The following is issued on behalf of the Commission on Youth:
The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, exchanged views on heritage conservation with young people at the Youth Exchange Session organised by the Commission on Youth (COY) at Youth Square today (April 27).
Mrs Lam spoke about various heritage conservation and revitalisation of historic building initiatives in Hong Kong during the exchange session, which was attended by more than a hundred participants.
The Chief Executive announced in the 2007-08 Policy Address that as part of its plans to address public aspirations for a quality living environment, the Government would press ahead with a number of heritage conservation initiatives in the next five years, Mrs Lam said.
The Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme was launched in 2008. The Scheme, which invites non-profit-making organisations to submit proposals to revitalise historic government buildings, has already helped formulate and conduct revitalisation plans for nine historic buildings. Through economic incentives such as land exchange and the transfer of development rights, the Government has also encouraged private owners to preserve historic buildings. The best example of such incentives is King Yin Lei mansion, which is now holding open days for the public.
Other initiatives include conducting Heritage Impact Assessments for government capital works projects, the Financial Assistance for Maintenance Scheme for privately owned and graded historic buildings, and various education and promotion activities to raise public awareness of heritage conservation.
Mrs Lam said, "Last year, we produced a set of teaching kits to introduce Hong Kong's heritage conservation policies and practices to secondary school students. We wish to encourage young people to think about the significance of heritage conservation from various perspectives, to be aware of and to get in touch with historic buildings, and participate in our heritage conservation works in the future."
The COY's Convenor of the Working Group on International Exchanges and Conferences, Mr Lai Pui-wing, said that the COY would continue to organise exchange sessions and invite government representatives to attend so that young people would have more opportunities to exchange views with them on topics of concern.
Information about heritage conservation in Hong Kong is available at the following website: http://www.heritage.gov.hk/.
Ends/Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:47
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