Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn on Wednesday said the government does not have a timetable for the Kau Yi Chau project, and that the reclamation works off Lantau would not be carried out within this current term of government.

In a written reply to lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, Linn said her bureau also thinks it is inappropriate to continue environmental impact assessment procedures without a timetable for the reclamation work.

She said authorities prefer a more prudent arrangement to avoid unnecessary public speculation and debate over the Kau Yi Chau project.

This involves waiting for a suitable timetable for reclamation and updating the environmental impact assessment by then.

However, she said authorities would continue ongoing studies on the preliminary design of reclamation, and major transportation infrastructure, as well as the ground investigation.

“The Kau Yi Chau project is a source of long-term land supply. Therefore, although there is no concrete timetable for its implementation, the analysis and information obtained from the ongoing studies are particularly crucial for the future implementation of the project,” Linn said.