dangerous-legal-tinkering?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2023 03:30:23 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the letter, “MTR platform gaps must be addressed” (April 3). Unfortunately, history and geometry are against your correspondents. The fault lies primarily with the private joint venture... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216322/mind-history-and-geometry-mtr-platform-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216322/mind-history-and-geometry-mtr-platform-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2023 03:30:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The mainlanders are back … and so are the complaints. At the Legislative Council last month, the secretary for tourism said: “If tourists are overcrowding certain districts … it will bring... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216216/hong-kong-has-offer-better-travel-experiences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3216216/hong-kong-has-offer-better-travel-experiences?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 03:30:19 +0000