Hong Kong government's financial assistance for maintenance scheme (FAMS) for privately-owned graded historic buildings : the case of the repair and maintenance works for Fung Chi Tsuen Tin Hau Temple, Yuen Long

Abstract

The Conserve and Revitalize Hong Kong Heritage of Bureau department (BD) implement a Financial Assistance for Maintenance Scheme (FAMS) in 2007. The objective of this scheme is to provide financial assistance in the form of grants for the owner of privately-owned graded historic buildings in Hong Kong to process minor works by themselves from deterioration due to lack of maintenance. This dissertation will evaluate the scheme to find out what works and what does not work as the FAMS has been in operation for seven years (from 2008 to 2015). Up to September 2015, there are fifty successful applications to grant under the financial assistance on privately-owned graded historic buildings. There are twelve applications being processed including nine applications obtained Stage one approval. (AAB, 2015). This dissertation uses the author’s professional experience as a conservation contractor in Ding Hsung Construction Company, to identify the actual scope of work and actual costs involved in the repair and maintenance of a Chinese heritage building in Hong Kong, in order to evaluate the FAMS and make recommendations to make it work better for conservation. This dissertation will focus on the FAMS as applied to the repair and maintenance of the Fung Chi Tsuen Tin Hau Temple, Yuen Long as a case-study. As the author has been involved in the actual repair and maintenance work for the case-study building using grant from the FAMS, she is in a good position to provide in-depth information and analysis for the research.