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Lantau Tomorrow Vision
Hong KongSociety

Outsourcing and funding in question as Lantau Tomorrow Vision slowly takes shape in Hong Kong

  • Source says a ‘public-private’ deal is an option for building the 1,700-hectare cluster of artificial islands
  • Critics express reservations about outsourcing the massive project, raising concerns over government-business collusion

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Sunshine Island east of Lantau. The Lantau Tomorrow Vision project will cost at least HK$500 billion. Photo: Winson Wong
Naomi NgandOlga Wong

Outsourcing a major artificial islands project off Lantau is an option under consideration by Hong Kong officials amid new efforts to increase land supply in the space-starved city, the Post has learned.

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The ambitious project, known as Lantau Tomorrow Vision, was announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in her policy speech in October. She said at the time that an office would be set up to plan and implement the project, and that it would answer directly to her.

Now, a government source close to the matter said the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau was studying options for how to launch the project, such as where to find enough funding to build the 1,700-hectare cluster of artificial islands.

A HK$500 million (US$64.1 million) funding request will be sent to the legislature this month to take forward feasibility studies on first reclaiming 1,000 hectares near Kau Yi Chau, an outlying island.

Carrie Lam announced the ambitious plan last year. Photo: Dickson Lee
Carrie Lam announced the ambitious plan last year. Photo: Dickson Lee
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“A [public-private partnership] is one of the options being considered, among others. The government has [until 2025] to come up with the implementation model,” the source said, referring to the year officials aimed to begin construction.

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