RICS Calls for Transparent Land Supply Strategy when Reclaiming Land Outside Victoria Harbour

HONG KONG, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors formed a task force on Reclamation Outside Victoria Harbour and Rock Cavern Development in the first half of 2013. After consolidating members' feedback and seeking views from relevant RICS professional groups and committees, the task force has recently submitted recommendations to the Government.

RICS supports reclamation in suitable locations outside Victoria Harbour to increase land supply, in addition to other land sources including new town development, redevelopment of industrial sites, rezoning of existing GIC sites, increasing plot ratios where appropriate, development opportunities induced by new railways etc, on condition of acceptable environmental impacts and infrastructure provision, appropriate public engagement and comprehensive planning.

RICS holds the view that the Government should set land demand figures based on housing, commercial and social requirements over the next 5, 10 and 20 years so that the public are aware of the urgency for reclamation.

RICS looks forward to a transparent land supply strategy which has factored in the following:

• The demand for land in light of predicted demographic change, economic development and growth in demand for employment uses, infrastructure and facilities;
• The scale and location of land supply options; and
• Possible consequences of failing to provide adequate development land.

The spatial plan and land supply strategy should be informed by a clear policy and strategy relating to Hong Kong's integration with the Pearl River Delta, as well as a forecast of demographic impact. Land outside the Hong Kong administrative area may provide a solution to land supply shortage.  The Government may make reference to, for example, the Shenzhen Bay Border Crossing, when accommodating specific facilities across the border.

Comprehensive planning is required for reclaimed sites and their hinterland to ensure optimum development solutions and maximum benefit to the public. Land for housing, including public one, will be a key priority for reclaimed sites.

RICS notes that a number of existing land uses may be incompatible with the proposed development of reclaimed sites, for example, cargo handling areas along Victoria Harbour, container terminal, and oil tanks and storage sites along the urban waterfront. That the Government takes land reclamation as an opportunity to relocate these facilities for housing and commercial development will greatly improve living conditions and also demonstrates the benefits of reclamation to the public.

Other than land reclamation, other viable options include:

• Redevelopment of brownfield land -- both urban land such as disused industrial sites, and rural land such as degraded agricultural, as well as other land in the New Territories;
• Renewal of old urban areas through organic or larger scale redevelopment;
• Review of appropriateness of other land uses such as industrial, green belt, open storage etc. to identify potentials for land rezoning;
• Implementation of the planned New Development Areas in the New Territories; and
• Speeding up the implementation of railway corridors to unlock the development potential of adjacent land.

RICS also supports the idea of relocating existing water treatment and sewage treatment plants to rock caverns to vacate these sites for housing developments. However, in regard to rock cavern development as an alternative source of land supply for special purposes, its technical, environmental and financial feasibility should be clearly demonstrated.