Key facts
- Hong Kong's Legislative Council passed a bill dedicated to accelerating Northern Metropolis development, RTHK reported.
- Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said passage came one and a half months ahead of the government's initial schedule.
- Linn said authorities would strive to submit subsidiary legislation in January to implement facilitation measures in the first quarter of next year.
- RTHK reported the legislation is the city's first dedicated to a single area.
Hong Kong's Legislative Council passed a bill on Thursday dedicated to accelerating development of the Northern Metropolis, easing barriers on planning and land procedures, RTHK reported on November 12, 2026. The bill was introduced to lawmakers for its first reading in July.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said the passage came one and a half months ahead of the government's initial schedule. "The Northern Metropolis brings unlimited opportunities for Hong Kong, as well as many challenges," she said.
Linn said the government would introduce new legislation when necessary as the project's construction enters different phases, and would amend the newly passed bill to meet future needs. Authorities would strive to submit subsidiary legislation in January so as to implement facilitation measures for the project in the first quarter of next year, she added.
The legislation marks the city's first dedicated to a single area, according to RTHK. The primary report describes the Northern Metropolis as Hong Kong's most ambitious development project for the next two decades, spanning Yuen Long and North district areas and including the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the San Tin Technopole and the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen new development area.