Bernard Charnwut Chan appointed Chairman of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, succeeding Henry Tang.

Appointments to Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced

The Government announced today (September 23) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan to succeed Mr Henry Tang Ying-yen as Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), as well as Mr Jat Sew-tong and Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har as Vice-Chairman and a new member of the Board of the WKCDA respectively, for a two-year term from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2027.

Commenting on the appointments, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said, "Mr Chan is the current Vice-Chairman of the WKCDA Board. He had been a Board member for a number of years before serving as Vice-Chairman, and is well acquainted with the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) project. Mr Chan's rich experience in administrative management and public services, as well as his extensive business network, will enable him to lead the WKCDA in developing the WKCD into a cultural tourism landmark earning worldwide acclaim, elevating the stature of Hong Kong on the international cultural landscape stage. Mr Jat has been actively providing valuable insights and contributions to various aspects of the WKCDA's work since joining the Board in 2022. I believe that Mr Jat could drive the continuous development of the WKCD. I also welcome Dr Chan to join and add new momentum to the Board."

Miss Law expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Mr Tang for his tremendous contributions to the development of the WKCD over the years. "Mr Tang had served as Chairman of the Board in different capacities. Under his adept leadership, the WKCD has achieved many important milestones. During his tenure, various world-class arts and cultural facilities in the WKCD have been completed and commissioned, including the Xiqu Centre, Freespace, M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The WKCDA has also successfully brought exhibitions and stage productions to the Mainland and overseas, showcasing and enhancing Hong Kong's cultural soft power and consolidating its position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges," Miss Law said.

The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the Board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the WKCD.

The membership of the Board commencing October 1, 2025, will be as follows:

Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan (Chairman)

Mr Jat Sew-tong (Vice-Chairman)

Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har*

Mr Abraham Chan Lok-shung

Mr Vincent Cheng Wing-shun

Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping

Mr Kenneth Fok Kai-kong

Mr Andy Hei Kao-chiang

Mr Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng

Mr Leo Kung Lin-cheng

Mr Liu Che-ning

Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting

Dr Pang Yiu-kai

Mr Paulo Pong Kin-yee

Mr Anthony Wu Ting-yuk

Ms Catherine Yen Kai-shun

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism or alternate representative

Secretary for Development or alternate representative

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury or alternate representative

Chief Executive Officer, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (ex officio member)

(*new appointee)

EPD highly concerned over industrial accident at yard waste recycling centre

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is highly concerned over an industrial accident that occurred yesterday (January 16) at the yard waste recycling centre, Y·PARK in Tuen Mun, and extends its sympathies to the injured worker and his family members.

At around 2pm yesterday, a worker sustained injury when his left palm was severed while attempting to clear stuck debris at an operating wood chipping machine. He remained conscious and was sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment. The EPD immediately deployed staff to the hospital after the incident to understand the condition of the injured and provide his family members with appropriate assistance.

The EPD notified the Labour Department and the Police in the first instance. Staff from the Labour Department conducted on-site inspection and issued a suspension notice to the contractor, requiring suspension of operation of the concerned machinery until all improvement measures have been implemented. The EPD requested the contractor to fully co-operate with the Labour Department in its investigation, and demanded an incident report from the contractor within three days.

The safety of its facilities remains the top priority of the EPD, with close monitoring of contractors' operation in place. On the contractor's front, daily regular on-site inspections on occupational safety conditions and safety training for employees and its subcontractors are part of their requirements.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases