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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, started her visit programme in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday (September 13).
Upon arrival in Melbourne, Mrs Lam visited the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), which is a well-established hospital dedicated to the health and well-being of children and adolescents, to see its facilities and learn about its services and operation. She was received by the Director of the RCH Board and Chairman of the RCH Foundation, Mr Peter Yates, and the Chief Executive Officer of the RCH, Professor Christine Kilpatrick.
She said during the visit, "Hong Kong's first public children's hospital, located at Kai Tak, is under construction. Upon completion, the $13 billion Hong Kong Children's Hospital will enhance the professional standards and quality of paediatric services in Hong Kong."
In the evening, Mrs Lam had dinner with the Chinese Consul-General in Melbourne, Mr Song Yumin. She thanked the consulate general for providing help to Hong Kong residents who require consular assistance in Australia.
Earlier this morning (September 14), Mrs Lam met with the Chairman of the Victorian Major Events Company (VMEC), Sir Rod Eddington. The VMEC, funded by the Victorian State Government, is a non-profit-making organisation which aims to create and secure major sporting, entertainment and cultural events opportunities for Melbourne and the state of Victoria. It has rich experience in hosting major events, such as the Melbourne Cup horse-racing event and the world-famous Australian Open tennis tournament.
After the meeting, Mrs Lam paid a visit to the Docklands, which is an area regenerated from a derelict industrial wasteland to become a developed waterfront precinct offering a mix of activities for citizens. She visited the Docklands back in 2008 in her then capacity as the Secretary for Development and was impressed by the progress made. During the visit, Mrs Lam was given an overview of the development and was briefed on the challenges and future developments of the Docklands. She also toured the Library at the Dock and Etihad Stadium.
"Our Government is proactively transforming Kowloon East, a former industrial heartland, into another major business district to support our economic growth and strengthen our global competitiveness. The success story of the Docklands has set a good example for us to follow," Mrs Lam said.
Mrs Lam also took the opportunity to visit the National Gallery of Victoria to see its collections.
During the day, Mrs Lam called on the Premier of Victoria, Mr Daniel Andrews; the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Mr Robert Doyle; and the Leader of the Opposition in Victoria, Mr Matthew Guy, to update them on the latest developments in Hong Kong and to exchange views on forging stronger ties between Hong Kong and Victoria, particularly in the areas of medical services and design.
In the evening, Mrs Lam attended a dinner hosted by the Governor of Victoria, Ms Linda Dessau, at Government House. Mrs Lam expressed her appreciation to Ms Dessau for the hospitality extended to the Hong Kong delegation.
Mrs Lam will continue her visit in Melbourne tomorrow (September 15), visiting the University of Melbourne and attending a business luncheon. She will depart for Canberra in the afternoon.
Ends/Monday, September 14, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:38
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