The Civil Engineering and Development Department is responsible for the planning, design and construction of public marine facilities including piers, beacons, offshore helipads, breakwaters, seawalls, navigation channels and anchorage areas. In 2006, the department completed the construction of a new pier and boardwalk at Stanley and the reconstruction of the public piers at Sha Tau Kok, Wong Shek and Ko Lau Wan.

Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in the world and the department plays an important role in upkeeping the port. As the maintenance authority for all civil engineering marine works, the department carries out maintenance work on ferry piers and other public and government marine facilities, as well as maintenance dredging of the harbour and some major river channels. The public and government marine facilities currently maintained by the department include 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, eight kilometres of quay at public cargo working areas, 120 kilometres of seawalls and breakwaters, 310 piers and public landing steps, 96 dolphins (mooring structures), 14 100 hectares of fairways and 3 590 hectares of anchorage areas.