New location: ICAC Commissioner Raymond Wong officiates at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new ICAC headquarters in North Point.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption's $731.1 million Headquarters Building in North Point will be completed by the second half of 2007, housing its various departments and facilities under one roof for the first time since its inception in 1974.

Officiating at the site's ground-breaking ceremony today,  ICAC Commissioner Raymond Wong said: "The construction marks a milestone in Hong Kong's anti-corruption history and highlights the Government's long-term commitment to the fight against graft.

"A comprehensive range of operational and training facilities, to be coupled with a more advanced information technology framework, will help enhance our capability to investigate increasingly complex corruption cases and upgrade our professional training for staff."

The 25-storey building on Java Road will house a full range of facilities essential to the ICAC's daily operations. They include an operations control room, video interview rooms, a detention centre, a report centre, an identification parade room, a computer forensics laboratory, an indoor shooting range, a multi-purpose training hall, and a multi-purpose theatre.

The building will also feature energy-saving designs such as energy-efficient facades which allow maximum utilisation of sunlight. Environmental protection measures will also be adopted during and after construction.