Studies due to start on 37ha logistics hub

Stacy Shi

A study is under way to decide how best to utilise 37 hectares of land earmarked for logistics purposes.

The aim is to turn Hung Shui Kiu in the northern metropolis into a logistics hub, according to Secretary for Transport Lam Sai-hung.

Findings of the study will be released in 2025 in the hope the land can be put on the market as soon as possible.

In reviewing the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development, Lam said authorities plan to set aside four sites near the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals to develop multi-storey logistics facilities.

The administration will also dispose of four parcels of logistics land covering about 19 hectares from 2024 to 2027 around the Kwai Tsing terminals, providing a stable supply of affordable logistics land to meet short and medium-term demand.

The plan comprises eight strategies and 24 recommended actions to promote digitalization of the industry, develop interconnection of logistics data and explore new business opportunities with a view to enhancing Hong Kong's advantages as an international hub.

Infrastructure such as transport, distribution, warehousing, loading and unloading, packaging and mobile processing equipment will be built, and Lam also hopes to introduce financial services there.

Starting next year, the Transport Bureau will also step up publicity and promotion to attract young people into the sector.

With that in mind, bureau permanent secretary Mable Chan Mei-po said service providers will be invited next month to organize training programs.

"We have started discussion with a number of institutions, including the Vocational Training Council, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Cyberport," Chan said.

Chan added that the demand for manpower will increase between this year and 2026, with an additional 6,500 employees required annually.

But she hopes to promote the digitalization and smart development of the industry and reduce the number of clerks needed by adopting some smart systems, which means a need for people tuned to IT or computer science.

Lam also said a pilot subsidy scheme for third-party logistics service providers, which was launched in 2020, will be enhanced next year with backing from the SAR administration.

The administration will also make good use of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to further explore logistics development opportunities between Hong Kong and Zhuhai and other places in western Guangdong.

Commenting on the North Metropolis action plan announced on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hopes the metropolis will become a livable area with various industries.