Growth Potential (SCMP A13)

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Written by Ling Wai Ming

Last month the government launched the public engagement on preliminary concepts for a rail network serving key development areas in the west and north of Hong Kong.

It proposed three railway corridors: a Hong Kong – Shenzhen Western Express Line that links the Hong Kong and Shenzhen airports as well as the bridge to Zhuhai and Macau; a northern link that connects the West and East Rail lines in northern New Terridories; and a coastal line that links Tuen Mun with Tsuen Wan.

The cross border line includes two spur lines, including one that tiee the development projects in western Hong Kong with the planning of Qianhai in Shenzhen.

I have long held the view that the abundant agriculture land in northwestern Hong Kong, much of which is now fallow, has huge development potential and could contribute enormously to economic growth. A wild idea I had was to develop northwestern Hong Kong into another metropolis, but of course that would depend on government providing adequate infrastructure for public transport and logistics services.

I am delighted to see that the government’s review of our railway strategy now unveils a new future of northwestern Hong Kong. Another metropolis in that part of our city is no longer a wild idea.

For over a century, Central has been our most important core business district, the heart of our metropolis. It has been developing fast with land reclaimed from the harbor and with more and more people and vehicles crammed into the district. Land scarcity has driven land cost to among the highest in the world, and moving around in the district is tiresome and disheartening. It has come to a point where there is little room for further development to keep driving Hong Kong forward.

Geographically the center of Hong Kong is actually Shing Mun Reservoir, between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, and we can roughly divide Hong Kong into four quadrants, each with its unique characteristics. The southeast quadrant is our current metropolis; the southwest is our hub of sea and air transport and logistics services; the northeast is a vast area with much room for eco-tourism and the northwest is where the greatest potential lies.

Right next to Shenzhen special economic zone – the locomotive of economic development of the entire Pearl River Delta — and with abundant land supply, the northwest is the ideal place for developing Hong Kong’s second metropolis. The three proposed regional railway corridors will fulfill the third vital prerequisite for the vision – efficient transport infrastructure for a new development area that can house and provide jobs for a large population.

Opportunities in the Mainland market are growing for Hong Kong service providers, with more agreements signed under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. As regional co-operation grows in the Pearl River Delta, it is obvious that the growth of our service trade will hinge on better connection with the region. We need to take innovative, strategic steps to forge closer ties with the delta and, to do that, what will be more effective than developing a core business district close to western Shenzhen?

According to the 12th 5-year Plan, Qianhai in the west of Shenzhen is to be developed into a center for financial and logistic services by 2020, providing 800,000 jobs. This will be another great opportunity for Hong Kong business. Many Hong Kong residents will cross the boundary daily to work in Qianhai and service provider firms can set up branches in northwest New Territories to provide support. Many businesses in Qianhai will want to set up headquarters in Hong Kong, because of our common law legal system, free flow of information and the simple tax-low regime.

The viability of a rail network is a concern. In the public engagement, the government asks whether people would prefer the development of a large number of lower density population areas, which may require a government subsidy to keep rail lines viable; or one of a smaller number of higher density areas that will make rail operation more viable.

It seems to me that the government has put the cart before the horse. The three railway corridors involve huge investment and the first consideration should be how they will further the sustainable development of Hong Kong.

Our vision for northwestern Hong Kong should be to make it our second metropolis. It should be more than a business district connected to the Pearl River Delta and providing job opportunities. It should have an adequately large and diverse population to form a well-balanced community. It should provide adequate community facilities and open spaces to nurture a strong sense of neighborhood, and it should have efficient transport to connect it to other parts of Hong Kong and across the border. People should enjoy working and living there. It must not be another Tin Shui Wai.

Sustainability must be the key consideration in the planning of this second metropolis. Economic vitality and community health aside, we must also carefully protect the environment and preserve the area’s cultural heritage.

The northwest of Hong Kong has the unique advantages of abundant land and the proximity to Shenzhen. Now with the efficient transport infrastructure on the horizon, it is destined for a metropolis, and a launch pad for Hong Kong’s sustainable growth.

Published on SCMP A13 dated 5 May 2012