SPEECH BY MR , MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AT THE MND COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY DEBATE, 03 MARCH 2011 AT 4.40 PM IN PARLIAMENT

Part 3: Sustainability – Regearing our homes for the future

1. Mr Chairman, Sir.

Rejuvenating Our Heartlands 2. Besides helping Singaporeans own their homes, our longer term challenge is to remake our heartlands so that they remain relevant and sustainable homes for our people.

Remaking Our Heartland 3. Today, we have various estate renewal programmes – Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), Home Improvement Programme (HIP), Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), and Remaking our Heartland (ROH) programme. Our most comprehensive effort is the ROH programme. I recently announced the second batch of ROH plans for East Coast, Hougang, and Lake.

4. Mr and Mr asked what we can expect under ROH. For each of these areas, the plans will be comprehensive and cover four key aspects. First - The town and neighbourhood centres of each area will be rejuvenated. The Bedok Town Centre is going to be rejuvenated. It will include new mixed developments for multiple uses like commercial, residential and transportation. Hougang Town Centre is another example. Second – Outdoor recreational spaces will be expanded so that residents can enjoy active lifestyles and gather as a community. Third – Existing homes will be upgraded and new housing like this riverfront development in Hougang will be introduced. Fourth, even as each area is rejuvenated, its heritage will be captured and preserved – what makes each area special. I think this is very important. We do not want to make every town look the same in .

5. For Jurong Lake, specifically, residents can already see some of the developments coming up. At Jurong East Town Centre, the former Jurong Entertainment Centre will be redeveloped into JCube by 2012. By 2013, a new pedestrian mall will link Jurong East MRT to Lakeside. The Jurong General Hospital and Community Hospital will be ready in 2014 and 2015 respectively, while the new Continuing Education & Training (CET) West Campus will open in 2013. To catalyse the growth of Jurong Lake District, MND and two of our agencies, AVA and BCA, will

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relocate to the area as the anchor tenant in Lend Lease’s development. When completed in 2014, the mixed-use project will feature green spaces and roof gardens. It will inject new lifestyle and retail buzz to the town centre. By the way, it is only the top bit there that will be MND, the rest are shops and retail. But it will really make a big difference to the Jurong Lake District. It is going to catalyse the area. Apart from the Town Centre, the neighbourhood centres will be spruced up and revitalised. To help residents fully enjoy these developments, the ROH plans will improve connectivity in the area. Residents from as far as Bukit Batok and Bukit Timah can cycle, walk or jog to the Jurong Lake along the new pedestrian and cycling networks to be developed.

6. The ROH plans will directly benefit 700,000 residents, who live in the area, and many others who work, visit and spend time in these areas. We will spend at least $1 billion to remake these areas over the next 5 years.

7. We have also made considerable progress with the first batch of ROH towns.

7.1. Yishun is very different today with the completion of developments such as the revamped Northpoint (where a Library is co-located), the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and ABC Waters works at .

7.2. Dawson Estate will also see a fresh lease of life with the injection of new generation housing, which will be amidst greenery.

7.3. Lastly, our efforts to build a new town in have begun to bear fruit. When we first embarked on the Punggol 21 plan in 1996, Punggol was just a forested area with a few roads and some fish farms. When the Asian Financial Crisis struck in 1997, take-up of flats slowed all over Singapore, including Punggol. Some questioned whether Punggol would ever take off. The MPs in the area were wondering if there would be enough flats, enough people moving in, and whether the MRT station could be opened, and so on. But, HDB pressed on and launched new flats when demand picked up. In 2007, we updated our vision with Punggol 21 Plus. HDB worked with PUB to construct a 4.2km waterway through the town, something never done before. This waterway serves an important purpose – to connect two reservoirs – as well as allow for beautiful waterfront housing.

7.4. By year end, 23,000 flats will be completed; including developments like Punggol Periwinkle as shown on the screen and Treelodge@Punggol – whose residents received their keys from DPM Teo recently. Many of these developments boast HDB’s new housing features like green roofs and podium

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carparks. Another 12,000 flats will be completed by 2015. Punggol is a good example of our efforts to not just build towns but to create green spaces for people to relax and reconnect with nature even as Singapore becomes more built-up. The Punggol Waterway Park and Sungei Serangoon Park will be ready by Jun 2011. The 17km Northern Eastern Park Connector Loop will complete by Dec 2011.

