21/7/2018-7

Huang Yuanhui: Brownfield development

The Land Supply Task Force has started a special program on the radio to discuss brownfields and public-private partnerships to develop agricultural land. The Task Force stressed that the brownfields are not idle and there are many different operations, including the provision of employment opportunities. It is necessary to study the resettlement with multi-storey industrial buildings.

Can’t just build a house, ignore infrastructure support

The radio programme was launched on the commercial platform. A recent member of the Task Force, Mr Wong Yu-fai, and a member of the group, Mr Raymond LEUNG, attended the programme.

During the period, Liang Yihui said that unlike the foreign-defined brownfields, which were contaminated but vacant, the brownfields in Hong Kong were agricultural land and later converted to different uses. At present, there are different operations on the brownfields, including the construction industry and the container yard. As well as the logistics industry, providing employment opportunities for the community.

Huang Yuanhui stressed that brownfield operations need to be properly handled. Otherwise, after forced removal, they will also appear in other agricultural land in the New Territories. As the industry on the brownfield is also changing, it is necessary to consider redesigning in response to industrial changes in the construction of multi-storey industrial buildings in the future.

As regards the private farmland reserve in the New Territories, Mr Wong said that the land which is situated in the new development area or designated for public housing use will be recovered through the Land Resumption Ordinance. The remaining land will be explored for the potential of public and private co-operation.

Mr Leung also mentioned that overseas public-private partnerships, such as London, require 10% to 35% of flats to be affordable housing (the near-home ownership), while the United States provides incentives such as providing additional plot ratios.