Hong Kong’s solution to the housing problem must not sacrifice natural heritage

Should areas of outstanding natural beauty be destroyed when there are better solutions to our housing problem?
Given the government’s long-term housing strategy, using part of a golf course to build 12,000 flats seems to be a short-term move to deflect talk of elitism

Bernard Chan

Published: 6:15am, 16 Jun 2023

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A shortage of affordable housing is becoming an increasingly common problem across the developed world. This is not unique to Hong Kong, but is a major cause of discontent among a large number of people.

Home ownership plays a primary role in wealth creation and protection, but too many people are finding it a struggle to secure such a financial foothold. In Hong Kong, creative solutions are required to address key issues and tackle the complex process of land acquisition so that we can meet demand now, and in the future.

Eradication of the housing problem requires vision – an urbanisation programme that is fit for purpose, meets the needs of the population as a whole, and provides the infrastructure for us to compete with our neighbours in the Greater Bay Area and around the region. We need to embrace smart city planning and advanced construction technologies to accelerate the process of providing affordable housing.

A comprehensive solution will be a measure of our success as a progressive society and make Hong Kong an attractive place to live and work.

However, we also need to preserve our natural heritage for future generations. Access to the great outdoors and a myriad of healthy activities is important to the well-being of locals and visitors alike. Should areas of outstanding natural beauty be destroyed when there are better solutions to our housing problem?

The Lantau Tomorrow Vision provides a long-term solution, centred around the creation of artificial islands at Kau Yi Chau and Hei Ling Chau. Targets include providing 260,000 to 400 000 housing units, 70 per cent of them public, over an area of around 1,700 hectares. A third core business district will also be created here, and Lantau’s leisure and entertainment options will be harnessed.

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The government’s long-term housing strategy sets a 10-year supply target of 430,000 units, of which 301,000 are public. An independent housing forecast released by Our Hong Kong Foundation suggests that supply will improve significantly over the next five years, and that the development potential of the Northern Metropolis will be crucial to meeting the government’s housing target for the rest of the coming decade.

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However, we must also address systemic problems relating to false declarations of assets, subletting and non-occupation of public housing. It emerged earlier this year that a suspect in the murder of a socialite had bought a government-subsidised flat while owning a luxury property, and that the authorities had not checked the incomes and assets of public housing tenants applying to buy subsidised flats since the 1970s.

Many believe that a considerable number of public housing units could be held by people who are no longer eligible. A comprehensive and transparent review is required to ensure only those eligible are benefiting.

Meanwhile, the debate about using part of the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling for housing is once again front and centre. Such a move might open the door to further attacks on our countryside.

Does the planned completion of 12,000 flats in Fanling reflect real progress in boosting housing supply, or is it just a stopgap measure to avoid accusations of protecting elite interests? Perhaps one solution is to open the golf club to the general public without any restrictions.

The Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, seen here on June 14, is once again at the centre of a debate over land use and housing. Photo: Dickson Lee

While the government does not agree, tournament organisers are of the view that the Fanling housing plan will jeopardise the ability of the Hong Kong Golf Club to host major tournaments.

The forthcoming Hong Kong Open, for example, is a major international event. The event in 2018 was broadcast live to over 400 million households globally, and it was a valuable marketing campaign for all aspects of Hong Kong. Although not a golfer, I do have an association with the club. I also recently learned that in 2019, pre-Covid, HK$27 million was raised for charities at events hosted by the club.

There are other examples where perhaps not all the available land supply options have been given due consideration, often in favour of short-term gain.

Last week, the Singapore Turf Club announced that it will hold its final race in October 2024, as the racecourse site will be handed back to the Singapore government for redevelopment. Tearing the heart out of the equine industry seems to be an extreme response to diminishing revenues, even in the calculus of increasing land supply. The loss of the Singapore Turf Club will surely be felt around the region.

And, in Hong Kong, future generations will be the judge of how well our generation utilised the resources at our disposal to create an inclusive living environment on a par with the region’s best.

Bernard Chan is a Hong Kong businessman and a former Executive Council convenor