8. We will continue to find new ways of rejuvenating and revitalising our HDB estates. Ms suggested incorporating more open space in HDB estates, as well as integrated sports facilities at the precinct level. We can look into these suggestions. We will need to look at precinct-level planning holistically and consider the appropriate balance in providing open versus built-up space.

Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) 9. Let me now talk about another very important and very major project, that is rolling out in our HDB estates. That is the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). The ROH is a pain-staking effort to rejuvenate selected areas holistically, and it will take time to roll out to all estates. I assure Mr Liang Eng Hwa that the ROH will reach Bukit Panjang, sooner or later, depending on the budget. Meanwhile, other residents can continue to enjoy and benefit from HDB’s core upgrading programmes.

10. Dr Ahmad Magad highlighted that our population is a fast-ageing one. That is why we have to roll out barrier-free accessibility for the elderly faster. And that is exactly what we have done. We have introduced the LUP in 2001, and we have made very good progress.

11. Mr asked about the progress of LUP, and let me report to the House what we have achieved so far. To-date, 4,900 (96 per cent) of eligible blocks have been offered LUP. I am pleased to announce that the final batch of precincts will be selected this year and we are on track to complete LUP for all eligible blocks by 2014. This is the target that we set five years ago. We are on track and we are going to achieve our target.

12. This has been a massive exercise, costing the government $5.5 billion for the whole exercise over the ten years. This is the cost of building the North-east MRT Line (NEL) and LRT combined. It has involved many man-years of design, planning, consultation and construction. On behalf of all residents who have benefitted, young and old, I want to thank all those who have helped to make LUP possible – HDB engineers, architects and planners, Branch office and Town Council staff, Advisers and grassroots leaders, consultants, contractors and their workers, both foreign and local.

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13. As we near the end of the programme, it is timely to take stock of the long 10– year journey we have taken.

13.1. Over the years, we have significantly increased the number of blocks that will benefit under LUP. When we first announced LUP in 2001, we set the target of bringing direct lift access to all high-rise HDB blocks, numbering some 4,400 blocks. These were blocks that were built before 1990, because lifts built after 1990 had lift access.

13.2. Subsequently in 2005, encouraged by positive feedback and more requests from the house, we went on to extend the LUP to about 900 low-rise blocks, if they could be done within the cost cap. If you recall, at that time, blocks four, five floors and below were not eligible for LUP. We changed that in 2005.

13.3. Because of our ageing population, we also committed in 2005 to complete LUP for eligible blocks within 10 years, i.e. by 2014, so that elderly residents can benefit from direct lift access more quickly.

13.4. This effort to bring direct lift access to as many blocks as possible, as quickly as possible, was not only massive in scale but also called for considerable innovation. HDB piloted many new technologies so that LUP costs could be lowered and more blocks could qualify. For example, blocks in estates like and are affected by height constraints. So, blocks in these estates could not accommodate a higher lift machine room at the top of the block for the lifts to serve additional storeys. In 2006, HDB piloted a new lift system, called the machine room-less system (MRL), that did not require machine rooms at all. As a result, we could now implement LUP for such blocks in Tampines and Pasir Ris. Residents here are now very happy because top floors are now able to get the lifts. HDB also experimented with different types of lifts such as bubble lifts and smaller “home lifts” to bring down the cost of LUP. Their lighter weight meant less foundation and structural costs, and we were able to bring LUP to more low-rise blocks. Such lifts were installed in towns like Yishun and .

