6 | CRITICALHKISSUES Monday, January 14, 2019 18th in the Data Journalism series. http://www.chinadailyasia.com/subjects/data/date_list.html EDITION | CHINA DAILY | 7

Six out of nine new were largely built on reclaimed land

Consist of reclaimed land * Sha Tin Tuen Mun / Yuen Long Tai Po Tseung Kwan O Population 805,000 Population 691,000 Population 502,000 Population 261,000 Population 164,000 Population 278,000 Population 396,000 Population 290,000 Population 268,000 Total land 3,286(ha) Total land 3,591(ha) Total land 3,266(ha) Total land 667(ha) Total land 561(ha) Total land 3,006(ha) Total land 1,718(ha) Total land 430(ha) Total land 191(ha)

No more new towns built since 2000s

*Tsuen Wan New covers Tsuen Wan, Kwai 1960s Chung and Island 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s the way to go for HKSAR

General applications for public Advanced tech a boon for massive land reclamation Sha Tin Tseung Kwan O rental housing As of end March of the year Unit: ‘000 By LI BINGCUN in Hong Kong blocks), he added. Japan and South Korea, has also been applied in [email protected] Hong Kong International Airport — a poster child reclamation work to the east of Tung Chung. among the city’s reclamation projects — is a good Chung Kwok-fai, a renowned structural engineer Hong Kong engineering professionals reckoned example to the world. The 1,248-hectare airport and vice-president of the Hong Kong Institution of that with advanced technologies, the planned “Lan- erected on Chek Lap Kok artifi cial island is one of Engineers, told China Daily that the advanced recla- tau Tomorrow Vision” reclamation plan could be the world’s largest and most advanced. mation technologies and upgraded equipment will realized in a safe, eco-friendly and e cient way. Since it began commercial operations in 1998, help slash the time of creating new land. Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, who represents the engi- the airport has withstood various kinds of adverse A long-term land supply option, reclamation often neering sector, believes the constantly advancing weather, including the Super Typhoon Mangkhut, involves decades-long e orts. After preliminary stud- reclamation technologies support the plan’s feasibil- which caused havoc in the city in September last ies, other works in following stages, such as founda- 102 117 122 138 151 147 153 150 ity, and make Hong Kong more capable of handling year. tion reinforcement, silt fi lling and infrastructure challenges in future projects. Lo also said he’s confi dent that new reclamation construction, also could be time-consuming. Among Land reclamation the ‘right “Hong Kong has developed relatively mature skills technologies, which tend to be more eco-friendly, will them, waiting for the settlement of landfi lls alone in artifi cial island construction. Thus, I believe the minimize the environmental impact. may take nearly 10 years. island-building plans unveiled by the government To avoid contamination, the government has Various new approaches, such as adopting non- panacea’ for HK’s housing woes will be stable, durable and can withstand extreme adopted the deep cement mixing (DCM) technique, dredged reclamation methods like DCM, or accel- (including ) was built mainly by weather conditions,” said Lo, former president of the a world-leading non-dredged reclamation method, erating the settlement process through a drainage was built on land mainly reclaimed from Tolo reclaiming Tseung Kwan O Bay and formation of By LUO WEITENG and tandem,” he said. Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. in the construction of Hong Kong International system, or using upgraded dredging vessels with Harbour. platforms on both sides of a long narrow inlet. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sep OSWALD CHAN in Hong Kong “As the reclamation project fi nally gets Geographical and maritime conditions, such as Airport’s third runway. larger capacity, could help shorten the time length 2018 o the ground, hopefully, private owners waves and tides, must be taken into account when This technique injects and mixes cement slurry for reclamation, Chung reckoned. Having earned itself the dubious honor of brownfi eld sites and agricultural land, doing reclamation in Hong Kong, he said. Even into unstable soft mud inside the pits on seabed, He said reclamation projects using DCM could of being crowned the world’s least a ord- who may worry about a cooling housing under extreme weather conditions, like typhoon or preventing mud from drifting and contaminating be completed several years earlier than traditional Population Population able place to live in, Hong Kong is desper- market in the foreseeable future, will storm surges, many projects could still safeguard waters, explained Lo. ways, as the technique could enhance the strength ately looking for more space to house its join the fray in developing their lands in people’s safety through precautions like heighten- The cutting-edge skill, which is popular in many and stability of mud in seas, thus saving a consider- 1970s 30,000 1970s <10,000 future population. a more proactive and open manner. This ing sea walls or placing dolosse (reinforced concrete developed countries, including the United States, able time waiting for settlement. 