Macau’s massive planned land reclamation projects will be completed within the next five years, the government said at the weekend, according to a report in Macau Daily Times. There will be no casinos on these pieces of reclaimed land, which will expand the city’s area by 12.3%. They will be mostly for improving quality of life: at least 50% will be for green spaces, public buildings and community facilities. Social housing will also be an important component.

Analysis: We will believe this when we see it happen. Nothing in Macau has ever been built remotely close to schedule: just consider the Pac On ferry terminal and the light rail. But it will be interesting to see what the detailed plans are for “Zone A”, the biggest piece of reclaimed land off the east of the old ferry terminal. This will be the landing point for the cross-delta bridge, which will apparently be built by 2016. That is also the date by which the Maritime Ferry Terminal in the outer harbor will have passed its use-by date, as Pac On should be ready to accommodate all ferry traffic. So although it could be assumed that more vehicular traffic will be concentrated on the peninsula, ferry traffic will be coming exclusively to all the new resorts opened on Cotai. And Turbojet will just be one of five ferry operators going in there.

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