Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also dismissed earlier claims that HK$3.75 million (US$478,830) a month was being wasted on the upkeep of six isolation centres as she told lawmakers about the government’s plans for the facilities.
She said the Kai Tak site, near the city’s former airport, had better facilities, such as separate toilets, and the government could also use it for short-term projects.
“We are considering turning the Kai Tak facility into, for example, a cultural and creative industry base, and short-term uses that can go with the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal nearby – we are actively discussing this with the relevant bureau,” Linn said.
“We are not wasting public money. We are handling the facilities in a cautious way.”
Lawmakers earlier accused the government of wasting public money to maintain the unused centres and said better use should be made of them.
The Kai Tak complex, which occupies 11.5 hectares (28.4 acres) of the old airport runway, part of an area earmarked to be the city’s second major business district after Central, costs about HK$400,000 a month to maintain.
She added that the 65-hectare site had development restrictions under the government’s agreement with the nearby Hong Kong Disneyland theme park.
Hong Kong lawmakers slam HK$3.75 million monthly bill for Covid isolation sites
Hong Kong lawmakers slam HK$3.75 million monthly bill for Covid isolation sites
“The site’s long-term or temporary uses cannot affect the atmosphere of the theme park,” Linn said.
“Short-term housing and residential uses must contravene the agreement, but we will have higher chances if we are using it for recreation.”
The government is at present forking out HK$1.7 million a month on the centre at Penny’s Bay, the most expensive of the six to maintain.
Linn said some structures at the Lok Ma Chau Loop centre, which costs HK$1.4 million a month to keep in good condition, were earlier moved to construction sites and repurposed as offices.
Makeshift Hong Kong Covid hospital expanding services to ease ‘pressure points’
Makeshift Hong Kong Covid hospital expanding services to ease ‘pressure points’
She said the relocation process was smooth and the government planned to move structures on the three remaining sites soon so they could be freed for development.
The three other sites are in Fanling, Hung Shui Kiu and near the Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities island for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
The Security Bureau said it was not appropriate to accommodate asylum seekers in the empty centres after legal, security and financial factors were taken into consideration.
The bureau spoke out after a question from lawmaker Simon Lee Hoey on whether the centres could be turned into reception centres or semi-open camps to house people claiming non-refoulement status.
