New Macau agrees with gov’t on zone A housing plan

Chui Sai On inspects the reclaimed land works

Members of the New Macau Association, including lawmakers Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong, petitioned yesterday at the government’s headquarters, calling on the government to make clear the proportion of affordable and social units that will make up the promised 28,000 public units to be built in the reclaimed land zone A.
“The Chief Executive made a decision on increasing the supply of public housing units in the reclaimed land zone A, which we support, because the reclaimed land plan has been undergoing repeated consultation. (…) But the content [of the plan] is sketchy and simple. So, we put forth some suggestions,” Au said yesterday.
Given that the government had previously revealed that the revised plan of zone A would include 28,000 pubic housing units, the lawmaker urged that the proportion of affordable housing units and social housing units should be confirmed through the public consultation.
“We advise that 80 percent of the 28,000 public units be built as affordable units, while 20 percent [should be built] as social ones,” he declared.
The group also deems it is too long of a wait to only start applications in 2019, and to then complete the project three or four years after that. “Even if the CE Chui gets re-elected, 2019 is the last year of his term. It won’t leave a good impression to the public if you make a promise but pass it on to others to fulfill.” Au hopes that the application time can be shifted to an earlier schedule, such as in 2017, as they declared in the petition and that subsequently there could be some housing units completed in 2019.
In addition, the association reminded the government to implement the planned 4,400 public housing units that it had revealed earlier, as well as idle lands to be taken back by the authority.
However, the New Macau Association members denied that the support is for the sake of CE Chui Sai On’s re-election. “We have no idea about the CE’s intention but our goal is for the livelihood issue of Macau to be solved. It has been five years since the sea reclamation plan was approved by the central government in 2009. (…) We are stuck in rounds of consultations. (…) I think it is proper for the CE to make a decision,” said Au, adding that the solution to Macau residents’ housing problem is the priority.
Separately, lawmaker Kwan Tsui Hang said that she is more concerned about how the urban design will meet the needs for transportation and public facilities. She urged the government to explain the design of the entrance and exit connecting zone A and the Peninsula. Kwan also expressed her dissatisfaction with the fact that 4,000 units in zone A have been reserved for private housing.