13.5. HDB also found that many blocks were not as ‘standard’ and LUP implementation not as straightforward as they thought. HDB had to think of many innovative designs to bring lift access to these blocks. For some flats, HDB had to build a “long bridge” from the new lift shaft to residents’ flats. These solutions can be seen in towns like Pasir Ris, Bishan, and Choa Chu Kang. Then they came up with a “short bridge” solution, which is a variation of the

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“long bridge” solution. It actually means that you bring lift access through the balcony of apartments. This solution can be found in towns such as Jurong East, Bedok, Yishun and Woodlands. I recount all this just to illustrate that this was not a straightforward exercise by any means. It required a lot of money, effort, and innovative thinking. That is why this is such a special exercise to bring lift accessibility to all.

14. The result of HDB’s relentless pursuit of new technologies and creative solutions is a significant reduction in the number of blocks that are ineligible for lift upgrading -- from 1,000 to around 200 blocks.

15. I would like to assure residents that HDB will continue to do its best to extend LUP to as many blocks as possible.

16. However, despite HDB’s best efforts, we cannot do so, then we will have to think about other options. Mr and Mr Ang Mong Seng asked about the options for residents in such blocks. We will have to study how we can help this group of residents, especially those who are genuinely in need of lift access because they are frail with age, or are handicapped or wheelchair-bound We will study how we can help this group of residents. Perhaps relocating them to flats with direct lift access is one way. We target to announce our plans later this year.

Home Improvement Programme (HIP) 17. As the LUP works tail off, we will shift our focus to other key upgrading programmes, such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) which provides new community facilities for residents of all ages to enjoy, and the Home Improvement Programme (HIP).

18. In particular, we will focus on the HIP which provides practical improvements within the flat to enhance living conditions for residents and support ageing-in-place of the elderly. There are two categories of improvements under HIP. First, the programme provides essential improvements, such as the repair of spalling concrete that may arise as flats age, and the replacement of old pipe sockets with new clothes-drying racks. Er was very concerned that the elderly would not be able to reach out and hang their clothes. This is a new design, and it will be provided under the HIP under essential improvements. Second, residents can also select from a list of optional items such as toilet upgrading, which includes the installation of elderly-friendly features such as pedestal toilets, grab bars and lever taps which are easier for the elderly to use. The replacement of main door and grille gate is also an optional item that is popular among residents.

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19. Mdm , Er Lee Bee Wah and Mr Cedric Foo asked about the pace of these upgrading programmes. Dr Ahmad Magad was also concerned that the elderly would have to wait a long time for elderly-friendly improvements to their flats. We have already doubled the number of projects selected annually for NRP and HIP from 7 to 14 per year, over the last two years. These are very large programmes, and they require a large budget. Therefore, their pace depends on the financial resources available. Nevertheless, with LUP coming to a close, we will be increasing the pace for HIP. We will double the number of projects selected to 28 next year (FY2012), and increase further to 35 projects per year by 2014. Over the next 5 years (2012 to 2016), this will allow us to offer HIP to about 60 per cent of the eligible precincts, there is an age cut-off, remaining after this year’s selection. This means that about 160,000 more households, including the elderly, will benefit from the HIP. If we continue at this pace and if the budget is available, we should be able to finish offering HIP to all eligible precincts in ten years or so.

20. Apart from our efforts to support accessibility and ageing-in-place in HDB estates, we are also doing more for private estates, as suggested by Er Lee Bee Wah. I would like to inform her that we will be doing so. We have been working with the private estates to incorporate barrier-free and elder-friendly features when they are selected for the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP). But again, like the HDB upgrading programmes which have cost caps and norms, the private estates would usually undergo a consultation exercise to prioritise their plans to make the best use of their budget. And this varies from estates to estates. When her estate is selected for EUP, and they wish to use the funds for barrier-free accessibility, they can do so. When she nominates the estates that she is talking about, we will be able to go into details later on.

Carpark Improvements 21. Next, let me talk briefly about carpark improvement works, quite a hot issue recently. Over the past five years, HDB’s season parking demand increased by 33 per cent along with car population growth. While overall parking capacity remains adequate, there are localised shortages. Dr Ahmad Magad and Mr asked about the measures to cope with this.

