HONG KONG, July 6 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Hong Kong SAR Government has recently announced the formation of a new Harbourfront Commission (HC), with Mr Nicholas Brooke, Past President of RICS and Chairman of Professional Property Services Ltd and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, appointed by the Chief Executive as the first Chairman of the Commission. Alongside with Mr Brooke's appointment, Mrs Carrie Lam, the Secretary for Development, took up the position as the Vice-Chair of the HC. The new HC was established to succeed the Harbourfront Enhancement Committee (HEC) with objectives of fostering and facilitating the development of the Victoria harbourfront, advising the Hong Kong SAR Government on harbourfront planning, design, management and other related matters and expediting the launch of 15 harbour-front development projects across 22 action areas along the coastlines on both sides of Victoria Harbour, with a target completion by 2014.
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To help bring in international insights and experiences on harbourfront developments , RICS Hong Kong has organized its 2010 Annual Conference with "Public Private Partnership in Waterfront Development" as the main theme to be held on September 11, 2010 at Conrad Hong Kong Hotel.
The Conference will address the current issues such as how waterfronts have been developed, how land usage could be applied in PPP development and what would be essential for successful partnership model. Overseas speakers include Professor Joan Busquets, Architect & Director, BLAU-Landscape Architecture & Urbanism, SLP / Professor, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Mr Greg Clark, Senior Fellow, Urban Land Institute Europe, Middle East, Africa, India and Mr Philip Harcourt, MRICS and Head of Development Solutions, Colliers CRE Group. These three industry experts will come to Hong Kong and share their waterfront experiences from an international perspective at the Conference.
To bring a more local perspective to the event, the Conference has also planned a Closing Panel Discussion which brings together a prominent group of local experts to address the application of PPP to the development and management of the harbourfront development. The Panel Discussion will be led by Mr Nicholas Brooke.
The newly appointed Chairman of Harbourfront Commission Mr Nicholas Brooke says," Not only is the Commission to be responsible for coordinating delivery of a range of harbourfront projects but also it will advocate and champion holistic, integrated and responsive solutions in terms of waterfront enhancement. A particularly important aspect will be to promote entrustment and partnership arrangements with the private sector to tap into its flair and creativity, the objective being to achieve high quality outcomes and more attractive designs in delivering a better harbourfront for public enjoyment as well as pursuing more sustainable and flexible approaches to management. In this respect, the Conference is both very timely and very relevant to the work of the Commission".
Mr David Tse, RICS Governing Councillor, says, "In accordance with the Royal Charter of RICS to put the public interest in the first and utmost important place, RICS Hong Kong has always commented on issues of public interest in Hong Kong, and responds proactively to society needs by offering professional advices to Government on these various public issues, e.g. conduction of a study on the adaptive re-use of industrial building back in 2008 and successful organization of a Conference on Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) in 2009 to collate the international and local experiences on URS. This year, RICS Hong Kong has planned to organize a Conference on "PPP on Waterfront Development" to be held on 11 September to echo with the newly establishment of the Harbourfront Commission on 1 July. We will continue to dedicate our professionalism for the general good of the public by bringing in international perspective and experience."
Please visit http://www.ricsasia.org/eventDetail.php?id=149®ionID=0 for conference details.
About RICS & RICS Asia
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is the mark of property professionalism worldwide. It covers all aspects of property, construction and associated environmental issues. RICS has 140,000 members globally and represents, regulates and promotes the work of property professionals throughout 122 countries.
The RICS Asia supports a network of over 11,000 individual professionals across the Asia Pacific region with an objective to help develop the property and construction markets in these countries, by introducing professional standards, best practice and international experience. It promotes RICS and its members as the natural advisors on all property matters. It also ensures that services and career development opportunities are provided to members.
The RICS Asia region covers national associations and local groups locating in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The People's Republic of China and the SAR Hong Kong. It also has members working across the region such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos PDR, Macao, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, The Maldives, The Philippines, Timor East and Vietnam. For more information, please visit: http://www.ricsasia.org .
Media enquiry, please contact:
RICS Asia Public Relations Representative
Ms Belinda Chan / Ms Ava Lau
Tel: +852-2372-0090
Fax: +852-2372-0490
Mobile: +852-9379-3045 / +852-9829-2913
Email: belinda@creativegp.com / ava@creativegp.com
