Politics
Legislative Council District Resource Allocation Bill 2026 and Sha Tin Community Centre Funding Comparisons
Sha Tin residents will see community centre operating hours and staffing levels adjusted from September under the new district allocation formula approved by the Legislative Council in June.
How we reported this
The Legislative Council passed the District Resource Allocation Bill 2026 on 25 June, establishing a revised formula that ties annual grants for district facilities to population density and existing infrastructure counts. Sha Tin District, home to 659,000 residents according to the 2021 census update, falls under the new calculation alongside 17 other districts.
Why the change takes effect now
The bill responds to the 2025-26 Budget Paper’s directive for the Home Affairs Bureau to standardise facility funding after the previous discretionary model produced uneven outcomes across the New Territories. The legislation states that grants will be recalculated each April using data from the Census and Statistics Department, with the first payments scheduled for the 2026-27 financial year beginning 1 April 2027.
Sha Tin currently operates 12 community centres and 28 study rooms. Under the bill’s formula, the district’s allocation rises by HK$14.2 million compared with the 2025 figure, while districts such as Tai Po and North receive smaller increases because they have fewer public housing estates per capita. Local advocates note the extra funds are expected to cover extended evening hours at the Sha Tin Wai and Wo Che centres.
Daily effects for households
Residents who use the centres for after-school programmes or elderly day-care will see the largest immediate change. The government says the policy will add 180 staffed hours per week across Sha Tin facilities, an increase of 12 percent from current levels. Job seekers registered with the Labour Department’s Sha Tin office may also notice expanded computer lab access, as the bill directs 8 percent of each district grant toward digital inclusion equipment.
Policy analysts say the comparison with Kowloon districts shows Sha Tin receiving HK$21 per resident in new funding, versus HK$18 in Kwun Tong and HK$24 in Wong Tai Sin. The Productivity Commission has found that districts with higher public housing ratios, such as Sha Tin, previously received 7 percent less per capita than the territory-wide average under the old system.
The Home Affairs Bureau will publish the first quarterly implementation report on 15 October 2026. District councils are required to submit usage statistics by 31 December so the formula can be refined before the next budget cycle.