'Relocating tenants no problem as marina plan unfolds'

The government on Thursday said a land parcel earmarked for tenants who have to relocate due to its plan to promote yacht tourism in southern Hong Kong Island has sufficient space to house them. The Development Bureau is looking to turn a Po Chong Wan site into a place for residential homes and yacht maintenance facilities to support its plans to build a marina in the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter expansion area. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) Doris Ho said up to 30 percent of the around 90 tenants at the Po Chong Wan Temporary Industrial Area want to be relocated. She said a majority of them want to relocate to a site that the government has set aside in nearby Tin Wan, while some of them want to continue their business in industrial buildings instead. “The whole plot is 3,500 hectares. Given that 20 to 30 percent of tenants need 1,100 hectares, even if more tenants want to relocate at the time, I believe there is still space to deal with this,” she said. Ho also said that eight firms have expressed their interest in the marina project, and some of them have experience in managing berth facilities. She highlighted the need for the city to set up more berthing spaces. “Hong Kong quite lacks berthing spaces. Based on records of the Marine Department, there are 12,000 registered pleasure vessels,” she said. “But our yacht facilities can only provide 3,000 berths [now]. So the demand is far from being satisfied.” Edited by Tony Sabine