Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said that the Government will establish a dedicated support centre to help minority owners affected by the latest compulsory sale regime.
 
Miss Lin made the statement at media session after attending a radio programme today and apart from explaining that the compulsory sale regime aims to facilitate the redevelopment of aged buildings in the private market, she noted that the government-led centre will give support to the minority owners in terms of legal advice and independent valuation advice.
 
The bureau will also ask the Urban Renewal Authority to help promote the joint sales among owners who would like to join together and have their flats redeveloped without having to wait for developers to approach them, she added.
 
Separately, the development chief elaborated to reporters on a new concept in developing the Northern Metropolis.
 
“This new concept is about the Government designating a rather large region in the Northern Metropolis and having that region tendered out to a consortium and require the consortium to deliver what the Government required of that land.”
 
She pointed out that this approach would help reduce the cash flow burden on the Government while speeding up development, because the consortium will have to take account of the capital cost that they have to incur and give the Government a reasonable revenue as it makes a bid.
 
“We do not have to use the public coffers, use public funding to do the site formation and other infrastructure on our own.”