22. HDB has adopted a two-pronged approach for these localised areas. First – increasing supply. HDB will be building 5,000 new carpark lots, including multi-storey carparks, from 2010 to 2012, at a cost of $66m. 1,600 lots were completed in 2010, another 1,800 lots will be added this year, and the rest next year. Second – managing parking demand. I think we need to always take this approach of not just increasing supply but also managing demand. One way is to install the Electronic Parking System. HDB has begun the installation of Electronic Parking Systems in another 300 existing car parks to regulate short term parking demand. HDB has also grouped some carparks together so that season parking ticket holders have access to alternative car parks. If you find that this carpark is full, you will be able to park in the next adjoining carpark. If demand is high, HDB will give priority for season

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parking to the first car of households, as suggested by Dr Ahmad Magad. This does not mean you will get a carpark just next to your flat. But you will have a season carpark to park in a red lot near your flat. I know there are some residents who have asked if I can reserve this lot because I am just living upstairs. The answer is sorry, you can’t.

23. With these measures, HDB expects the localised parking shortages to improve. In fact, majority of the carparks are now able to cater to the first car of households. However, there is ultimately a limit to the number of new carparks that can be provided in land-scarce Singapore. So the more fundamental solution is to work with LTA to facilitate greater usage of public transport, by integrating rail and bus networks within HDB estates.

Taking Estate Renewal Together 24. The estate renewal efforts are a substantial investment, about $1 billion every year for the next 10 years. If you break that down into individual households that qualify for LUP, HIP and NRP, they could receive up to $55,000 in upgrading subsidies. In 2011, around 50,000 households will benefit from these schemes, with a further 300,000 families benefitting in the following five years.

25. These upgrading programmes will help to sustain the value of HDB flats for home owners, ensure that older flats stay relevant to Singaporeans’ needs and serve as long-term homes where we bond with our neighbours and community.

26. I fully agree with Ms Indranee Rajah that we should encourage HDB residents to be gracious neighbours, and promote greater community bonding. HDB has made some efforts e.g. handbook on “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” of high-rise living to raise awareness among residents, collaborated with People’s Association to organise the Good Neighbour Award. I guess if you are not socially aware, you are not going to read the handbooks nor would you be concerned about the award. So I think you have to do more.

27. So it cannot just be HDB or town councils alone. Residents should also play a role and not run to the MPs or HDB everytime there is a problem. There are mechanisms in place for mediation, for grassroots leaders to talk to them and visit the place. I think this process should be started by residents themselves. We would do the basic – educate and increase awareness – but I think it depends on all the efforts of everyone who is concerned.

28. Ultimately, we need a combination of the hardware and the “heartware”. Hardware – we will build community spaces, RC centres, elderly-residents’ corners.

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It is the heartware that will make our estates sustainable, long-term homes and communities for Singaporeans.

Remaking Our City 29. Sir, let me talk about the longer term remaking of our city and nation. Several members asked how we can support a growing population while preserving a good quality of life. That is indeed the key question that we seek to answer under the Concept Plan 2011. This is a national land-use planning exercise which we conduct every 10 years, and which will map out our land use strategies and the vision for the physical development of Singapore over the next 40 to 50 years.

30. To answer Dr and Mr Cedric Foo, yes, we are keeping the planning parameter of 6.5 million people by 2055 under this Concept Plan exercise. We are keeping the same planning parameter. It is not a target. It is a planning scenario we will use; we need to know the population parameter in order to formulate our land use strategies. How many schools, roads or houses we should set aside for the population? The actual population of Singapore in the years ahead will depend on many social, economic, and political factors.

31. Over the past year, the URA has conducted extensive public consultation and heard the hopes and aspirations of Singaporeans from all walks of life. It is now undertaking the challenging task of reconciling all the diverse needs of the various agencies and people from all walks of lives within this 700 sq km. Defence, housing, transportation, industries, leisure, you name it – all these various needs to be accommodated within this 700 square kilometres. We will have to make trade-offs between different needs, and even be prepared to change the way we live, work and play. But with careful planning, we can still enjoy a quality living environment even as our economy and population expand. We will need to invest significant fiscal resources to achieve this.

