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Chief Executive John Lee announced more details on the Northern Metropolis project, the "new engine" for Hong Kong growth, in the 2023 Policy Address on Wednesday.  The government will release the Action Agenda for the Northern Metropolis shortly, which merges with the planning of Shenzhen and other Greater Bay Area cities, following the new establishment of a supervision body, the Northern Metropolis Coordination Office. The Northern Metropolis will include  initiatives, such as building tertiary institutions and international schools, reserving sites for government offices and building art and cultural facilities. The government also plans to expedite development through the Enhanced Conventional New Town Approach, and repurpose a previously planned public columbarium site in the North District for innovation and technology purposes. The Northern Metropolis will be divided into four major zones, including a high-end professional services and logistics hub, an innovation and technology zone, a business and industrial zone at the border control points, and a blue-green recreation and tourism eco-system. However, while the project is steered towards further socioeconomic development, conservationists are worried about the impacts it could bring to the environment. The project mainly covers the Yuen Long and the North districts, two areas known for their ecosystem and biodiversity, housing a diversity of plants and wild animals. Michael Lau Wai-neng, 60, the founder of the Hong Kong Wetlands Conservation Association, said that a large-scale project can be “detrimental to Hong Kong's ecosystem”. "Wetlands, marshes and mangroves provide natural protection against extreme weather, where they can absorb water during floods and heavy downpour," said  Lau. "Wetlands in Hong Kong not only support exceptional biodiversity, but also mitigate climate risks," he said. Lau suggested that the government should look into incorporating natural infrastructure into future drainage and water systems to help mitigate extreme weather risks as opposed to building concrete …

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a plan to pay parents a HK$20,000 newborn baby bonus among other incentives including tax-deduction, housing arrangement and child caring services in an attempt to reverse the falling birth rate. “It is imperative that the Government set a firm policy direction to encourage childbearing amid our persistently low birth rate,” Lee said. Hong Kong’s birth rate hit its record low last year, with only 701 live births per 1000 women, according to the latest statistics from Census and Statistics Department. The one-off cash bonus of $20,000 will be provided to parents who are Hong Kong Permanent Residents for each baby born from today in Hong Kong.  The government will also raise the accommodation-related tax deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents from HK$100,000 to HK$120,000, for those who live with their first child born today or after until the child is 18-year-old. To further support those families with newborns, more priority will be given for them  in subsidised sale flats purchase and public rental housing allocation.  Lee noted that from next April, the household and child allowances will increase 15% to alleviate the working family’s childbearing burden. More childcare centres are also planned to open in the coming years. Next year, the pre-primary child care assistance  Sylvia Pun, 27, who is newly married, said the new policies inspired her to consider having a child.  “This represents the government’s determination to encourage parents to give birth and raise children. I hope that there will be more comprehensive policy help in the future to dispel the worries of fertile parents,” she said. However, Lee Tsz-han, 29, felt disappointed by the incentives. “As far as I know, the cost of vaginal delivery in private hospitals generally ranges from HK$40,000 to HK$60,000,” she said, “HK$20,000 …