( Floor / Cantonese / Putonghua / English )
Members of the community can share their views to help shape the future of Hong Kong during the Stage Three public consultation of the Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy (HK2030).
Announcing the commencement of the consultation today (November 25), the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen said HK2030 was a study undertaken by the Planning Department that aimed to arrive at a framework for Hong Kong's physical development from now to year 2030. The study has already gone through two stages of consultation in the past two years.
"Many of the ideas presented in the consultation booklet are preliminary. We appeal to members of the community to express their views on any of the ideas that we put forward," Mr Suen said.
The consultation highlighted three main planning directions adopted in order to live up to Hong Kong's vision to become Asia's world city. They are, providing a quality living environment; enhancing economic competitiveness; and strengthening links with the Mainland.
"Based on these directions, the study has worked out some planning choices, which are set out in the Stage Three consultation. These options concern the optimal density of development; where our new housing should be based; where to find space for our offices; and where to locate our new port and other major infrastructural facilities," Mr Suen said.
"To help the public focus their attention, these options are in turn presented as two broad development patterns: consolidation and decentralisation," he added.
For the Consolidation Pattern, it assumes that existing urban sites will continue to be developed and made full use of before new areas are developed for the medium and long-term needs. The Decentralisation Pattern envisages the earlier need for New Development Areas in the New Territories.
"Planning invariably involves the making of choices. Our task is to present each of these choices and other relevant considerations so as to balance its costs and benefits for the community to consider," Mr Suen said.
He noted that the same principle applies to the harbour reclamation.
"Similarly, the community as a whole has to reach a consensus on how to strike a balance between satisfying essential infrastructure needs and protecting the harbour," Mr Suen said.
"As reiterated in the consultation document of HK2030, the Government is committed to protecting Victoria Harbour and to making our harbour a 'harbour for the people' and a 'harbour of life'," Mr Suen added.
A roving exhibition on the HK2030 Study will be held in various public locations in Hong Kong starting from December 1. There will also be a series of public forums and focus group meetings and presentations to District Councils.
"This is to ensure that different walks of life in society will have adequate information about the study and sufficient channels to express their views," Mr Suen said.
Copies of the public consultation booklet are now available at District Offices and can be conveniently viewed on the HK2030 website at https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/hk2030/index.htm.
The HK2030 Stage Three public consultation will last for four months and end in March 2004.
Ends/Tuesday, November 25, 2003
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( Floor / Cantonese / Putonghua / English )