The Housing Bureau said today it has postponed on a temporary basis the development programme of the public housing project in Fanling Area 17 after reviewing the cost-effectiveness of various housing projects under planning.
The bureau made the statement in response to media enquiries about the housing development in Fanling Area 17, saying that it has adjusted the project’s development priority but not abandoned it.
Based on ground investigations, the Housing Department found that the site has a complex geology with a deep bedrock layer. The bedrock level has been found at depths exceeding 80m below ground in general, with the deepest recorded at 120m below ground.
It noted that if the site is to be used for public housing construction, deep foundation work will be involved. Preliminary estimates of the average construction cost per unit will increase by 60% to 90%, and the construction period will be lengthened by at least 10 months.
Upon reviewing different housing construction projects, the Housing Department has decided to prioritise the development of other more cost-effective public housing projects in North District, including the completion of approximately 38,000 public housing units in Fanling, Sheung Shui and Kwu Tung North in the next five years.
The Fanling Area 17 development, which will provide 8,300 flats, was originally scheduled to be completed in the 2031-32.
Apart from the above production in the five-year period, other projects will be expedited and ready for completion in the second five-year period in North District, including 13,000 and 17,000 units in Fanling North and the Kwu Tung North New Development Area.
The Housing Bureau reaffirmed that the target supply of 308,000 public housing units in the next 10 years remains unchanged.
It explained that the adjustment in the priority of the development on this occasion will allow the authority to focus resources on developing first the more cost-effective public housing projects in order to provide homes to those in need as soon as possible.
