Hong Kong’s Heritage Impact Assessments as a “Gold Standard” to Safeguard Underwater Cultural Heritage

Steven Brian Gallagher

Hong Kong’s Heritage Impact Assessments as a “Gold Standard” to Safeguard Underwater Cultural Heritage Hong Kong’s then Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, announced in his 2007 08 Policy Address a package of initiatives for heritage conservation including the requirement to undergo heritage impact assessment for all new capital works projects involving historic and built heritage. The Hong Kong government explains the purpose of these assents, “… will ensure a balance be struck between the requirements for development initiated by Government and heritage conservation, starting from the project inception stage. It will also have the following advantages – demonstrates Government's commitment to enhance heritage conservation; and engages public at an early stage.” These Assessments have been referred to as the “gold standard” in heritage management. This paper considers the background to the announcement in 2007, in particular a year of disastrous heritage mismanagement by private and public bodies, and a complete lack of understanding the importance of cultural heritage to the people of Hong Kong by the then government. The paper will then consider the success or otherwise of this “gold standard” with particular reference to two famous discoveries of heritage made consequent to assessments- the remains of what may or may not be HMS Tamar, and the discovery of an ancient well and other built remains in the area known as Sacred Hill in Kowloon City.