Lawmakers have raised concerns over possible cost overruns in the government’s HK$9.96 billion plan to build a joint-user complex and a joint-user general office building in Kwu Tung North under the Northern Metropolis development.
At a Legislative Council Public Works Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, New Territories North lawmaker Kazaf Tam Chun-kwok said relocating government departments to the Northern Metropolis would help drive regional economic growth and ease the long-standing shortage of public facilities in North District.
He said the integrated development, which will include healthcare, sports, education and welfare facilities alongside government offices, could respond to community needs.
However, Tam questioned the project’s cost-effectiveness, saying the information released so far was insufficient and the proposed budget appeared relatively high despite the use of Modular Integrated Construction technology to improve efficiency.
He urged authorities to explore further room for cost reduction and explain how they would manage costs and construction progress during the estimated 4.5-year building period.
Athena Fung Chi-shan, project director of the Architectural Services Department, said the cost estimate was based on the latest market conditions, including current labor wages and material prices, and was in line with benchmarks from similar previous projects.
She said the government would uphold the principle of “fitness-for-purpose and no frills” by adopting standardized and streamlined designs, as well as optimized contract terms, to avoid unnecessary spending and prevent overruns.
More detailed project information will be provided in upcoming documents to the subcommittee, she added.
Meanwhile, Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong said the proposed 1,000-seat fencing hall in the development would only be sufficient for local inter-school competitions and might not meet the requirements for international tournaments.
In response, Permanent Secretary for Development Doris Ho Pui-ling said the project was still at the tender evaluation stage, so full architectural designs and layout details were not yet available.
She said comprehensive design information would be submitted to the subcommittee later, and the government would further consult the Fencing Association of Hong Kong, China, during the detailed design stage.
Ricky Wong Man-wong, assistant director for leisure services at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, said the department had already consulted the association. He said the combination of the main hall and two secondary halls would be sufficient to host major international events and meet local needs.
Separately, Heung Yee Kuk chairman Kenneth Lau Ip-keung urged the government to assess the impact of the development on nearby village roads.
Ho said a new road would be built to the east of the development area, while existing roads within the zone would be widened to benefit local villagers.
She added that traffic impact assessments showed surrounding infrastructure would be able to cope with about 4,000 daily commuters expected to use the development, most of whom are likely to rely on public transport such as the MTR and buses.
