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Planning, Land and Infrastructure
Kowloon East has the potential to supply about 5 million square metres of commercial/office floor space in addition to its existing supply of about 2 million sq m. In 2014-15, two government sites in Kowloon East were sold, providing about 128,000 sq m of commercial/ office floor space.
On a separate front, the government is studying how to optimally utilise land at the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for commercial and other economic uses. Subject to technical feasibility and financial viability assessments, a total gross floor area of up to 500,000 sq m for development will be available.
Land Disposal
The government's policy objective is to provide a steady, sustained land supply to cater for housing and socio-economic development needs. The government includes in the Land Sale Programme sites that it anticipates can be made available for sale in the year, and announces quarterly Land Sale Programmes in advance to provide transparency and certainty for the market. The 2015-16 Land Sale Programme was announced in February 2015. In June, the government fine-tuned the arrangements by introducing the practice of adding sites for sale in the course of a quarter, with a view to responding more flexibly and swiftly to changing market conditions.
Government land is usually disposed of through public land sale for private residential, commercial and other developments. In 2015, 17 residential sites, five commercial/business sites, one industrial site and two petrol stations, covering a total area of about 20.92 hectares, were sold for about $44.88 billion.
For leased land, lessees (commonly known as 'private landowners') who wish to change the terms of their leases so as to, for instance, redevelop based on the prevailing town plan may apply to the Lands Department for a lease modification or land exchange. Such applications are considered by the department as a private landlord. Approvals, if granted, are subject to terms and conditions that may include the payment of premiums and administrative fees. In 2015, 121 lease modification and land exchange transactions were concluded, involving an area of about 288.19 hectares and land premiums amounting to about $5.88 billion. A Pilot Scheme for Arbitration on Land Premium, launched in October 2014 for two years, aims to facilitate agreement on the land premiums payable for lease modifications and land exchange transactions.
Reclamation Outside Victoria Harbour
During the year, the CEDD began technical studies on reclamation at Ma Liu Shui, Siu Ho Wan and Lung Kwu Tan. The government also intends to carry out a planning and engineering study on Sunny Bay reclamation and strategic studies on the feasibility of constructing artificial islands in the central waters between Hong Kong Island and Lantau for the development of an East Lantau Metropolis.
Cavern Development
In 2015, the Drainage Services Department started a detailed investigation and design study on the relocation of the Sha Tin sewage treatment works to caverns to release the original
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