'Govt Determined To Push Through Land Resumption'

The Development Secretary Michael Wong said on Thursday that the government will do whatever it can to make sure it can withstand potential legal challenges when it resumes private land for public housing.

This comes after the Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Wednesday that the authorities will invoke the controversial Land Resumption Ordinance to take back more land.

Some private land owners have expressed reservation over the government's ambitious plan and warned that they might lodge judicial reviews against it, if sites they owned are forcibly resumed by authorities.

Speaking at a news conference, Wong noted that the government had won similar judicial review cases in the past. He said the most important thing for planning authorities to do is to "establish the public purposes" for the resumption of the land in accordance to the law.

Asked if the government will pay land owners any higher than usual prices they request, all Wong would say was that they’ll be adequately compensated according to an existing mechanism.

Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Frank Chan dismissed criticism that a newly announced relaxation of mortgage restrictions will push up property prices.

He said the change was aimed at helping potential buyers who didn't have the cash for a large down payment .

Carrie Lam announced in her policy address that with a deposit of just 10 percent, buyers can purchase a flat valued at up to HK$8 million, up from the previous ceiling of HK$4 million.