For discussion on Task Force on Land Supply

13 February 2018 Paper No. 03/2018

TASK FORCE ON LAND SUPPLY

Sites for Telephone Exchange and Related Use

PURPOSE

This paper provides members with relevant background

information on a total of 81 sites which were granted by the Government
for the purpose of establishing telephone exchange and related
telecommunications facilities (“sites for telephone exchange and related
use”).

SITES FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE AND RELATED USE

Background

2. The 81 sites for telephone exchange and related use were

granted between the 1950s and the 1990s. Typically, the relevant land
grant was executed through the Conditions of Grant by Private Treaty
(“PTG”) with the public utilities companies concerned paying full market
value premium. In most of the leases, the user clause generally restricts
the use of the sites to “telephone exchange” or “telecommunication[s]
related use”. In some cases, other uses are also allowed, such as
ancillary office and quarters.

3. Since the full liberalisation of the telecommunications market

in 2003, the Government has not granted any new site by way of PTG to
licensees for telecommunications-related purposes.
Site Features

4. The 81 sites are located in different parts of Hong Kong: 21 on

Hong Kong Island, 18 in Kowloon and 42 in the New Territories. A
location map is at Annex. Summary breakdown by districts is as
follows –

District No. of Sites

Hong Kong Island Central & Western 2
Eastern 4
Southern 10
Wan Chai 5
Sub-total 21
Kowloon Kowloon City 4
Kwun Tong 5
Sham Shui Po 4
Wong Tai Sin 1
Yau Tsim Mong 4
Sub-total 18
The New Territories Islands 13
Kwai Tsing 3
North 4
Sai Kung 4
Sha Tin 4
Tai Po 4
Tsuen Wan 2
Tuen Mun 3
Yuen Long 5
Sub-total 42
Total: 81

5. The 81 sites also vary from one another in terms of size, with a
total area of about 17.4 hectares. Summary breakdown by site area is as
follows –

-2-
 Area (m2) No. of Sites
1-1,000 38
1,001-2,000 22
2,001-3,000 14
3,001-4,000 2
4,001-5,000 1
>5,000 4
Total: 81

6. Among the five relatively larger sites, three are in Southern

District (all being submarine cable landing stations/satellite earth stations),
one is in Kowloon Bay (for telephone cable storage yard) and one is in
Kwai Chung (for telephone exchange).

Potential for Maximising Utilisation

7. As the lease term of 49 among the 81 sites will expire in 2025

or before, the Government is reviewing and considering the way forward
taking into account inter alia relevant policy objectives and individual site
circumstances. To this end, the Government is committed to pursuing
all viable options of land supply, but whether any of these sites may serve
as an additional source of future land supply would be subject to
determination, taking into account all relevant considerations.

Development Bureau
9 February 2018

-3-
 Annex

Location Map of Telephone Exchange / Telecommunications Sites

³ !
(
!
(
!
(
!
(
North District
!
(

!
(
!
(

!
( !
(
!
(
Yuen Long District !
( Tai Po District
!
(
!
(
!
(
Sha Tin District

!
( !
(
! Tsuen Wan District
(
!
( !
(
!
(
!
(
Tuen Mun District !
(
!
( !
(
!
(
!
(
Wong Tai Sin District
!
( !
( !
(
!
(
!
!
(
( ( !
(
Kwai Tsing District !
Sham Shui Po\ !
(
District
!
(
!
( !
( !
( !
( !
(
!
( !
( !
( ! !
(
Kowloon City
(
Yau Tsim Mong
District District Kwun Tong
Sai Kung District
District
!
(
!
(
!
( !
( !
(
!
(
!
( (Central & Western (
!
!
( District
!!
( !
( (
!
!
(
!
( Eastern District
Wan Chai District !
(
!
(
!
(
!
( !
( !
(
!
(
!
( !
( Southern District
!
(
!
( !
(
!
(
!
( !
(
!
(
Legend !
(
!
(
Sites Area (sq. m) (no. of sites)
!
(
!
(
!
( > 4000 (5)
Islands District
!
( > 2000 - 4000 (16)

!
( > 1000 - 2000 (22)

!
( < or = 1000 (38)

District Boundary

FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSE ONLY

Plan Ref.: LSIS_201808001h2_en SCALE Date: 7 Feb., 2018

Kilometers 0 1 2 4 6 8 10 Kilometers