BSD Council 2010 - 2011 The Building Surveying Divisional Council 2010 - 2011 was successfully elected in our Annual General Meeting held on 3 December. I am delighted to be elected as the new Chairman taking over this important role from our immediate past Chairman, Mr Kenneth Yun. It is my great honour and pleasure to have the support of Mr Robin Leung and Mr Andrew Kung to take up the Vice Chairmen post. I would also like to tender my gratitude to Ms Rebecca Lo and Mr Kenny Tse for their commitment to act as our Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer respectively. I believe that with the collaborated effort and commitments of our office bearers and all council members we will strive for greater success and achievement for the benefit of our fellow building surveyors and the society as well in the coming year. BSD Annual Dinner Following the AGM we also held the annual dinner with the participation of our BSD members and guests taking up all eight tables. The annual dinner not only provided a good opportunity for our colleagues and friends to chat with others but also gave us a platform to exchange ideas on how to strengthen and broaden the professional development of building surveyors. The participants shared the joy and fun in the games tailor-made for us as well as the excitement in the lucky draw. Big hands shall be given to our event organizing team for making us such a wonderful and enjoyable evening. Outlook I have taken the opportunity to introduce the main focus of the BSD Council in the coming year in the AGM as follows: - Education and Training - Promotion and Public Recognition - Enhancement of Practice Standards - Broadening of Practice Regime - Communications and Collaborations In line with the above direction, we would work out an action list and a working plan to gauge the work of our council in the coming year. In this connection, I would also like to have your valuable suggestions of any essential works and tasks that you would like us to take up that may benefit the development of our profession. It is our shared understanding that sustainable development of our building surveying profession should be founded on a balanced and progressive advancement of our professional skill and knowledge, strengthening of manpower and enhancement of recognition by public and society. We should therefore target to secure parallel achievement on all of these footings. However, as a matter of immediate response to the move and change in the circumstances, I wish more research and publication on the practice and skill set of building surveyors could be done so that we could equip ourselves better to stand up to the challenge ahead. I would also work with our two other spokesmen, Mr David Chan and Mr Andrew Kung to continue our effort in voicing comments and opinions on the related professional issues and social issues and let the public know our role and expertise in the building and surveying industry. I will report to you the work plan of the BSD council after the same is discussed and endorsed by the new council. Guide to Prepare An Expert Report for Application under Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance, Chapter 545 The problem of urban decay and redevelopment is one of the hot topics which prompts much discussion in the public over the last decades. Good maintenance planning and proper upkeep of the building stock would be a way to arrest building deterioration in the territories. For poorly maintained buildings which are bound to become physically absolescence, demolition for redevelopment in generating new urban fabric may be a pragmatic way to tackle the problem. The enactment of the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance (LCSRO) (Cap. 545) in 1998 has played a key role in facilitating private sector's redevelopment efforts. However, since the LCSRO came into effect in 1999, there have been calls from the industry and individual owners urging the Government to amend the Ordinance, including lowering the compulsory sale threshold in order to overcome the difficulties in acquiring sufficient interests in properties. The Government thus embarked on public consultation several years ago to explore options to facilitate redevelopment projects initiated by the private sector. After years of consultation and discussion in the society, the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) (Specification of Lower Percentage) Notice was introduced early this year as subsidiary legislation and came into effect on 1 April, which specified a lower threshold for the compulsory sale application. Professional surveyors, especially members of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS), play key roles in the mechanism under the LCSRO in offering professional advice to facilitate the redevelopment process. One of the criteria before the Lands Tribunal granting the compulsory order for sale is that ‘the redevelopment is justified on the ground of age or state of repair of the existing buildings on the lot'. Persons who own a specified majority of the undivided shares in a lot have to submit an expert report to substantiate their application. Members of Building Surveying Division (BSD) are well qualified and competent to offer professional advice and services in this aspect. In order to facilitate our members to prepare such expert report, I am delighted to announce that the BSD is complying with the LCSRO. The drafting of this guide is approaching the final stage and will be published in or around mid-January 2011. Vote of thanks I wish to tender my sincere thanks and appreciation to the out-going chairman, office bearers and council members for their unfailing effort and hard work to accomplish all the tasks as reported in Kenneth's chairman's report presented in the AGM bearing in mind the hurdle and challenge we faced in the beginning of this year. A copy of the Chairman's Report is posted in our BSD web page for members' information.