Explainer | Does Hong Kong need 2 mega developments at the same time? The Post looks at the options after lawmaker Regina Ip questions Lantau islands plan
- Exco convenor Ip ruffles feathers after she says Lantau land reclamation should take second place to New Territories’ Northern Metropolis
- Other critics warn future population might not be big enough to fill the million-plus flats proposed and that the cost of land reclamation off Lantau would balloon
Political veteran Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee raised some eyebrows after she aired her views on a controversial plan to create three artificial islands off Lantau in Hong Kong, just a few days before the public consultation on the scheme finishes at the end of the month.
The convenor of the Executive Council, the key decision-making body, suggested the “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” should take a back seat to development of the Northern Metropolis – a proposal rejected by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday.
Lee said both mega projects should go ahead, especially as the city had to boost its competitiveness and outperform regional rivals.
The Post looks at how Ip’s comments sparked a debate and the details of the two massive developments.
1. What has Ip said that ignited a heated discussion in the political arena?
Ip, a prominent lawmaker and chairwoman of the New People’s Party, on Monday appealed to Lee’s administration to prioritise the Northern Metropolis, a mega development project near the border with mainland China, over the creation of three artificial islands under the Lantau Tomorrow Vision.
