The construction industry has played an important role in developing first-class infrastructure to make Hong Kong a world-renowned cosmopolitan city. However, with increasing construction volumes, rising construction costs and ageing skilled workforce in recent years, together with multiple incidents in individual large-scale projects, the construction industry has been facing enormous pressure and challenges. The Chief Executive proposes “Construction 2.0” in the Policy Address, advocating “Innovation”, “Professionalisation” and “Revitalisation” to lead the industry to make changes, capitalise on future development opportunities and scale new heights......

The latest Policy Address delivered by the Chief Executive puts considerable emphasis on land supply and it has sparked a hot debate. Housing currently tops the list of public concerns. We need sufficient land to cater for all activities and facilities, be it economic development, or government and community facilities, such as education, medical and health, social welfare facilities, open space, public space. The Policy Address puts forward numerous initiatives with a view to tackling the issue of land supply by means of developing new land resources on one hand and optimising the use of existing developed land on the other ......

A spectacular fireworks display lighted up the sky above the Victoria Harbour on 1 October. In fact, behind every successful fireworks display are the joint efforts of various government departments, of which the Mines Division of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) plays an important part. This time, I have invited colleagues from the Mines Division to take us on board the barge where fireworks are installed and set off. They will talk about their work and, in particular, the way to ensure that a large-scale fireworks display will be conducted smoothly and safely......

When Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong, it caused extensive damage to trees across the territory. Trees of different sizes and species in various locations were affected. In the wake of the typhoon, various government departments spared no effort in dealing with the aftermath, removing fallen trees and clearing broken trunks and branches. Some companies and organisations even formed volunteer teams to render assistance. Earlier, I visited Kennedy Town Praya in the Western District and met with volunteers who had assisted in the clean-up work. I thanked them for the time and effort they put into the work to restore the community to its former cleanliness and tidiness......

The Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr HON Chi-keung (CK), will retire next month. In his 38 years of government service (including three years of training), CK has handled mostly project management and dealt with numerous difficult problems. Earlier, I invited CK to share with me his feelings about his imminent retirement and talk about the two public work projects that he still had vivid memories of - the drainage improvement works on Nathan Road and the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS), formerly known as the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme. As the construction industry is facing numerous challenges in recent years, what messages does CK have for the industry and colleagues......