Concern Groups Claim Land Survey A Waste Of Time

Critics are complaining that the government's online survey on land supply is misleading and biased.

The Land Supply Task Force has laid out 18 options in the survey as part of its ongoing five-month public consultation.

However, the environmental group Green Sense pointed out that of the 450 hectares of land the government says could be generated through reclamation, 90 percent isn't actually planned for housing.

The group said the misleading nature of the poll has made the whole consultation meaningless.

Tom Yam, a member of the Citizens Task Force on Land Resources, said the very make up of the government task force makes it biased .

"There are members of the task force with strong opinions on which way to go. And they're in a position to influence the task force.

"Let me give you an example: Mr Stephen Wong is a vice-chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation, and he vehemently advertises the need for more land - 9,000 hectares - [and] more reclamation. And the task force includes those opinions.

"Within the task force, there are vested interests who strongly influence the selection of the recommendations when the citizens have no input."

Yam also likened the consultation to the chief executive election, in which people can choose but only from a small group of pre-selected candidates.