234 Land, Public Works and Utilities
The Public Sector
The Architectural Services Department acts as the building authority for and steward of government buildings. It is also the Government's corporate professional adviser on architectural policies, building planning and maintenance matters and its architect, providing full professional, technical and financial management services for the development and maintenance of public buildings (other than public housing) in three main areas:
(i) projects subject to government subvention, entrustment or joint ventures: about 1 090 projects, valued at $42.2 billion, were monitored during the year;
(ii) Public Works Programme and Hospital Authority projects: 338 projects at a
total value of $55.2 billion; and
(iii) maintenance of public buildings and facilities: covering a floor area of 27.5 million square metres, undertaking conservation and restoration of listed buildings and gazetted monuments, and conducting emergency and major repairs in all subvented schools outside public housing estates.
In 2005, $11.1 billion was spent on building projects undertaken or monitored by the department and $1.8 billion on routine maintenance and minor alteration works. The projects were in the following categories:
Education
The construction of 14 schools was completed in 2005 and work continued on 11 others which are due for completion in 2006 and 2007. The design of new schools is site and user-specific and individual school operators are consulted early in the project development. Two schools completed in 2005 operate successfully as 'primary-cum-secondary' through-train schools and a similar school is to be completed in 2006. This concept enables the sharing of teaching and sports facilities in a campus under the management of a single school sponsor.
In addition, the Education and Manpower Bureau's Kowloon Tong Education Service Centre was completed during the year. The department has also carried out improvements to 660 schools in recent years under the School Improvement Programme, including 107 schools in 2005. Improvements to 32 schools are in progress.
Disciplined Services
Mong Kok and Kwai Chung Ambulance Depots and Fire Services Department Regional Command Headquarters, New Territories South Regional Police Headquarters and Operational Base in Tsuen Wan and Immigration Services Training School and Perowne Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun were completed during the year.
Construction works in progress include Kowloon Tong Fire Station-cum- Ambulance Depot and Kowloon Fire Command Headquarters, the reprovisioning of Civil Aid Service and Fire Services Department facilities at the West Kowloon