ENG-2012 — Page 249

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Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation

property rights, budgetary considerations, cross-sector collaboration and the active engagement of stakeholders and the general public.

By the end of 2012, four projects launched under the 'Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme' of the Commissioner for Heritage's Office (CHO) had commenced operation: the former North Kowloon Magistracy, Old Tai O Police Station, Lui Seng Chun and Phase I of the former Lai Chi Kok Hospital. The Government is also partnering non-profit-making organisations to revitalise selected historic buildings. For example, the Government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club are revitalising the Central Police Station Compound as a heritage, art and leisure centre, with construction expected to be completed in 2015. The Government and the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation Limited and its partners are transforming the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road into a creative industries landmark, with completion expected by the end of 2013.

In the private domain, the CHO and the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) closely monitor any works or development of declared monuments and graded historic buildings and proactively engage owners of historic buildings to discuss possible preservation options. To help owners of historic buildings carry out maintenance works, the CHO approved grants for maintenance works at nine privately-owned graded historic buildings in 2012.

Restoration and repair works were carried out on a number of historic buildings, including the Yan Tun Kong Study Hall in Ping Shan, Tung Wah Museum in Yau Ma Tei and Maryknoll Convent School in Kowloon Tong. Archaeological investigations were carried out in Yuen Long, Sai Kung, Tuen Mun, Cheung Chau and Lamma Island to protect underground archaeological artefacts from damage during the building of village houses at those sites.

The Antiquities Advisory Board advises the Government on matters relating to antiquities and monuments. So far, it has confirmed the grading of 1,227' historic buildings to provide an objective basis for guiding future conservation efforts. In December, it supported the declaration of Bethanie in Pokfulam and the Cenotaph in Central as monuments.

Greening, Landscape and Tree Management

The Greening, Landscape and Tree Management (GLTM) Section, consisting of the Greening. and Landscape Office (GLO) and the Tree Management Office (TMO), was established under the Works Branch of the Development Bureau in March 2010 to champion a new, strategic policy on greening, landscape and tree management to achieve the sustainable development of a greener environment for Hong Kong.

The GLO co-ordinates policy and departmental efforts on greening and landscape planning and design, while the TMO encourages a high quality tree management approach to tree management among tree management departments and in the community at large.

1 This figure includes items on the list of the territory's 1,444 historic buildings, for which a public consultation exercise

on their proposed grading was carried out in 2009, as well as new items proposed for grading.

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