2016 691,000 2016 396,000 In a sign of her determination to plug will fundamentally increase the supply of the acute shortage of land supply and developable land in such a space-starved tackle the years-long housing crunch, city,” Cheung noted. An accumulated shortfall of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet- With current stocks of 2.7 million resi- Let developers bear cost overruns, urges academic over 90,000 new housing units New town planning ngor introduced an ambitious reclama- dential units in Hong Kong, the proposed from the target stated in the tion project that was the cornerstone of Lantau reclamation, which will offer By LI BINGCUN in Hong Kong academic and structural engineer — however, doesn’t 3,591 hectares Total development area 1,718 hectares Total development area her second Policy Address in October an estimated 260,000 to 400,000 new Long Term Housing Strategy [email protected] think that Chow’s proposal could really solve the last year. homes, could boost long-term residential problem. 2013-17 771,100 Planned population 450,000 Planned population Dubbed “Lantau Tomorrow Vision”, unit supply by 10 to 15 percent, reckoned A prominent academic has proposed that the gov- He reckoned that the overrun risk, which may be the project, embracing gigantic man- Marcos Chan Kam-ping, head of Hong ernment transfer the risk of over-expenditure in the una ordable for many developers, could deter them made islands, estimated to cover 1,700 Kong, Macao and Taiwan Research at “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” project to property devel- from bidding for the project, especially when they’re 47,000 hectares to the east and north of Lantau CBRE — a global real-estate advisory opers so as to save up considerable fi nancial reserves. uncertain of future profi ts. 2013 Over 60% Over 70% Island and o the Tuen Mun coast, would fi rm. Chau Kwong-wing — chair professor of real estate Instead, Chung believes that the reclamation work 22,300 of Sha Tin’s population of Tseung Kwan O’s population live be home to 1.1 million people and Hong “Although the short to mid-term hous- at the University of Hong Kong — suggested that for “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” could cut much of the live in subsidized housing. on reclaimed land. Kong’s third housing and business center ing unit forecast brought by the proposed developers be made to bear the risk of over-spending expenses by taking advantage of the facilities and in the making. reclamation project may vary, its long- when contracting reclamation works. services of experts involved in the reclamation project. “In the long run, reclamation is Hong term e ect on enhancing residential land The builders could also pocket the profi ts generated Some advanced equipment and world-class engi- 95,000 80% Kong’s best answer and the most viable supply is clear,” Chan added. by the project and better manage it, thus avoiding pos- neers and planners — indispensable for many rec- 2014 of the land for housing in Tseung Kwan O comes solution to the acute land supply prob- Another factor that needs to be consid- sible extra expenditure generated by frequent changes lamation projects in the city — are from foreign 48,000 from reclamation, including major private lem, which has long been cited as the ered is that, after 20 to 30 years, existing to design and construction plans — a major cause of countries. housing projects like LOHAS Park and The culprit in Hong Kong’s housing conun- dominant housing estates like Mei Foo cost overruns. “By making use of their expertise in consecutive Cumulated target in Long Wings. drum,” said veteran surveyor Vincent Sun Chuen, , Whampoa In recent years, several large-scale infrastructure projects, we could save a lot of spending in getting Term Housing Strategy Cheung Kiu-cho. Garden, , Shatin and projects in Hong Kong have encountered signifi cant them here and in travel,” said Chung. 141,000 5.5 While using land from unused New others will be made obsolete if there is no cost overruns. Among the cases, the government has Reclamation work for the “Lantau Tomorrow 2015 Actual completion of Territories land and brownfield sites further replenishment of new housing to shoulder part or all of the additional expenditure Vision” project, to the east of Tung Chung on Lantau 73,600 housing units as per 5.1 appears to be another feasible option, units, and the supply of residential fl ats fi nancial year according to di erent contracts signed with develop- Island, is expected to be completed by 2023. Average waiting time of Cheung believed the mounting legal by that time may dwindle, Chan warned. ers. The fi rst batch of housing units created by the applicants for public 4.6 challenges could make its potential “The proposed 400,000 new homes Professor Chung Kwok-fai — another renowned development is projected to be ready by 2032. costs and timetable almost impossible are the bare minimum level that the gov- 187,000 rental housing to predict. ernment should do in enhancing residen- 2016 3.9 “As the SAR government races against tial unit supply,” Chan told China Daily. 102,500 Unit: year time to o er a beacon of hope for ordi- Terence Chong Tai-leung, associate nary citizens of owning a roof over their professor at The Chinese University of 3.3 heads, we cannot afford to wait any Hong Kong’s Lau Chor Tak Institute of 3.0 longer,” he said. “A plan you have no idea Global Economics and Finance, said the A reclamation 233,000 about how much it may cost and how proposed reclamation scheme should 2017 2.7 site in Taishan, 2.6 long it will take simply doesn’t work.” benefi t the city’s long-term development. Guangdong 138,700 If everything goes smoothly, the new “Not only residential units will be built province. Hong homes would be available by 2032. on those artifi cial islands, there’ll be hos- 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Sep 2018 Kong has been According to government projections, pitals and commercial buildings,” Chong

