Rural leaders at the Heung Yee Kuk on Tuesday proposed that the government build over 12,000 flats on abandoned farmland in Sheung Shui, to help solve the SAR's housing woes.

The Kuk's chairman, Kenneth Lau, said authorities could take back land in Ping Kong Tsuen and build nine high-rises there.

The buildings could be up to 46-storeys tall with 12,188 flats with an average size of 457 square feet, the Kuk said.

It added that the flat terrain in Ping Kong Tsuen would be easy to build homes on, and villagers welcome the idea.

"The representative of Ping Kong Tsuen communicated with the villagers, and they were willing to... they actually proposed to build homes on the abandoned land. I believe community facilities will come with the flats, and residents in the neighbourhood should benefit," Lau said.

The Kuk said the project could be completed more quickly than building public flats at the Fanling golf course, but it denied that its proposal is meant as a replacement for a development there.