Hong Kong’s government has confirmed it lacks the “necessary conditions” to start the Lantau reclamation project, a multi-billion-dollar plan to build three artificial islands off Kau Yi Chau. The announcement marks a rare pause in the environmental assessment process.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said the project is currently a lower priority compared with the Northern Metropolis mega-development along the city’s northern border.
“The government has not yet formulated a timetable for the Kau Yi Chau project. We do not have the necessary conditions for the reclamation to proceed within this term of government,” Linn stated in a written reply to lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok.
The Lantau reclamation project, also known as the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, was first proposed over ten years ago. The plan envisions a new central business district covering 1,000 hectares, with up to 210,000 homes for 550,000 residents. The estimated cost is HK$580 billion (US$74.6 billion).
Last December, the Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. Environmental authorities deemed it suitable for public inspection in February. However, the report has not been uploaded online.
Linn explained that moving forward with public inspection and statutory procedures under the EIA was “inappropriate” given the lack of a clear project timetable. She warned that advancing without a target schedule could prompt public concern over the relevance of approval results.
“To avoid unnecessary public speculation, we recommend a more cautious approach. This involves waiting until the timetable is mostly determined and updating the EIA report as needed,” she said.
Despite the delay, Linn emphasized that the project remains a key source for Hong Kong’s long-term land supply. Current studies, including ground surveys, reclamation design, transport planning, and technical assessments, will continue and provide reference value when conditions allow the project to move forward.
Further engineering studies, particularly detailed designs, are required before reclamation can begin. Previous timelines have already been pushed back multiple times. After assuming office in 2022, the administration initially aimed to start work in 2025. That schedule was later delayed to 2027.
The Lantau reclamation plan became a lower priority after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po indicated a shift in focus toward the Northern Metropolis. This initiative seeks to develop 30,000 hectares near the mainland border into a new economic and residential hub.
Real estate stakeholders have responded to the government’s delay. Louis Loong Hon-biu, lawmaker and secretary general of the Real Estate Developers Association, previously urged authorities to halt the reclamation project to prevent lower land bids in the Northern Metropolis.
Loong welcomed the government’s latest statements, saying they strengthen developers’ confidence in the Northern Metropolis. “It is clear that the current administration will not proceed with the Kau Yi Chau reclamation under the current market conditions,” he said.
Loong added that authorities still need to enhance incentives for developers to encourage higher bids for Northern Metropolis land plots.
The pause in the Lantau reclamation project highlights the government’s strategic focus on the Northern Metropolis while continuing essential preparatory studies. Officials stress that the artificial islands remain a long-term solution to Hong Kong’s land supply challenges, but the timeline will depend on future conditions.
