Islands' reclamation key to supply

October 6, 2021

Chief Executive Carrie Lam: 

In the figures that I have presented to you (are) about more than one million housing units in the next 20 to 25 years, that already include the units coming out of the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands' reclamation. And it is quite a big share as well, so we could not forgo the reclamation. 

Of course in Hong Kong, there will be people disagreeing with anything we want to do. If we want to reclaim (land), they say "no". If we want to touch the country park, (they say) "no". Now we are going into some of the wetlands and fish ponds, they will say "no". But at the end of the day, common sense prevails and rationality prevails. Do we want Hong Kong to move forward? If we want (that) then the Government has to be far more decisive and determined in order to press ahead with the various developments despite some objections. I do not think there is a lot of resistance.  

On the financial side, time and again, the real estate professionals have shown to Hong Kong people that this is a money-making business because the land to be reclaimed, formed and sold will generate a huge revenue for the Government not only to pay off the infrastructure but also to go into the government treasury to support other activities. 

And on top of that, the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, particularly the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands' reclamation will meet other town planning purposes. It will give us a third central business district of Hong Kong with about four million sq m, which is about the size of the entire Kowloon East office space, four million sq m. It will improve the road and rail connectivity between Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island and the northwestern part of the New Territories.

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Government cannot forgo the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands’ reclamation as it is quite a big share of the housing supply in the next 20 to 25 years.

Elaborating on her Policy Address at a press conference this afternoon, Mrs Lam said the Government expects to provide more than one million housing units in the next 20 to 25 years, with the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands making up a large part of this figure.

She noted that there are inevitably objections to the Government's reclamation plans, but it needed to press ahead if Hong Kong was to move forward.

“Of course in Hong Kong, there will be people disagreeing with anything we want to do. If we want to reclaim (land), they say "no". If we want to touch the country park, (they say) "no". Now we are going into some of the wetlands and fish ponds, they will say "no".

“But at the end of the day, common sense prevails and rationality prevails. Do we want Hong Kong to move forward? If we want (that) then the Government has to be far more decisive and determined in order to press ahead with the various developments despite some objections. I do not think there is a lot of resistance.”

The Chief Executive also noted that revenue generated from the islands' reclamation could help support other town planning purposes.

“On the financial side, time and again, the real estate professionals have shown to Hong Kong people that this is a money-making business because the land to be reclaimed, formed and sold will generate a huge revenue for the Government not only to pay off the infrastructure but also to go into the government treasury to support other activities.

“And on top of that, the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, particularly the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands' reclamation will meet other town planning purposes. It will give us a third central business district of Hong Kong with about four million sq m, which is about the size of the entire Kowloon East office space, four million sq m. It will improve the road and rail connectivity between Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island and the northwestern part of the New Territories.”