For discussion on Task Force on Land Supply 13 February 2018 Paper No. 03/2018

TASK FORCE ON LAND SUPPLY

Sites for Telephone Exchange and Related Use

PURPOSE

This paper provides members with relevant background information on a total of 81 sites which were granted by the Government for the purpose of establishing telephone exchange and related telecommunications facilities (“sites for telephone exchange and related use”).

SITES FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE AND RELATED USE

Background

2. The 81 sites for telephone exchange and related use were granted between the 1950s and the 1990s. Typically, the relevant land grant was executed through the Conditions of Grant by Private Treaty (“PTG”) with the public utilities companies concerned paying full market value premium. In most of the leases, the user clause generally restricts the use of the sites to “telephone exchange” or “telecommunication[s] related use”. In some cases, other uses are also allowed, such as ancillary office and quarters.

3. Since the full liberalisation of the telecommunications market in 2003, the Government has not granted any new site by way of PTG to licensees for telecommunications-related purposes. Site Features

4. The 81 sites are located in different parts of : 21 on , 18 in and 42 in the . A location map is at Annex. Summary breakdown by districts is as follows –

District No. of Sites Hong Kong Island Central & Western 2 Eastern 4 Southern 10 Wan Chai 5 Sub-total 21 Kowloon Kowloon City 4 Kwun Tong 5 Sham Shui Po 4 1 Yau Tsim Mong 4 Sub-total 18 The New Territories Islands 13 Kwai Tsing 3 North 4 Sai Kung 4 4 Tai Po 4 Tsuen Wan 2 Tuen Mun 3 Yuen Long 5 Sub-total 42 Total: 81

5. The 81 sites also vary from one another in terms of size, with a total area of about 17.4 hectares. Summary breakdown by site area is as follows –

- 2 - Area (m2) No. of Sites 1-1,000 38 1,001-2,000 22 2,001-3,000 14 3,001-4,000 2 4,001-5,000 1 >5,000 4 Total: 81

6. Among the five relatively larger sites, three are in Southern District (all being submarine cable landing stations/satellite earth stations), one is in Kowloon Bay (for telephone cable storage yard) and one is in Kwai Chung (for telephone exchange).

Potential for Maximising Utilisation

7. As the lease term of 49 among the 81 sites will expire in 2025 or before, the Government is reviewing and considering the way forward taking into account inter alia relevant policy objectives and individual site circumstances. To this end, the Government is committed to pursuing all viable options of land supply, but whether any of these sites may serve as an additional source of future land supply would be subject to determination, taking into account all relevant considerations.

Development Bureau 9 February 2018

- 3 - Annex

Location Map of Telephone Exchange / Telecommunications Sites

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Sha Tin District ! ( (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! Wong Tai Sin District (! (! (! (! (!(! (! (! Sham Shui Po\ (! District (!(! (! ! ( (! (! (! (! (! (! (! Yau Tsim Mong District Kwun Tong (! District (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (!Central & Western (!(! (! (! District (! (! Eastern District (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! (! Southern District (! (! (! (! (! (! Legend (! (! (! Sites Area (sq. m) (no. of sites) (! (! > 4000 (5) (! > 2000 - 4000 (16)

(! > 1000 - 2000 (22) (! < or = 1000 (38)

District Boundary

FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSE ONLY

Plan Ref.: LSIS_201808001h2_en SCALE Date: 7 Feb., 2018 Kilometers 0 1 2 4 6 8 10 Kilometers