While promoting the construction of quality buildings, it was even more important to ensure that buildings could be continuously maintained in a safe and sound condition and proper building maintenance was the way to achieve such a goal, Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, said today (March 18).
Mr Suen was addressing an annual seminar entitled "Quality Building - a Culture or a Myth?" organised by the Building Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He said that through various measures including the exemption of certain green design from inclusion into the calculation of total floor area and coverage area, the Government encouraged developers to integrate green concepts into building designs to promote quality and environmentally-friendly buildings.
"At the same time, the Government has adopted a three-pronged approach to tackle the building neglect problem to ensure sustainable development of quality buildings," Mr Suen said.
Firstly, the Government undertakes urban renewal through the work of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). The URA had adopted a holistic approach to urban renewal comprising redeveloping dilapidated buildings, rehabilitating poorly maintained buildings, revitalising older districts and preserving buildings with architectural or historical significance within its project areas.
Secondly, to further facilitate the private sector's involvement in redevelopment, the Government, in the light of experience gained in the operation of the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance, planned to consult the industry within this year on the proposal to lower the compulsory sale threshold for certain classes of lots to 80%.
Thirdly, the Government assists owners to discharge their responsibility to properly upkeep their buildings through legislation, enforcement, facilitation, publicity and education.
In order to formulate a long-term solution to the building neglect problem that was practicable and acceptable to the public, the Government released the consultation report of the first stage "Public Consultation on Building Management and Maintenance" early this year. The result of the public consultation clearly indicated community acceptance that it was the owners' ultimate responsibility to properly upkeep their buildings.
The majority of the public views also supported mandatory building inspection as a long-term measure to ensure owners would discharge their responsibility. The community also agreed that assistance should be provided to owners in genuine need, such as elderly owners of old buildings.
"In response to public views received, we have devised a comprehensive and systematic strategy, comprising short and medium to long-term measures, to tackle the long-standing and complex building management and maintenance problem," Mr Suen said.
As an immediate measure, the Government was pleased to have gained the support of the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) to provide building owners with "one-stop" assistance on building management and maintenance. In February this year the HKHS launched a $3 billion "Building Management and Maintenance Scheme" for 10 years to provide technical and financial assistance to owners of older buildings to improve their overall living environment. The HKHS' scheme, together with the existing building maintenance assistance schemes administered by the Buildings Department (BD) and the URA, would provide owners in need with comprehensive financial and technical support to discharge their responsibility.
At the same time, the BD would continue to step up its action against unauthorised building works and to ensure building safety. The Home Affairs Department will continue its work at the district level to assist owners in managing their buildings.
"As regards medium to long-term measures, guided by public preference on the future policy direction, we are working towards the introduction of mandatory building inspection as a practicable and effective long-term measure to address the building neglect problem," Mr Suen added.
He said that in devising the mandatory building inspection scheme, the Government would at the same time explore the relevant support measures to complement the mandatory scheme, including the provision of appropriate assistance to owners in genuine need; whether there should be regulation of providers of building maintenance and inspection services; the establishment of an independent arbitration / mediation mechanism; and the setting up of a voluntary building classification scheme to give positive recognition to quality buildings.
"We will launch the second stage public consultation on the implementation details of mandatory building inspection and the support measures within this year in order to fully gauge the public views," he said.
Mr Suen that owing to the prevalence and complexity of the building neglect problem, it was important for the Government to pull together various resources and to work in partnership with the professional groups and the industry to resolve the problem and to create a better Hong Kong.
Ends/Friday, March 18, 2005
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