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| No.5 May, 2010 |
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Secretary for Development Mrs Carrie Lam visits New Zealand |
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 Ties between Hong Kong and New Zealand have been further boosted following the recent visit to Auckland and Wellington by Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam.
The visit - from May 4 to 7 – focussed on heritage conservation, waterfront planning and green buildings.
 In Wellington Mrs Lam toured the historic “Old Government Building” to learn about a preservation and restoration works program. Completed in 1876, the structure is one of the world’s biggest full timber office buildings and now houses the law faculty of Victoria University.
Mrs Lam was briefed by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust on current initiatives including working with owners to adapt heritage buildings for reuse, and the National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund, which encourages conservation of nationally significant heritage places in private ownership. |
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While in Wellington, she also visited the Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand), and toured the new New Zealand Supreme Court. The complex, opened in January this year, features many sustainable elements including displacement ventilation, solar panels, and the use of recycled materials.
Mrs Lam also met with officials from Wellington Waterfront Limited and toured the city’s waterfront to better understand planning for the precinct and its day-to-day management.
In Auckland, she visited Wynyard Point, the nation's biggest waterfront redevelopment which will transform the port-related industrial area into a modern residential and commercial precinct over the next 25 years.
 Mrs Lam met respectively with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Bill English; the Minister for the Environment, Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues and Minister for Accident Compensation Corporation, Dr Nick Smith, and the Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Minister for Women's Affairs, Associate Minister for the Accident Compensation Corporation, Disability Issues and Energy and Resources, Mrs Pansy Wong.
These discussions covered a wide variety of subjects with references to the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement recently signed between Hong Kong and New Zealand.
She also called on the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Zhang Limin.
 Before concluding her visit, Mrs Lam attended a reception hosted by the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association attended by more than 110 entrepreneurs and business executives.
She briefed them on the latest developments of the infrastructure projects in Hong Kong, the Conserving Central projects, as well as the initiative to revitalise Hong Kong's industrial buildings.
Mrs Lam said the Hong Kong, China - New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership (CEP) Agreement was a comprehensive and high quality Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and was Hong Kong's first FTA with a foreign economy.
"The CEP Agreement will be conducive to the strengthening of the economic ties between Hong Kong and New Zealand, and help create business opportunities for traders of both economies. We look forward to the successful implementation of the Agreement," she said. |
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