Page 26 - Land2.5_EN_Final_C

No New Town Without Reclamation

Percentage of Population and Residential Land on Reclaimed Land

90%
80%

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%

20%
10%
0%
TKO Tung Chung Tai Po Tuen Mun Tseun Wan Sha Tin

Population Residential Land Area
Sources: Census & Statistics Department, Town Planning Board.

1. Given the some 4,000 hectares of shortage, while we should employ a multi-pronged approach
in the short term, we have to rely on reclamation as a source of land supply in the long term.
Unfortunately, not only that reclamation projects have come to a halt in recent years, "reclamation"
has also become a taboo in the society.

2. In this regard, OHKF argues that reclamation has been inextricably linked with the development
of Hong Kong, and in particular, the development of new towns. OHKF analysed the population
and land use metrics of Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, Tai Po, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Shatin and
found that as much as 70% of the population of Tseung Kwan O reside on reclaimed land and 80%
of the residential land come from reclamation. Even Shatin has more than 30% of its population
living on reclaimed land. It is fair to say that these new towns, which are homes to nearly one-third
of the total Hong Kong population, would not have existed without reclamation.

3. In addition, OHKF does not agree with the notion that “reclaimed land are only for luxury homes".
By comparing the past and present satellite and aerial pictures of the new towns, referring to the
relevant maps and conducting site visit if necessary, we attempted to restore the coastline of the
above mentioned new towns before reclamation and found that many of the well-known PRH and
HOS estates are indeed built on reclaimed land. These include Yau Oi Estate in Tuen Mun, Kwong
Fuk Estate in Tai Po, and Sheung Tak Estate in Tseung Kwan O, to name a few.

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