Letters | White elephant? Here’s how to help Hong Kong’s Kau Yi Chau project take flight

Readers discuss criticism of the plan to develop artificial islands off the coast of Lantau, possible irregularities in the sale of flats by tender, and the turnaround in Cathay Pacific’s fortunes

Hong Kong housing

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 25 Mar 2024

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I refer to the well-argued op-ed, “Artificial islands project: a white elephant that’s cheaper to abort now” (March 7).

It is true that starting two mega projects now would be burning the candle at both ends. But we can turn the white elephant into a small flying elephant by transforming the Kau Yi Chau project into a plan for a logistics hub. The most important element of this plan is moving the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals to Kau Yi Chau.

In so doing, we could kill two birds with one stone. In 10 years’ time, once the container terminals are relocated, we could have ample land for residential development.

My proposal is inspired by the success stories of some new towns. Sha Tin, built mainly on land reclaimed from Tolo Harbour, is flourishing after its development was accelerated by the opening pf KCR stations. The racecourse was an additional draw to the area.

Another success story is the airport and bridges. Tung Chung is thriving because of a catalyst – the airport.

But at the same time, we have to also review two not-so-successful examples: Tuen Mun and Kai Tak.

Tuen Mun was intended to be developed as a self-contained town, but unfortunately it could not provide jobs for the swelling population and its residents had to travel long distances for work. This holds a lesson for our town planners.

Kai Tak was supposed to become part of a new central business district. Unfortunately, the proposed transport system never really materialised . Land prices dropped as the economy deteriorated.

These examples show the importance of transport links in putting new towns on the right track. Most importantly, there must be enough jobs nearby for residents.

Placing the container terminal and advanced logistics facilities on Kau Yi Chau will complement the development of Lantau, which already has the airport, Disneyland and Discovery Bay. Perhaps a leisure and sports hub could be developed in South Lantau, as once proposed. We could even put a car racetrack on the island.

We could then map out a long-term strategy to build larger, greener and more sustainable accommodation for the future. We need good policies and confidence to ward off pessimism.

Lo Wai Kong, Tsuen Wan

Flat sales by tender need closer scrutiny

In recent years, several property developers have used tenders to sell new flats. My concern stems from the number of property transactions via tender that were eventually revoked. I wonder how many of them involved fraudulent transactions by related parties with the aim of inflating the transaction price.

The lack of transparency, comprehensive disclosure requirements and insufficient deterrence measures, as well as perhaps inadequate investigation and enforcement powers for the relevant authorities such as the Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority and the Estate Agents Authority, make it difficult to effectively address malpractice in this specific area. Ineffectiveness in regulating related-party transactions may leave fraudulent transactions undetected. It will distort market perceptions and harm the interests of potential buyers.

The government should consider implementing stricter regulations, promoting greater transparency and allocating sufficient resources for thorough investigations. Additionally, collaboration between the relevant regulatory bodies and stakeholders can help combat malpractice and uphold market fairness in property sales.

It is imperative that the authorities address these concerns and take proactive measures to instil public confidence in their ability to effectively regulate and protect the interests of all stakeholders involved in the real estate industry.

Stanley Ip, Sai Wan Ho

Government’s investment in Cathay has paid off

The letter “Cathay Pacific shows Lion Rock spirit with net profit” (March 15) praised the resilience of the airline which has been connecting Hongkongers to the world for years but had to put on an oxygen mask during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government’s decision to inject funds into the ailing airline was financially astute and courageous, and Cathay Pacific is reaping the rewards today.

Edmond Pang, Fanling