The Development Bureau today (June 12) announced the establishment of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office (NMCO) to co-ordinate, champion and drive the development of the Northern Metropolis.

In the 2022 Policy Address, the Chief Executive stated that the current-term Government would take forward the development of the Northern Metropolis in full steam and set up a department dedicated to the development of the Northern Metropolis in 2023.

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said, "With the theme of 'International Innovation and Technology New City', the Northern Metropolis integrates quality living, industries, and culture and leisure. It is a new engine for Hong Kong to scale new heights, and an important platform to promote high-quality economic co-operation between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and for Hong Kong to integrate into the overall national development."

"The Northern Metropolis project covers aspects such as land development, housing supply, transport infrastructure, ecological conservation, development of industries, and government and community facilities. It is a mammoth undertaking involving a number of government bureaux and departments (B/Ds). The NMCO will assume the overall co-ordination role in taking forward the initiative."

The NMCO will formulate and promulgate an action agenda and an implementation plan for the Northern Metropolis within this year. The major daily duties of the NMCO include:
 

♦assuming an overall championing and co-ordinating role in taking forward the Northern Metropolis initiative;

♦formulating innovative planning and lands policies as well as implementation arrangements to drive and support new industrial strategies;

♦strengthening the co-ordination of the relevant B/Ds for timely implementation of provision of housing, transport and other infrastructure, ecological conservation, development of industries in different sectors, and provision of government/public facilities, etc in the Northern Metropolis for a comprehensive and coherent development;

♦providing strategic advice to senior echelons on development strategies and priorities for the Northern Metropolis, as well as providing secretariat support to the Steering Committee on the Northern Metropolis chaired by the Chief Executive and the Advisory Committee on the Northern Metropolis chaired by the Financial Secretary;

♦establishing close and regular contact and strengthening collaboration with the Mainland authorities to make full use of the synergy between the Northern Metropolis and GBA as well as the opportunities arising therefrom, and for better integration into the overall national development; and

♦promoting public engagement and strengthening communication with stakeholders on the development of the Northern Metropolis.

For enquiries about the Northern Metropolis, please email nmcoenq@devb.gov.hk.