2000 Housing
Authority. All rights reserved.
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For several years the Housing Authority has been striving to enhance the quality of the housing it produces. The events of the last twelve months have diminished these efforts, have undermined public confidence and have cast a shadow over the performance of the construction industry. Complaints of shoddy workmanship in the finish of residential flats, both public and private, are not new. However, their increasing frequency and intensity are a clear sign that, with greater prosperity and better education, the community's aspirations have moved rapidly forward and left the industry lagging behind. That in itself is a matter of concern, but it pales beside the series of deficiencies to piling works discovered in both private and public developments. In the aftermath of these disturbing discoveries, the Housing Authority has intensified discussions already in train with industry representatives, using the opportunity to focus on what has gone wrong and to rally support from forward-looking members for a quantum improvement in building quality. We have met and exchanged ideas on problems and potential solutions with all our major contractors and consultants, the relevant professional institutes, members of the Legislative Council and representatives of political parties, construction workers' unions, academics, staff of Housing Department, as well as tenants and owners. I am most grateful to all of them for their time and insightful contributions. Many of their suggestions are reflected in the recommendations put forward in this document. We have been impressed by both the candour with which the various parties have come to the table and by an apparent consensus on the need for change. More than this, there appears to be an agreement on two broad aspects of the way forward. First, all recognize the need for reforms to the housing production process, including the Housing Authority's procurement practices and the Housing Department's procedures. Second, all regard partnering as the only way in which we will jointly achieve the sustained improvements to quality and efficiency which Hong Kong's advanced community deserves. Hence the title of this consultative document. There will of course be contrary voices, and others which plead for more time, but to set our pace by the speed of the slowest would be to stand still. Innovation and improvement to quality demand leadership. While we cannot get rid of the building quality problems overnight, we are confident that the reforms will improve quality progressively in the long run. In publishing this consultative document, we wish to send an unequivocal message that the Housing Authority seeks to partner only with those who are committed to leading the industry forward. There can be no compromise on either safety or quality. This document is thus the Housing Authority's contribution to the process of reform. The proposals in it are not conclusive, rather we have endeavoured to set a broad strategic direction, pulling together those ideas on which views so far expressed have been the clearest and most unanimous. Over the consultative period of the next two months, we would welcome detailed comments and further suggestions for improvement. With your help and support, I am confident that these reforms will succeed.
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