Hong Kong project housing up to 484,000 will take ‘20 years or more’ to finish

Hong Kong will need “about 20 years or more” to finish a project ensuring housing for up to 484,000 people and the creation of a hub for emerging industries, the Development Bureau has said.

In a Legislative Council paper published on Friday, the Development Bureau said the creation of the “New Territories North New Town”, the largest project under the Northern Metropolis scheme, would involve a total development area of about 1,175 hectares (2,900 acres).

The figure accounts for more than a third of the new land supply set aside for the megaproject, which focuses on areas along the border with mainland China.

The Northern Metropolis is divided into several projects and aims to transform 30,000 hectares of land in the New Territories into an economic powerhouse and housing hub.

The New Town project covers land in Heung Yuen Wai, Ta Kwu Ling, Ping Che, Hung Lung Hang, Queen’s Hill, Man Kam To and Lo Wu South.

According to the paper, the project will act as a hub for emerging industries and a “gateway economy” for the mainland, in addition to having cultural education and sports hubs, and boasting green spaces such as rivers and valleys.