Motion of Thanks - Housing, Infrastructure, Planning and Development  （2016/02/17）

President, it is mentioned in the Policy Address that a high-level advisory committee has been formed under the Transport and Housing Bureau to help monitor the implementation of the three-runway system project (3RS) at the Hong Kong International Airport by the Airport Authority. The 3RS is one of the major high-profile large-scale projects in Hong Kong apart from the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Project and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge


As we can see, as a result of the recent political climate, the opposition camp has tried incessantly to hinder the implementation of every major project, placing obstacles in every step, from environmental impact assessment reports, judicial reviews, to the Legislative Council's funding approvals to increase manpower supply, as well as approval for supplementary provision in case of cost overruns. Any delay in the approval of supplementary provision would result in the suspension of work, which will in turn start the vicious cycle of further delays and cost overruns. The 3RS is no exception. Since the planning stage, it has met with great opposition, including issues such as costs, airspace and marine ecology. It is foreseeable that the implementation of the 3RS will be faced with immense challenges.

There is no doubt that the 3RS will have great contributions to Hong Kong's overall economy. No matter how difficult it is, we must go ahead. The authorities are obliged to ensure its successful completion. Owing to the lesson of the Express Rail Link Project, the construction of the 3RS project will be self-financed by the Airport Authority, and the Government does not need to seek funding approval from the Legislative Council. But that does not mean the project will not be monitored by the Legislative Council. The staffing establishment and provision of facilities relating to the 3RS must be approved by the Legislative Council. It is expected that the opposition camp will employ every means to stop the implementation of the 3RS project. Therefore, the authorities must be well prepared for the risks of unanticipated incidents and delays, so as to ensure the successful completion of the project as planned.

President, it is known to all that the Government has taken great pains to identify land for housing construction. Yet it adopts a more cautious attitude in finding land for the construction of hotels and other tourist facilities. In this year's Policy Address, only the Kai Tak Fantasy project and Lantau development have been mentioned. So far, the Kai Tak Fantasy project still lacks a definite and specific plan, while the recreation and tourism initiatives on Lantau are still under study by consultants, and Phase 2 expansion of Disneyland is still under discussion. We should note that for long-term projects such as the above-mentioned items, even if land is available, they will take a longer time, likely a few years, to complete. For short-term planning, the Government has earlier set aside six sites in Kai Tak for hotel development. One of the hotel sites capable of providing 500 hotel rooms had been included in this year's Land Sale Programme, but due to economic slowdown and decline of the tourism industry, the land had been withdrawn.

In the face of challenges from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Macao and Zhuhai in our neighbourhood, if Hong Kong cannot provide any new tourism facilities in the short and medium run, how can the declining tourism industry be revived? I hope that the Government will not be complacent about the status quo; it should pay close attention to the development of inbound tourism and conduct a feasibility study on the short, medium and long-term planning of the tourism industry.

President, apart from planning, the Government can also step up the support for the tourism industry. It is mentioned in the Policy Address that $500 million will be set aside for the establishment of a dedicated fund for the conservation of built heritage (the Fund). The Fund will provide subsidies for public education, community involvement and publicity activities and academic research. The Development Bureau has allocated large amounts of money for the conservation and revitalization of built heritage. Imagine that if the revitalized built heritage fails to attract crowds of people, how can its value be manifested? If this initiative is integrated into the tourism industry, more people will be attracted to built heritage, and the history and culture of Hong Kong will be made known to the world, which will be conducive to enhancing the international image of Hong Kong. Although there are many buildings of high historic value in Hong Kong, they are rarely visited by members of the public and visitors due to the lack of publicity and short opening time. Built heritage is a readily available tourism resource which does not need any major works. I propose that more resources under the Fund should be allocated to find ways to integrate built heritage into the tourism industry, including conducting more guided tours to further publicize and promote Hong Kong's history and culture.

Finally, I hope that the Transport and Housing Bureau will continue to keep a close eye on the problems caused by the shortage of coach parking spaces, particularly the problem of frequent illegal parking in such areas as Kowloon East that are frequented by Mainland tour groups. Three years ago, Secretary Prof Anthony CHEUNG mentioned about the need to re-examine the Parking Demand Study, but nothing further has been heard. Apart from putting the review on the agenda of discussion, I hope the Secretary will seek practical solutions to the problems caused by insufficient coach parking spaces as soon as possible, so as to avoid arousing local residents' resentments as a result of the development of tourism.

Thank you, President. I so submit.