Gov’t to build 28,000 public housing and 4,000 private units in reclaimed zone

Grace Yu

The government has revealed a revised master plan of one of the five reclaimed zones, which outlines the addition of more housing units – 32,000 housing units including public and private developments instead of the 18,000 suggested in the previous proposal.
A spokesperson for the Executive Council, Leong Heng Teng, announced yesterday that the Chief Executive has decided to increase investments in land supply to meet the demands of residents’ continued livelihoods. “Taking the Reclaimed Zone A for example, the MSAR government has decided to adjust the function of the land and give first priority to public housing units.” According to Leong, areas designated for commercial use will be reduced, and the extra space used for residential purposes instead. Areas available for building public facilities near housing units will be increased accordingly. The ExCo estimates that Zone A could accommodate some 28,000 households in public housing flats and some 4,000 private units. The new proposal has greatly increased the number of housing units, from 18,000 in the previous plan up to the current 32,000.
Zone A, located in the Macau peninsula’s northeast, is the largest zone, measuring 1.38 square kilometers. It was firstly intended primarily for road infrastructure; tourism and recreation facilities; parks and green areas; public buildings; and commercial and residential neighborhoods. The government has also promised to follow Zhuhai’s lead in improving the coastal areas. This area will be the link between Macau and the artificial island of the Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge.
The zone is currently under construction, and the chief executive is expected to inspect the works today. Officials said yesterday that the reclamation project could be finished by 2016. It had been previously announced that the project would be concluded in 2015. The total cost of the project will reach over MOP1.8billion.
Eddie Wong Yue Kai, a member of the ExCo and a registered architect, explained the elements of the revised draft, pointing out that Zone A is close by to the Hac Sa Van (Areia Preta) district, where many affordable housing flats are also located. “Combining the development of these two areas could help to reduce the population density of the northeast area. It also solves the problem of lack of sporting, leisure, and medical facilities in this area.”
Wong also indicated that the government would manage the business areas. “We may change the way in which these areas are leased. We may not stick to the formerly held principal that [the person who] offers the highest price obtains the subject.” According to Wong, the government is planning to rent stores to local SMEs at lower prices.
The first batch of housing units in Zone A is set for completion between 2022 and 2023, and the application process will hopefully be initiated by the end of 2019. However, the number of available flats in this first batch remains unknown.
The government will devise and announce a middle and long term supply scheme for public housing following the collection of residents’ opinions, according to spokesperson Leong. At the same time, MSAR will boost the process of renovations carried out on old urban districts in order to further increase housing supply. Leong also revealed that the MSAR has a “chance” to borrow more land on Hengqin from the Central Government but he stated that there is no current plan for building public housing units in Hengqin.
At present, Macau’s land supply is primarily derived from the new reclaimed zones and idle lands taken back by the government. For the time being, there are more than 20 idle plots of lands, having previously been allocated under invalid grants. The government has promised that these lands, once they are taken back, will be reserved for building public housing units.
The State Council approved Macau’s 3.5 square kilometer land reclamation plan in 2009. The plan includes five areas of claimed land situated in the Macau Peninsula’s northeast, south of Avenida Sun Yat Sen (NAPE) and north of Taipa island.
The authorities will begin collecting public opinions on the revised draft of Zone A today, and this process will last until August 9. The third session of public consultation for the new reclaimed zones proposal will be undertaken at the end of this year.