Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (November 16):
Question:
In the 2022 Policy Address, the Chief Executive has put forward the development proposal for Tseung Kwan O (TKO) Area 137, which is expected to provide 50 000 residential units. However, some TKO residents are worried that the development in the district lacks holistic and comprehensive planning. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has made projections on the population of the LOHAS Park area and Area 137 in the coming 15 years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) of the details of the long-term development plan for Area 137, including the proposed ancillary facilities in the community and the estimated population to be served, and whether such facilities are adequate for use by the residents of Area 137 and the neighbouring community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) as the Chief Executive has proposed in 2022 Policy Address the extension of the MTR TKO Line southwards to Area 137, whether the Government will consider further extending the TKO Line to connect the MTR Island Line; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as the Development Bureau (DEVB) has indicated that it will study the reclamation of the waters off the TKO InnoPark for providing the land required for the TKO Line Southern Extension, of DEVB's considerations in deciding to carry out reclamation in such waters; given that some residents of the LOHAS Park are worried that the reclamation in such waters may cause problems such as air pollution, noise, traffic congestion and damage to the landscape, whether DEVB has other alternatives to reclamation for developing the railway line; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5) whether it has studied the construction of a cross-harbour trunk road or underwater tunnel between the area of Chai Wan or Siu Sai Wan and Area 137 and its connection to the Cross Bay Link, TKO (CBL, TKO); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6) whether it has compiled statistics on the resident population along the section of Clear Water Bay Road between Sussex Lodge, TKO and Tai Au Mun, and made projection on the population near such road section in the coming 10 years; whether it has studied the construction of a carriageway to connect such road section with Area 137 and CBL, TKO, so as to ease the traffic congestion problem at the roundabout outside Sussex Lodge; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Chief Executive has put forth in the 2022 Policy Address a number of initiatives to increase land and housing supply. The proposed development at Tseung Kwan O (TKO) Area 137 is one of the major sources of land supply. Upon completion of the planning and engineering study by the end of this year, we will release concrete recommendations for the proposed development and listen to views of the public.
In respect of the questions raised by the Hon Stanley Li, upon consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the initial response at this stage is as follows:
(1) and (2) We propose developing TKO Area 137 into a new community primarily for housing purpose, providing about 50 000 housing units to house a population of around 135 000, to be served by newly proposed rail and road links, namely the TKO Line Southern Extension and TKO-Yau Tong Tunnel.
As regards LOHAS Park, according to its Master Layout Plan, the existing planned population of that development is around 69 000.
In addition to developing TKO Area 137 into high-density residential developments, we will also make use of the land to be created to provide appropriate community or other necessary facilities and services to meet the needs of the TKO community as far as possible. We are therefore exploring the possibility of near-shore reclamation of the waters in the vicinity (including the waters in the vicinity of TKO Area 137, TKO InnoPark and Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery) to provide the necessary land for accommodating transport infrastructure and other public facilities. We note the concerns of residents nearby over the railway extension works (see parts (3) to (5) below) and the idea of carrying out near-shore reclamation. We will put forward recommendations and listen to the views of the locals upon the completion of the study before the end of the year.
(3) to (5) The TLB is taking forward the "Strategic Studies on Railways and Major Roads beyond 2030" (the Studies) to look into the layout of major transport infrastructure of Hong Kong. The Studies preliminarily recommend taking forward three strategic railway projects and three major road projects, including the TKO Line Southern Extension and TKO-Yau Tong Tunnel, which are expected to improve the external connectivity of TKO.
Based on the preliminary recommendations of the Studies, TKO Line Southern Extension would be extended southward and downward from the at-grade TKO Line LOHAS Park Station in the form of a tunnel to the underground station at TKO Area 137 via the waters in the vicinity of TKO InnoPark. The Development Bureau will work hand in hand with the TLB and other related departments on the project, with a view to ascertaining the alignment and land required for the railway extension to TKO Area 137.
As regards the proposal to provide a cross-harbour railway and road at TKO for connection with Hong Kong Island, since the construction of cross-harbour transport infrastructure would require significant public resources, the Government has to study such proposals in a prudent manner, taking into account factors including the long-term development planning and transport need, the improvement to be brought about to the entire transport infrastructure network, the associated transport infrastructure at TKO and Hong Kong Island, technical feasibility, and the implication to the local communities, etc. The TLB plans to commence the public consultation of the Studies at the end of this year, with a view to elaborating in detail on the concepts, preliminary assessment results, and the preliminary alignments and functions of the recommended transport infrastructure, as well as collecting the views of the public.
(6) The Transport Department (TD) has been closely monitoring the traffic situation at and near the roundabout on Clear Water Bay Road near Ying Yip Road (i.e. opposite to Sussex Lodge). According to the traffic impact assessment report of the public housing development at Ying Yip Road, the roundabout on Clear Water Bay Road near Ying Yip Road and the nearby roads will be able to cope with the traffic demand upon completion of the project. Notwithstanding this, TD will explore feasible options to enhance the road traffic conditions at and around the Ying Yip Road roundabout to cope with the long-term traffic growth. We do not maintain statistics on the residential population of the relevant area.
Ends/Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:10
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