XN000022-1997-01-10 — Page 4

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"In the next five years, 260 hectares of land will be made available for private housing.

years.

"This is over 100 hectares more when compared with the total of the last five

"We shall aim to programme for their disposal in a phased and orderly manner, ensuring an even spread.'

He said a number of strategic growth areas including South-east Kowloon and Kai Tak airport, the remaining phases of Tung Chung New Town and Tseung Kwan O New Town and Au Tau-Kam Tin had also been identified in the Territorial Development Strategy Review as target areas for further residential development between 2001 and 2006.

"We are identifying a list of potential in-fill sites for detailed feasibility study to provide for more land for housing."

These are sites in selected locations previously designated for industrial and unspecified Government, Institution and Community uses, or sites within comprehensively designed areas where existing community services and infrastructure systems have spare capacity. They also include potential new development sites on the periphery of planned or developed areas to which new roads and infrastructure can be extended without undue difficulty.

Mr Leung said the Government had commissioned studies on the potential in converting old or obsolete industrial areas into residential use and recommendations were expected shortly.

"We shall then be able to review our industrial land policy and where possible, rezone not just part of the old industrial areas but also land reserved for industrial use but not yet taken up as such to meet the more pressing need for housing in Hong Kong.

"These actions will be completed when we finalise the new Territorial Development Strategy later this year."

"As you may be aware, we have been rezoning and giving approvals to applications to convert old or disused industrial sites to other uses."