Estate Upgrading Programme for Private Estates

63 Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current status of the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) for private estates; (b) what are the considerations taken into account in deciding on EUP projects; and (c) how does the Government allocate resources between public and private estate upgrading and maintenance.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Since the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) was launched in 2000, the Ministry of National Development (MND) has selected 63 private estates through nine batches of EUP, benefiting more than 46,000 households. We are currently working out the implementation plan for Batch 9 of EUP. For Batch 10, MND will invite nominations from the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) when we have a firm timeline to implement this.

In selecting estates for EUP, we consider the age and physical conditions of the estate. We prioritise the older estates, which have greater need and more opportunities for significant improvements through the upgrading works. On average, around seven estates are selected in each EUP batch.

The Government is committed to improving the infrastructure in both public and private estates. The pace of upgrading would depend on the resources and industry capacity available. MND also has to coordinate with other Government agencies planning upgrading works to minimise inconvenience to the residents.