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Response to the 2026 Policy Address and the Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) by Cushman Wakefield

  • Written by Media Outreach
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 September 2026 – Response by KK Chiu, International Director, Chief Executive, Greater China, Cushman & Wakefield:
Optimising the Housing Ladder and Improving Living Conditions We welcome the Government's commitment to increase housing supply, shorten the Composite Waiting Time for public rental housing and further strengthen the housing ladder. The adoption of a long-term housing supply framework comprising 40% public rental housing, 30% subsidised sale housing and 30% private housing, together with the delivery of approximately 196,000 public housing units over the next five years, will provide a clearer housing and homeownership pathway for different income groups. We believe that increasing the supply of subsidised sale housing and enhancing the housing ladder will help more public housing tenants progress towards homeownership, accelerate housing mobility and enable families with genuine housing needs to gain access to public housing more quickly. We support the Government's efforts to increase public housing supply, continue the Light Public Housing programme and implement the Basic Housing Units regime in an orderly manner to phase out substandard subdivided units. This approach is consistent with our long-held view that increasing housing supply is the fundamental solution to improving inadequate housing conditions. With the Government targeting the resolution of substandard subdivided units in domestic buildings by 2030, we expect living conditions for grassroots households to improve progressively. Urban Renewal Incentives We support the Government's more flexible approach to urban renewal, including transferable plot ratio arrangements and measures to unlock redevelopment potential. These initiatives will help enhance market participation, accelerate renewal in areas with pressing redevelopment needs and contribute to overall housing supply growth. We recommend the Government provide clearer guidance on application requirements and further streamline cross-departmental approval procedures to facilitate implementation. Advancing the Yacht Economy We welcome the Government's continued efforts to promote the yacht economy. Beyond increasing marina berth supply and enhancing supporting infrastructure, we believe it is equally important to further facilitate cross-boundary initiatives, allowing greater mobility of yachts within the Greater Bay Area and fostering regional collaboration. As more superyachts and high-net-worth visitors arrive in Hong Kong, demand is expected to rise across luxury tourism, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, marine services and waterfront commercial facilities, helping unlock the economic potential of Hong Kong's coastline and island resources. At the same time, Hong Kong has the potential to develop a more comprehensive marine industry ecosystem encompassing yacht repair and maintenance, refitting services and specialised professional services. The development of a holistic marine services value chain will further strengthen Hong Kong's competitiveness as a regional and international yachting hub.
Response by John Siu, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield:Planning Ahead for AI and Data Centre Infrastructure We welcome the Government's commitment to accelerate the development of the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, which is expected to provide computing power equivalent to 36 times Hong Kong's current capacity by 2032, alongside a HK$1 billion injection into the Artificial Intelligence Subsidy Scheme. These initiatives will provide important support for the development of Hong Kong's artificial intelligence and data centre sectors, further strengthening the city's position as a regional digital and innovation hub. However, with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, large language models and cloud computing, demand for computing power is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. We believe that, in addition to planning data centre sites, the Government should proactively review long-term requirements for power supply, electricity grid capacity and related infrastructure. As AI adoption becomes more widespread, access to reliable power and supporting infrastructure will be a key factor in maintaining Hong Kong's competitiveness as a technology and data centre hub. We support the Government's stated direction of pursuing "high-efficiency computing power, stable electricity supply and low-carbon transition". Looking ahead, we recommend that the Government regularly review future demand for land, power supply and supporting infrastructure arising from the growth of artificial intelligence and data centre activities, particularly within the Northern Metropolis and other strategic development areas. A coordinated approach to computing, energy and digital infrastructure planning will help attract more data centre operators and technology companies to Hong...

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