Society

Chief Executive John Lee announced more details on the Northern Metropolis project, the "new engine" for Hong Kong growth, in the 2023 Policy Address on Wednesday.  The government will release the Action Agenda for the Northern Metropolis shortly, which merges with the planning of Shenzhen and other Greater Bay Area cities, following the new establishment of a supervision body, the Northern Metropolis Coordination Office. The Northern Metropolis will include  initiatives, such as building tertiary institutions and international schools, reserving sites for government offices and building art and cultural facilities. The government also plans to expedite development through the Enhanced Conventional New Town Approach, and repurpose a previously planned public columbarium site in the North District for innovation and technology purposes. The Northern Metropolis will be divided into four major zones, including a high-end professional services and logistics hub, an innovation and technology zone, a business and industrial zone at the border control points, and a blue-green recreation and tourism eco-system. However, while the project is steered towards further socioeconomic development, conservationists are worried about the impacts it could bring to the environment. The project mainly covers the Yuen Long and the North districts, two areas known for their ecosystem and biodiversity, housing a diversity of plants and wild animals. Michael Lau Wai-neng, 60, the founder of the Hong Kong Wetlands Conservation Association, said that a large-scale project can be “detrimental to Hong Kong's ecosystem”. "Wetlands, marshes and mangroves provide natural protection against extreme weather, where they can absorb water during floods and heavy downpour," said  Lau. "Wetlands in Hong Kong not only support exceptional biodiversity, but also mitigate climate risks," he said. Lau suggested that the government should look into incorporating natural infrastructure into future drainage and water systems to help mitigate extreme weather risks as opposed to building concrete …

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a plan to pay parents a HK$20,000 newborn baby bonus among other incentives including tax-deduction, housing arrangement and child caring services in an attempt to reverse the falling birth rate. “It is imperative that the Government set a firm policy direction to encourage childbearing amid our persistently low birth rate,” Lee said. Hong Kong’s birth rate hit its record low last year, with only 701 live births per 1000 women, according to the latest statistics from Census and Statistics Department. The one-off cash bonus of $20,000 will be provided to parents who are Hong Kong Permanent Residents for each baby born from today in Hong Kong.  The government will also raise the accommodation-related tax deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents from HK$100,000 to HK$120,000, for those who live with their first child born today or after until the child is 18-year-old. To further support those families with newborns, more priority will be given for them  in subsidised sale flats purchase and public rental housing allocation.  Lee noted that from next April, the household and child allowances will increase 15% to alleviate the working family’s childbearing burden. More childcare centres are also planned to open in the coming years. Next year, the pre-primary child care assistance  Sylvia Pun, 27, who is newly married, said the new policies inspired her to consider having a child.  “This represents the government’s determination to encourage parents to give birth and raise children. I hope that there will be more comprehensive policy help in the future to dispel the worries of fertile parents,” she said. However, Lee Tsz-han, 29, felt disappointed by the incentives. “As far as I know, the cost of vaginal delivery in private hospitals generally ranges from HK$40,000 to HK$60,000,” she said, “HK$20,000 …

Despite highlighting Hong Kong’s ageing population as a priority for his government, and calls from frontline workers for more action, John Lee's policy speech offered little in funding or resources for the aged care sector.  “The Government is committed to supporting carers of the elderly and carers of persons with disabilities,” Lee said. “In parallel, we also wish to provide the elderly and persons with disabilities with personal care to relieve the pressure on carers”. Starting next month, the government will launch an Information Gateway for Carers which encourages carers to seek timely assistance. The government will establish specialised teams to identify carers in need and support them through visits, contacts, and case referrals to relevant social welfare units.  A pilot program of the care teams will operate in Tsuen Wan and the Southern Districts. Carer respite services will be enhanced with the addition of 160 Residential Care Homes for the Elderly and 190 service units under the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly. These facilities will offer respite services for carers who require temporary relief from their work. The Hong Kong Government also plans to launch a three-year publicity campaign “Care the Carers Campaign” to stimulate empathy for carers. However, no policies regarded financial stability for frontline workers. Li Hang, 30, is a frontline worker for The Neighborhood Advice-Action Council, an NGO dedicated to serving disadvantaged communities. Li emphasised the inadequacy of support for caregivers. Li said that the current level of support is insufficient to attract new frontline workers to the field. “The shortage of frontline workers exists,” Li said. “There are a lot of old people, but not enough resources to get people to work here.” During his 2022 Policy address, John Lee Ka-Chiu announced three methods of care for frontline carers: a hotline for …

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee’s policy speech included a cash bonus for newborn babies and measures to put families with newborn children at the front of the queue for public housing as part of his campaign to reverse Hong Kong’s falling birth rate.  Lee announced the Hong Kong government will launch the new Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme and Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme, giving parents of newborn children a one-year reduction in public housing waiting time and reservation of priority flats for families with children under three. The Flat Selection Priority Scheme will reserve 10% of flats for newborn families while at the same time, the Allocation Priority Scheme will reduce the public rental housing waiting time by one year from next April. The scheme does not cover single elderly individuals, non-permanent residents, and families already with children, Sze Lai Shan, Deputy director for the Society for Community Organization said.  "We have consistently communicated to the housing department that families with young children should be given priority due to their children's physical needs. They require adequate space, a regular table, and other essentials that their current homes cannot provide," Sze added.  Despite these appeals, the government has not implemented these changes. "I have been living in a subdivided flat with less than 200 square feet, along with my four family members, and waiting for public housing for 11 years," Lau said. She said the government should support families like hers who already have children. Besides the housing measures, Lee also offered a one-time cash bonus of $20,000 for babies born today or after in Hong Kong to HKPR parents. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Hong Kong has the lowest fertility rate in the world, with a fertility rate of 0.8, lower than South Korea's 0.9 …