ENG-2018 — Page 239

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Planning, Land and Infrastructure

development processes and implementing measures, such as the Pilot Scheme for Arbitration on Land Premium, to facilitate private development;

• Taking forward major land development projects mainly by taking forward comprehensive development of new development areas (NDAs) and new town extensions, including the conversion of brownfield sites and squatter areas in the rural New Territories for high-density development; and

Exploring new sources of developable land and space - mainly by conducting studies to explore new modes or sources of providing developable land, including reclamation outside Victoria Harbour and development of caverns and underground space.

In the short to medium term, the most immediate and effective way to augment land supply is to make more optimal use of developed areas in urban areas and new towns, and land in the vicinity of infrastructure, through increasing development intensity, changing land use and facilitating development.

The Planning and Lands Branch is undertaking a streamlining exercise to consolidate and rationalise the standards and definitions adopted by its departments, namely the Buildings Department, Lands Department and Planning Department, in scrutinising development proposals, such that the approval process can be streamlined without prejudicing statutory procedures and technical requirements. Control parameters, including on building height, greenery and landscaping, were reviewed in 2018. As the exercise continues, streamlined measures will be promulgated as and when they are ready.

In the medium to long term, the government is taking forward land supply projects including the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North NDA, Tung Chung New Town Extension, Hung Shui Kiu NDA and Yuen Long South development. These involve releasing large tracts of brownfield sites and deserted agricultural land as well as reclamation in environmentally less sensitive waters. The government is also exploring reclamation outside Victoria Harbour, cavern and underground development, as well as the proposed artificial islands in the central waters and the New Territories North NDA.

In December, the Task Force on Land Supply submitted to the government its report on land supply strategy and eight land supply options worthy of priority studies and implementation, after conducting an extensive public engagement exercise. The government accepted the task force's recommendations in full and would take forward the eight priority land supply options to ensure a sustained and sufficient supply of land, not only to meet the development needs of Hong Kong at different times and for different purposes, but also to prepare for a rainy day and build up a land reserve, thereby creating more favourable conditions for housing, livelihood and long-term development.

Land Use Reviews

The Planning Department has identified through ongoing land use review in the last few years more than 210 sites with housing development potential in the short to medium term, capable of providing over 310,000 flats in total, 70 per cent of which will be public housing.

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