The year of the Dragon will be another busy year and hopefully a fruitful year for building surveyors as the new Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme will be implemented in the second quarter this year. Following the completion of legislation process for the relevant regulations for the MBIS late last year, Buildings Department is now accepting application for registration of Registered Inspector (RI). Under the MBIS, owners of buildings aged 30 years or above (except domestic buildings not exceeding 3 storeys) are required to appoint RIs for prescribed inspection and to carry out prescribed repair as necessary under the supervision of RIs to their building once every 10 years. I trust all members of our building surveying division shall be capable to perform the role and duties of RI which is our core competence. If you are a RPS meeting the registration qualifications as stipulated in section 3 of the Building (Administration) Regulations, please act promptly to submit your application. You may refer to the newly amended PNAP APP-7 for details of the registration requirements. The application form BA1 can be downloaded from BD’s website.

 

BSD has advocated and pushed for legislation of the MBIS for years. We believe the culture of proper building maintenance and repair can only be cultivated and nurtured with appropriate government policy and legislative support. However, the success of the MBIS would also rest with the participation of competent building professionals and out of all building surveyors should play a vital and proactive role in this regard. We would therefore need the full support of building surveyors in applying for registration as RI and taking part in the inspection and repair works so as to demonstrate we, building surveyors, are the experts in this field.

 

In remembrance of our distinguished building surveyor, the late Eddie Lee (who passed away on 9 January 2011) and to pursue his dedication in the training of surveyors, The Eddie Lee Memorial Education Foundation has been established under the auspices of the Building Surveying Division and our senior members. The Foundation will provide incentives to encourage training and continuous development of surveyors including the award of scholarships to worthy APC candidates.

 

The BSD has appointed 5 Distinguished Building Surveyors namely, Mr David Chan, Dr Chan Man-wai, Professor Barnabas Chung, Mr CK Lau, and Mr Samson Wong as Trustees of the Foundation. The Foundation will give out scholarship awards every year to those probationers who have diligently and successfully completed all elements of the APC upon first attempt leading to professional qualification in that year.

 

An inauguration and presentation ceremony of The Eddie Lee Memorial Education Foundation was successfully held in the evening of 9 January 2012 with the presence of Eddie’s wife, Mrs Angela Lee, his son, Adrian Lee, the Trustees, friends of Eddie, and a group of fellow building surveyors.

 

The first year’s scholarship awards were presented to the following awardees while commendation certificates were presented to their counsellors to commend their effort for their valuable guidance to the awardees:

First prize to Ms Ma Yuen-tung Soei (counsellor Mr Chan Hong-ki Robert)

Second prize to Ms Ha Man-chi, Mandy (counsellor Mr Tse Siu-ming Stephen)

Third prize to Mr Lam Kam-tim (counsellor Mr Law Sheung-ping James)

Third prize to Mr Chan Yuk Nick (counsellor Mr Chung Chan-keung Ken)

 

I am glad to announce that in the first meeting of the Board of Membership held on 12 January 2012, our divisional representative Professor Barnabas Chung has been elected as the chairman of the board. Mr Kenneth Yun will continue to sit in the board while Mr Andrew Kung is subsequently nominated into the board to fill up the place left behind after Professor Chung’s appointment as the chairman.

 

Some of you may know that the Buildings Department is holding an AP/RSE discussion forum every 2 to 3 months. The forum is intended to provide opportunities for representatives of the relevant professional organizations including HKIS, HKIA and HKIE to communicate directly with the senior management of the Buildings Department on matters relating to the daily administration and processing of plan submissions and issues concerning interpretation of the Buildings Ordinance and regulations. In order to share the information disseminated in the forum with the interested members as well as to feedback your concern and problems encountered in dealing with BD submissions, I am intending to conduct a discussion session with our BS members on a regular basis. Details of the discussion session arrangement shall be announced shortly.

 

Apart from the office bearers and council members elected in the past AGM, we are very grateful to have the support of many other members in organizing and participating in the council business. In the last BSD council meeting, we have the pleasure to endorse the appointment of the following members as co-opted members of the BSD council:

Ms Chan Mei Kuen, Idi

Mr Cheuk, Cheuky

Mr Li Kwok Wah, Edgar

Mr Lui, Victor

Mr Tang Chi Wang

Mr Wong Ka Chi, Louis

Ms Wong Kam Wah

Mr Yeung Tak Wah, Denny

 

Thank you in advance for their contribution.