226 Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation
(c) Following a review in 2009, the bureau introduced improvements to the Heritage Impact Assessment mechanism, requiring all new capital works. projects to be carried out with minimal or no damage to heritage sites, or to have ways of reducing impairment if damage is unavoidable;
(d) A total of 1 444 historic buildings were assessed for their heritage value, following which the bureau assisted the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) to finalise their grading; and
(e) Two privately-owned historic buildings (Residence of Ip Ting-sz and Yan Tun Kong Study Hall) and 41 pre-war waterworks structures in six reservoirs (Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, Wong Nai Chung Reservoir, Kowloon Reservoir, Aberdeen Reservoir, Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir and Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs) were declared monuments for permanent protection under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.
In the private domain:
(a) The bureau approved eight applications from private owners of graded
historic buildings for funds to maintain their buildings; and
(b) The Government lifted partially a temporary ban, called the Pokfulam Moratorium to help preserve a privately owned Grade 3 historic building, Jessville, at 128 Pok Fu Lam Road.
Public Engagement and Publicity
The bureau ran a series of programmes to reach out to the community through listening to public views and working with stakeholders to strengthen interaction between the Government and the community.
In 2009, the bureau organised a number of activities for students and young people to strengthen their interest in and knowledge of heritage conservation. These
were:
(a)
A 'Historic Buildings Drawing Competition-cum-Exhibition' held from March to May, in which over 560 students participated.
(b) Postcards featuring the winning entries of a drawing competition were distributed in primary and secondary schools for students to post free of charge on 'Free Posting Day' in June;
(c) Guided tours of the Central Police Station Compound and the Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail were conducted for members of the public from April to December; and
(d) A 'Faces & Places' heritage photo exhibition cum-thematic talks was held from September to November to give members of the public wider knowledge of the architectural history of Central and Western District and Wan Chai.
A dedicated government website on heritage conservation www.heritage.gov.hk was launched in January 2008, and it has received more than 673 000 visits. Since