Linn Confident Northern Metropolis Will Meet 2030 Land Target, Eyes Bill to Speed Development
Crhk · 5 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said Hong Kong is on track to deliver 900 hectares of development-ready land in the Northern Metropolis by 2030, with works already underway in Hung Shui Kiu, Kwu Tung North, and San Tin . She expressed confidence that the proposed Northern Metropolis Development Bill, if passed by the Legislative Council, would streamline procedures and give the government greater capacity to accelerate land creation . Linn also addressed criticism of government-business engagement, arguing that pre-tender market sounding is not "collusion" if bidding remains open and fair .
Key Points
- Hong Kong's first five-year plan sets a binding target of 900 hectares of development-ready land in the Northern Metropolis by 2030, and Linn said progress is good with confidence to meet the goal .
- Engineering works have begun in Hung Shui Kiu, Kwu Tung North, and San Tin, with some other sites preparing funding applications for future stages .
- The proposed Northern Metropolis Development Bill would provide "streamlining and deregulation" measures, giving the government more confidence and ability to create land faster .
- Linn distinguished between "creating land" and "releasing land," saying the government will keep building reserves but can adjust disposal timing based on market conditions, such as converting office sites to industrial use when vacancies are high .
- The government has adopted a new approach of collecting market views from potential investors before tendering, adjusting terms based on industry feedback to reduce the risk of failed bids .
- Linn said previous governments avoided close engagement with businesses due to being labeled "collusion," but argued this perception was incorrect, emphasizing that understanding market demand does not conflict with fair bidding .
Why It Matters
The remarks signal the government's intent to push ahead with the Northern Metropolis project despite high office vacancy rates and uneven market appetite, relying on both legal streamlining and flexible land-use planning to maintain momentum . Future industrial land tenders may be shaped more directly by pre-tender feedback, potentially reducing costly failed bid incidents that have plagued previous projects .
The remarks signal the government's intent to push ahead with the Northern Metropolis project despite high office vacancy rates and uneven market appetite, relying on both legal streamlining and flexible land-use planning to maintain momentum . Future industrial land tenders may be shaped more directly by pre-tender feedback, potentially reducing costly failed bid incidents that have plagued previous projects .