Secretary for Development visits Wellington (with photos)
The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, had a packed programme in Wellington today (May 5) to learn about the city's experiences and initiatives on heritage conservation and waterfront planning.
At a meeting with senior officials of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Mrs Lam was briefed on the institution's efforts and initiatives in the conservation of historic buildings, including working with owners to adapt heritage buildings for reuse, and its work in managing the National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund, which serves to encourage conservation of nationally significant heritage places in private ownership.
Earlier in the morning, she visited the Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand), and toured the new complex of the New Zealand Supreme Court. The complex, opened in January this year, features many sustainable elements including displacement ventilation, solar panels, and the use of recycled materials. A large proportion of the development is a restoration and enhancement of the old High Court Building, which had not been used since 1993.
Mrs Lam also met the official of Wellington Waterfront Limited and had a guided tour of the waterfront area to get a better understanding of the city's waterfront planning and day-to-day management.
Wellington's waterfront areas, covering about 20 hectares, contain a mix of public parks and open spaces for passive and active recreational uses, cultural and heritage facilities, and commercial and residential facilities.
Mrs Lam arrived in Wellington yesterday (May 4) on a four-day official visit to New Zealand at the invitation of the New Zealand Government.
She toured the Old Government Building yesterday to learn about the preservation and restoration works for this important historic building. Completed in 1876, the building was built entirely of timber and is probably the world's largest timber office building. It is now the campus of the law faculty of Victoria University in Wellington.
During her stay in Wellington, Mrs Lam met respectively with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Bill English; the Minister for the Environment, Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues and Minister for Accident Compensation Corporation, Dr Nick Smith, and the Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Minister for Women's Affairs, Associate Minister for the Accident Compensation Corporation, Disability Issues and Energy and Resources, Mrs Pansy Wong.
During the meetings, views were exchanged on a wide variety of subjects with some special references made to the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement recently signed between Hong Kong and New Zealand.
She also called on the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Zhang Limin.
Mrs Lam will go to Auckland to continue her visit tomorrow (May 6).
Ends/Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:20
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