Today (29 June 2016) The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced the establishment of an Independent Review Panel to enquire into the partial collapse of the Married Inspectors’ Quarters (MIQ) building at the Central Police Station compound on the evening of 29 May 2016.
Appointed by the Club’s Board of Stewards, the three-member Panel will be chaired by Dr. Greg CY Wong, who is a Registered Structural Engineer (since 1983) as well as a Registered Geotechnical Engineer, and is a past President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). Dr. Wong graduated from the University of Hong Kong and obtained his Ph.D. from McGill University. He has extensive engineering experience in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Korea and Hong Kong. He has had responsibility for many major structural engineering projects, heritage preservation works as well as building forensic studies. He has also served as Vice-Chairman of the Town Planning Board, member of the Antiquities Advisory Board, and member of the Building Department's AP/RSE/RGE Disciplinary Committee.
The other Panel members are Mr. Benny Lai Siu Lun, and Mr. Simon Wiltshier, who is based in Australia. The Club acknowledges the assistance of HKIE, which the Club consulted in making local appointments.
Mr. Lai is an Authorized Person and Registered Structural Engineer with heritage project experience. He is also a panel member of the Authorized Persons’, Registered Structural Engineers’ and Registered Geotechnical Engineers’ Disciplinary Board.
Mr. Wiltshier is a Chartered Structural Engineer, and has served on numerous expert assessment and expert witness projects, providing assistance to private owners, local authorities and state government agencies in areas including forensic engineering, heritage projects and adaptive reuse. He has extensive experience in civil and structural projects in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
The Panel will undertake an enquiry into the facts and circumstances that led to the partial collapse of the MIQ building and report on the likely causes of the partial collapse and whether any additional measures should reasonably or practically have been taken to prevent the collapse.
“I have been a resident of Central Western District all my life. I attended primary and secondary schools a stone’s throw from the Central Police Station. I hope I can contribute to the heritage preservation of the District in which I grew up. I will work with the experts, professionals and consultants of the project, to find out the facts and causes of the incident accurately and quickly. This should help resume this important conservation project in a safe manner, following at the same time the internationally accepted conservation procedures,” said Dr. Wong.
As part of its enquiry, the Panel will look into relevant information, including the preliminary report submitted by the Authorized Person of the project to the Buildings Department. It will also conduct interviews with relevant parties and examine relevant physical materials, as appropriate. Subject to its forthcoming review of facts and the issues encountered, the Panel aims to submit its findings to the Club’s Board of Stewards in a few months. The Club will share the results with Government and the public.
Attachments:
A) Biography of Dr. Greg Wong Chak Yan
B) Biography of Ir Benny Lai Siu Lun
C) Biography of Ir Simon Wiltshier
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Photo 1:
Dr. Greg Wong Chak Yan
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Photo 2:
Ir Benny Lai Siu Lun
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Photo 3:
Ir Simon Wiltshier
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