Supporting growth 32.1. First, we will invest heavily to expand our land as much as we can by intensifying the use of existing land, reclaiming more land and creating underground space. That is going to take up a lot of financial resources, and that is what Ms has said in her Budget debate speech.

32.2. Second, we will invest to rejuvenate key areas of our city, to make space for new industries and commercial activities and to continue to make Singapore relevant for global headquarters and the financial and business sectors.

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Safeguarding quality of life 32.3. Third, we will invest to create new towns and HDB estates to accommodate a bigger population, as well as upgrading our existing towns. We will be injecting more housing units across the island, especially in the Central and West areas to improve the job-worker distribution and bring jobs closer to homes. If we can redress this imbalance somewhat, we will be able to reduce or mitigate the pressure on the transportation network, but not totally eliminate it.

32.4. Fourth, we will invest to expand our rail and road network to provide better connectivity for residents.

32.5. Fifth, we will invest in new infrastructure to make Singapore a City for All Ages – what Mr talked about – one that is friendly to the old, the young and families.

33. Specifically, to address Ms Fatimah, Ms Jessica, and Ms Paulin Straughan’s questions, we will consciously safeguard land for leisure, social facilities and amenities for people. For instance, we will be factoring in the needs of an ageing population, and this includes the suggestion by Ms Paulin Straughan to build retirement communities or villages. Whether the retirement communities or villages are to be built by HDB, public sector agencies or private agencies; that is something we have to discuss. We have to set aside land for such future housing typologies, as well as for healthcare, nursing homes and other facilities that will cater to the elderly. But we may integrate different facilities to intensify the use of land, or require a greater usage of public rather than private transport. Of course, we will not forget our heritage and collective memories even as we rejuvenate our city, so as to keep us rooted to this place we call home

34. A public exhibition to showcase the key ideas and strategies of the draft Concept Plan 2011 will be held toward the end of the year. We will seek more public feedback before finalising Concept Plan 2011.

Downtown 35. But Singaporeans need not wait 50 years to see change. Our lives will change for the better even in the next five years.

36. Mr Cedric Foo asked about the Marina Bay. Developments around Marina Bay started 10 years ago. Some projects completed last year and this year, but there is more to come within the next two years. The Art Science Museum has just

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opened, and construction of the new International Cruise Terminal will be completed at the end of this year. The much awaited saw the completion of one of its jewels – the Flower Dome cool-dry conservatory – just last month. The Gardens will welcome visitors from Jun next year. I have asked NParks to invite advisers and community groups to preview the Gardens in the months leading up to the official opening. The Gardens will be a world-class attraction and a premier garden for Singaporeans and visitors to enjoy.

Regional Growth Areas 37. It is not just in the Marina Bay alone that developments are taking place. Our new regional growth areas have also taken off.

37.1. Within the next five years, Kallang Riverside will become our newest waterfront destination. We can expect to see hotels along the riverfront, with paranomic views of the Kallang River and city. When completed by 2014, the Sports Hub will have a new 55,000-capacity National Stadium to bring back the Kallang roar, a 6,000-capacity indoor aquatic centre, a 3,000-capacity multi- purpose arena, and a water sports centre. The Kallang Airport Terminal building, hangars and the Central Lawn, which are conserved, will be transformed into a lifestyle destination.

37.2. Paya Lebar Central will transform into an attractive commercial hub at the fringe of the city to complement the Central Business District. Construction of a new pedestrian mall along Geylang Road is expected to complete by 2013. The new pedestrian mall will be flanked by outdoor kiosks and sidewalk cafes, and will provide more space for stalls during the popular annual Hari Raya Bazaar. Later this year, WDA will also start constructing its Continuing Education & Training (CET) Campus East.

38. In summary, to answer Mr Cedric Foo on how our future city will be like -- it will be an outstanding city, one that is high-rise high-density yet liveable, vibrant yet sustainable, and cosmopolitan yet cohesive.

Conclusion 39. Sir, our long-term vision is an ambitious one – we want to develop Singapore into an endearing home with a heart and a global city with a soul. By planning and investing ahead early, we believe that we will be able to build a better Singapore for Singaporeans.

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