paying hundreds Source: HK Civil Engineering and Development Department; HK Census and Statistics Department; Our Hong Kong Foundation; HK Housing Authority the project would cost between HK$400 told China Daily. “Moreover, if the artifi - of millions of Hong billion and HK$500 billion. cial islands east of Lantau could provide Kong dollars every “Making a better housing environment transportation links between Tuen Mun year to transport for the next generation is never an issue and ’s western region, construction waste Hong Kong land reclamation can save money by turning waste into building material that could be done once and for all,” said it could bring more benefi ts to the com- to Taishan since Cheung. “Such an issue should squarely munity.” 2007. PROVIDED TO By HE SHUSI in Hong Kong been paying millions of Hong Kong dollars annual construction waste could be used. of the of Engineering 2002. focus on ramping up land supply in a Chong believed the Hong Kong gov- CHINA DAILY [email protected] per year on shipping construction waste that Major reclamation projects ceased in Hong Sciences, concluded. “I have retired for so many years. If the more sustainable manner from a longer- ernment should have the fi nancial capa- the city could not handle to Taishan city in Kong after 2000, and the two fi ll banks built Lau was the major person to talk to the (Hong Kong) government had made use of term perspective.” bility to support such an ambitious land Hong Kong ships millions of tons of con- Guangdong province. for storing construction waste are on the verge State Oceanic Administration and promote these construction wastes for land reclama- The planned 1,700-hectare man-made reclamation plan as it has a structural struction waste every year — at high cost — to Taishan, 170 kilometers west of Hong Kong, of saturation. As a result, Hong Kong has been the Taishan project back in the early 2000s, tion, even little by little, there would have been islands would enable Hong Kong to lay budget surplus. the Chinese mainland because the city has run turned the free gift into over 660 hectares of transporting the waste to Taishan since 2007. when his proposal to reuse the waste in recla- a lot of new lands now,” he said. its hands on a large amount of new land, “The equity and property markets o er out of space to dump it. However, reclamation reclaimed land. That is equivalent to more than As of May last year, about 119 million tons mation projects in the city was rejected. Noting that the public’s major concern over he reckoned. more stamp duty revenues for the gov- projects such as “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” can 34 Victoria Parks, according to a Legislative of public fi ll had been delivered to Taishan, Taking o ce as director of the Civil Engi- reclamation is its impact on the environment, Compared with brownfi eld sites and ernment than it anticipates,” said Chong. turn that waste into building material and save Council document submitted by the Task Force according to the Civil Engineering and Devel- neering Department, Lau and his team pro- Lau said there are various ways to minimize agricultural land in the The government announced a budget the special administrative region government on Land Supply in November 2017. opment Department. posed building an artifi cial island o the south- it, especially with the latest technologies and held by major developers and inhabit- surplus of HK$138 billion for the 2017- hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, Construction waste is generated by local The price for Hong Kong to ship this mate- ern coast of Cheung Chau Island in late 2000. marine engineering equipment. ants, the artifi cial lands, with predict- 18 fi nancial year last February. Chong Lau Ching-kwong, former director of the Civil construction, excavation, renovation, demoli- rial to Taishan was HK$70 per ton in 2011, But the plan was widely criticized by envi- “After all, there isn’t enough land in Hong able costs, construction time and sole argued that, theoretically, budget sur- Taishan has used Engineering Department, told China Daily. tion and road works. Hong Kong produces while cargo ships produce 50 tons of carbon ronmental protection groups and fi shermen. Kong. Reclamation is the best and fastest solu- ownership, will allow us to plan from pluses of three to four financial years construction waste Waste — the inevitable by-product of new about 15 million metric tons of construction dioxide per day, according to then-secretary Lau turned to the mainland authorities, ask- tion to creating a large chunk of land, without Lau Ching-kwong scratch and lose no time in making a could be used to cover the estimated total from Hong Kong to construction — is expensive not only in the waste per year. for development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, ing for their help to take the construction a ecting as many people as developing the thinks land reclamation move, Cheung said. cost of the Lantau reclamation project, reclaim about 660 high price to ship it away from the city, but also According to the Civil Engineering and now the SAR’s chief executive. The govern- waste. brownfi elds,” he added. projects in Hong Kong “Reclamation does not rule out the so the administration should have the hectares of land, in the carbon dioxide the cargo ships that move Development Department, about 90 percent ment has since not updated transportation “It was not easy. I went to Beijing to talk to Lau hoped the government can start fea- can significantly cut possibility of releasing the develop- fi nancial resources to push forward the equivalent to more it produce every day, Lau said. of construction waste is suitable for land rec- fee for the waste. various o cials for a long time. These includ- sibility research on the proposed “Lantau government spending ment potential of some 1,300 hectares project. than 34 Victoria The veteran engineer, who was in charge of lamation. Secretary for Development Michael “We have been paying hundreds of millions ed the customs and immigration, as it was Tomorrow Vision” project as soon as possible, on handling the city’s of brownfi eld sites and 1,000 hectares of Parks. PROVIDED TO the land reclamation project for Hong Kong Wong Wai-lun said Hong Kong would gain of Hong Kong dollars every year for other cit- cross-boundary delivery,” Lau said. and carefully cope with possible impact on the construction waste. agricultural land in the New Territories. Contact the writers at CHINA DAILY Disneyland in 2000, noted that the city has 60 hectares of reclaimed land annually if the ies’ reclamation work,” Lau, who’s also a fellow Lau retired from the government in late environment and the fi sheries industry. MIRIAM ZHANG/CHINA DAILY Both proposals can definitely work in [email protected]