ENG-2013 — Page 245

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Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation

extensions to the existing Fanling/Sheung Shui New Town, the KTN and FLN NDAs will provide a total of about 60,000 new housing units to accommodate an additional population of about 173,000. The two NDAs will also provide about 37,700 new employment opportunities. The re- planning of the PC/TKL NDA will be considered under the Preliminary Feasibility Study on Developing the New Territories North, with a view to optimising the use of valuable land resources to meet the demand for housing and economic development.

The 'Hung Shui Kiu NDA Planning and Engineering Study' aims to formulate a land use framework and ascertain the feasibility of developing the Hung Shui Kiu NDA to meet Hong Kong's housing and other land use needs in the long term. The community engagement exercise to gauge public views on the 'Preliminary Outline Development Plan' was completed in October. According to the plan, the Hung Shui Kiu NDA will provide about 60,000 new housing units to accommodate an additional population of about 175,000, and provide about 100,000 new employment opportunities. The public views collected will be considered for the formulation of the 'Recommended Outline Development Plan' in the next stage of the study.

Cycle Track Network in the New Territories

The government is developing a comprehensive cycle track network in the New Territories in phases, from Ma On Shan in the east through Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling, Sheung Shui, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun to Tsuen Wan in the west. A major section of this network, from Ma On Shan to Sheung Shui, is close to completion and expected to be open for public use in 2014.

Building Development

Private Sector

In addition to continuing to promote sustainable building design in new private buildings through restrictions on gross floor area concessions, green building certification, setting buildings back from abutting streets, building separation, and greenery coverage, in 2013 the Buildings Department drafted the design and construction guidelines for improving energy efficiency in private residential buildings, to be implemented in 2014.

In 2013, work started on superstructures at 115 building sites, covering a gross floor area of 1.58 million square metres. A total of 679 such buildings, with a total gross floor area of 1.47 million square metres, were completed at a total cost of $31.4 billion, compared with 606 buildings, with a gross floor area of 2.51 million square metres, built at a total cost of $51.3 billion, in 2012.

Major new construction works completed in 2013 included the third themed area, 'Mystic Manor, in Hong Kong Disneyland's expansion while Science Park Phase 3 was near completion.

Public Sector

The government develops and upkeeps most government buildings and public facilities (other than public housing) through the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD). Forty projects were completed by ArchSD in 2013, including the cruise terminal building and ancillary facilities for the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Development, joint-user complex in To Kwa Wan and the fire station-cum-ambulance depots located in Aberdeen and Kowloon Bay.

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