Hong Kong’s first dedicated regional law for Northern Territory heads to second reading
The Northern Territory Development Bill is set for its second-reading debate on Wednesday. Committee chair Lo Man-fan called it a historic first for Hong Kong, aiming to streamline land planning procedures and accelerate development.
The Northern Territory Development Bill will resume its second-reading debate in Hong Kong’s legislature on Wednesday. Lawmaker Lo Man-fan, chair of the bill committee, described the legislation as a historic first for the city, marking the first time Hong Kong has enacted a law dedicated to a single region.
According to Lo, the bill aims to define the boundaries of the Northern Territory, introduce facilitative measures, and empower the Chief Executive in Council to make subsidiary legislation. The overarching goal, she said, is to “remove barriers and streamline” land planning and land administration procedures, allowing the Northern Territory’s development to proceed at full speed.
Speaking at a press conference, Lo stressed that the bill is fully compatible with the Basic Law. She clarified that the legislation focuses exclusively on land planning and land administration processes, and does not cover areas such as tax incentives, low-altitude economy, or water-related matters.
Lo noted that the committee has asked the government to produce a comprehensive explanatory document to provide an overall explanation of this dedicated law to the public, overseas investors, and those moving into the Northern Territory.
Describing the scrutiny process as “quite complex,” Lo said the bill committee held 12 meetings over about 30 hours to ensure rigorous oversight. During these sessions, members reviewed not only the main ordinance but also all five sets of related subsidiary legislation prepared by the government, in both Chinese and English versions.
