The final piece of a puzzle that will complete two mega-railway corridors finally fell into place when the Executive Council gave the green light for the long-stalled Sha Tin to Central rail line yesterday.

The Urban Renewal Authority is to acquire properties that fall within the redevelopment boundaries of Kwun Tong town centre by the end of this year.

Eighty-six percent out of 442 submissions support the Urban Renewal Authority's plan to redevelop a five-hectare site at Kwun Tong town center and Yuet Wah Street into residential and commercial complexes.

The government will fund the HK$37.4 billion construction of a new rail link between Sha Tin and Central that will carry one million passengers per day, it was announced yesterday.

The Executive Council has approved the further planning of the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) and the Kwun Tong Line Extension by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL).

The mayor of Shenzhen has made a push for Hong Kong and Shenzhen to come to a consensus over the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, a site in the restricted border zone straddling the two cities.

The Urban Renewal Authority's projects, from the demolished Wedding Card Street in Wan Chai to Sneakers Street in Mong Kok, have in recent years drawn strong opposition from local communities.

A new department should be set up under the Environment Bureau to oversee recycling issues, and Hong Kong should catch up on recycling domestic waste before contemplating building an incinerator.

Hong Kong's two biggest developers - Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) - are behind the two high-profile consortiums vying for a deal to build and operate the city's new cruise terminal, set to open in 2012.

The Highways Department today (March 7) invited tenders for retrofitting of noise barriers at Kwun Tong Bypass (Contract no HY/2008/01).

Lawmaker (from left) Alber Chan, Lau Wong-fat and Cheung Hok-ming study the site of a proposed fung shui tower. Photo: David Wong. Source: SCMP

A subsidiary of property giant Cheung Kong says its plans for a huge waste incinerator are in near-tatters after the government excluded its favoured site from the list of options.

Developers have promised a clear, standard formula to help property buyers know exactly what they are getting, as pressure mounts for a law to define the saleable area of a flat.

The Urban Renewal Authority is considering a change in strategy - widening its focus from individual redevelopment projects to the surrounding district and community.

A bio-diesel plant that will recycle waste cooking oil from restaurants is to be built in Hong Kong by a Bahrain-based bank.

Some Town Planning Board members fear more illegal storage yards will spring up on Lantau Island after the Hong Kong - Macau - Zhuhai bridge is built.

Land auctions will no longer be threatened by judicial reviews because detailed planning parameters will be set out for every site, the development chief said yesterday.

A mainland expert yesterday raised doubts over the economic benefits of the planned Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau bridge, a day after the three sides struck a deal over the financing.

Talks between the Jockey Club and the MTR Corporation (SEHK: 0066) about a railway station at Happy Valley are still alive, although the club says it will not fund 100 per cent of the project.

The Urban Renewal Authority has started two redevelopment projects in Ma Tau Kok, Kowloon, which will cost HK$860 million.

Hotel sites will be offered at lower trigger prices than commercial sites in the government's new land application list as a means of encouraging hotel development, the government said yesterday.

The governments of Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Macau yesterday endorsed the financing scheme for bridges linking the three places and the massive project will soon proceed to public tenders.

Cross-border authorities have been urged to disclose more information on the estimated economic benefits of the bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau to show why the city should bear half of the cash subsidy to build it.

The green light has finally been given to a bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai, 25 years after the idea was first proposed.

The MTR Corporation (SEHK: 0066) has proposed building a viaduct for part of the South Island Line (East) to allow tourists to enjoy scenic views of the Southern District.

Hopewell Holdings (SEHK: 0054) expressed a resolution in bidding for development rights for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge through its subsidiary Hopewell Highway Infrastructure.

Ocean Park, which is undergoing its HK$5.5 billion renovation and expansion, has decided to build three hotels in the park area.

The Urban Renewal Authority on Friday said it planned to implement two re-development projects a the cost of about HK$860 million at Ma Tau Kok to regenerate the district.

The Shenzhen section of a rail link connecting the mainland city's airport with Chek Lap Kok will not start until 2011, Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng said yesterday.