The Civil Engineering and Development Department is responsible for the planning, design and construction of public marine facilities including piers, beacons, breakwaters, seawalls, navigation channels and anchorage areas. In 2004, the department completed reconstruction of the public piers at Peng Chau and Kat O, and continued reconstruction of the public piers at Cheung Chau and Wu Kai Sha. The department also started reconstruction of the public piers at Sha Tau Kok, Wong Shek and Ko Lau Wan and construction of a new pier and boardwalk at Stanley.

Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in the world. For safe and efficient port operations, regular maintenance of the port facilities is particularly important. The Civil Engineering and Development Department plays an important role in the upkeep of the port of Hong Kong. It serves as the maintenance authority for civil engineering marine works and provides maintenance services to ferry piers and public and government marine facilities, as well as maintenance dredging of the harbour and tidal sections of some major river channels. The public and government marine facilities being maintained by the Civil Engineering and Development Department include 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, 8 kilometres of quay at public cargo working areas, 10 kilometres of breakwaters, 117 kilometres of seawalls, 302 piers and public landing steps, 99 dolphins (mooring structures), 14 100 hectares of fairways and 3 590 hectares of anchorage areas.

The department has always employed the latest technologies, such as cathodic protection for reinforced concrete, replacing timber fenders by rubber and plastic fenders, and aerial photogrammetric technique for monitoring rubble mound breakwaters and seawalls, to enable effective maintenance of the port facilities.

The department is now developing a computerised port maintenance information system so that the maintenance can be implemented in a more effective way.