Editorial | Every effort must be made by Hong Kong authorities to deliver flats on time
With a waiting list of 5.3 years for public housing, Hong Kong can ill afford the sudden suspension or delay of developments
The urgent need to provide more public housing, to free tens of thousands of people from long waits in substandard accommodation, has long been recognised in Hong Kong and remains a priority. So the sudden suspension of a development intended to provide 8,300 flats is always going to raise eyebrows.
The Housing Bureau has confirmed that plans to build eight residential towers in Fanling have temporarily been put on hold. This follows an investigation revealing the “complex geology” of the site, which would cause construction costs to soar by 60 to 90 per cent and take 10 months longer than expected.
The bedrock drops more than 80 metres below ground, 120 metres at its deepest. This would make the foundation work much more expensive. It has, therefore, been decided to prioritise other “more cost-effective” housing projects in the area.
The decision is a pragmatic one given the circumstances. There must be no let-up in efforts to provide public housing, but the costs need to be kept under control.
Crucially, the suspension will not stop the government meeting the target of 308,000 public housing units in the next 10 years. Other projects in the area are to be expedited to make up for the loss of the 8,300 flats and the bureau says it has not abandoned the project.
But legitimate questions are being asked about the suspension. The draft outline zoning plan was approved in December 2022. At the time, no insurmountable technical problems were found.