Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“While it remains to be seen if some of these shifts will persist in the “new normal” beyond COVID-19, we are actively monitoring these trends and adjusting our land use strategies to satisfy both the needs of today, and the possibilities and challenges of tomorrow. To meet our growing and changing needs, we have been, and will continue to adopt a range of development options. This includes increasing the density of developments – building higher, and building more densely, while ensuring liveability. So there is a limit. We are also co-locating suitable uses. For example, the upcoming Punggol Town Hub will feature a public library, community centre, hawker centre, and health services. All co-located for one-stop, convenient access for our residents. We are also co-locating a Water Reclamation Plant and an Integrated Waste Management Facility at Tuas Nexus, and a 4-in-1 rail and bus depot in the East Coast. Such projects save us hectares of land. We are also redeveloping brownfield sites such as golf courses, old school sites, or industrial areas, as leases expire. For example, last year, we launched the former First Toa Payoh Secondary School site for public housing, after the school was merged. Many Members might also remember that Bishan used to be a cemetery. Going forward, when the lease for the Keppel Club Golf Course expires, we will use the land to develop public and private housing. Land taken back from Jurong Country Club, Raffles Country Club, Marina Bay Golf Course from 2024 and Orchid Country Club from 2030, will also be used to meet other needs. By 2030, we would have taken back more than 400 hectares of golf course land for redevelopment.”
“For example, there is a growing trend of smaller households as more young couples, singles and their parents choose to have their own flats instead of staying with their extended families as it was so in the past. Indeed, Members of this House have championed some of these needs and more. The average household size in HDB dwellings was 3.07 in 2019, compared to 4.24 in 1990. Or take a more recent development like COVID-19, which continues to affect our lives in many ways, and has thrown up new land use challenges. Apart from the fact that working from home became the norm for many of us, the pandemic also reminded us that supply disruptions are a very real concern. For example, given the supply tightness that the world experienced for certain food and medical items, our agencies are looking to strengthen local resilience of some of our resource systems, such as for food. This may mean increasing local production and storage capacity for such resources, where feasible. The pandemic has also demonstrated the importance of having buffer sites for emergency uses, which we were able to activate quickly for quarantine and recovery facilities, and temporary housing of our migrant workers. Meanwhile, trends such as tele-commuting and e-commerce have accelerated, raising questions about how much office and retail space we might really need in the long term. Our economic imperatives may also shift and evolve after the pandemic, as technology changes and advances, so we will need to take a good, hard look at land use needs for the future.”
“These tensions are inherent in land use planning everywhere, but felt much more acutely in a small city-state like Singapore. Sustainable development for Singapore over the long term also means that we need to recycle and reuse our limited land, while incorporating flexibility into our plans, to meet the changing needs and aspirations of each new generation. We must continue to plan ahead to support our collective vision for Singapore, not just for ourselves, but for our children and theirs. Our land use needs today are quite different from those of yesteryear, and will continue to evolve. Let me use Public Housing as an example. Today, we continue to see a high demand for new HDB flats. In 2020, the overall application rate for BTO flats was 5.8 times. This means that for each BTO flat, we broadly get between 5 and 6 Singaporean applicants. This is driven partly by marriage and family formation. Between 2015 and 2019, the annual average number of citizen marriages registered was 23,600, higher than the annual average of 22,400 registered between 2010 and 2014. In the near term, we expect more demand from the larger “Echo” Baby Boomers cohorts (born in late 1980s to 1990s) as they enter into the marriageable age. For comparison, we built an average of 16,200 new HDB flats each year over the same period, to cater to BTO demand by all buyer groups, and not just newly-weds. For completeness, other housing options, of course, including HDB resale flats, ECs, private property, open market rental flats or living with family members, remain. We therefore need to continue building to meet the demand and aspirations of young families. On top of that, our public housing demand is also partly driven by changing social structures.”
“Members have asked about development plans for green spaces in Singapore, including specific sites at Clementi and Ulu Pandan. I will first address our overall approach to land use planning and nature conservation, and then talk about specific sites. Let me start with our approach to land use. We are a city, 728 square kilometres of land area in all. But we are also a city-state. Our land use considerations are therefore quite different from most other cities. This is because, unlike most other cities which have large hinterlands, we have to cater for everything that a country needs within the limits of our city, instead of far beyond its limits in the cases of other cities. These include uses such as airports and seaports, airbases and military training ground, reservoirs, incineration and power plants, agriculture, and so much more. Our approach to conservation as a city-state is also quite different. For example, in other cities, you travel out, sometimes for many hours on the motor-way, to enjoy natural greenery and nature. But in Singapore, our wild spaces are right in our midst. With our gem, the Central Catchment and Bukit Timah Nature Reserves, nestled in the green heart of our city. We have always taken a long-term view towards land use planning, with stewardship and sustainability as core, long-held principles. Given our small size, we have been, and have to be, judicious in stewarding our scarce land resources to support Singapore’s development as well as in our aspiration to be a City in Nature. We have to constantly balance demands and trade-offs across a wide variety of needs, including housing, green spaces, infrastructure, community facilities, workplaces, amongst others.”
“Currently, HDB only buys Land from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), the custodian of State Land in Singapore, for HDB’s public housing developments. In FY 2019/2020, HDB paid SLA about $3.2 billion for the purchase of State Land. This information can be found in HDB’s annual financial statements report, which is published on HDB’s website.”
“The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) generally conducts the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) examination three times a year. In 2021, the RES examination will be held in February, June and October, which are the usual months for the examination. The conduct of each RES examination requires the careful setting of examination questions so as to ensure that candidates who join the real estate agency industry meet the required standards. In view of the COVID-19 situation, CEA has restarted the conduct of the RES examination on a smaller scale so as to ensure the safety of examination candidates and the personnel conducting the examination. Recognising the demand for the RES examination, CEA will increase the capacity for the examination for future runs this year, subject to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. CEA is also exploring other modes of conducting the RES examination, such as conducting computer-based examinations at designated location(s), while ensuring that the integrity of the examinations is maintained.”
“In 2020, NParks received more than 8,100 cases of feedback on bird feeding, or an average of about 675 cases per month. 16 composition notices and 40 warning letters were issued for the feeding of birds during this period.”
“Under the Community Dispute Management Framework, disputing parties can also seek mediation at the Community Mediation Centre, or in more intractable cases, refer the matter to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal. We should not resort to excessive enforcement, as doing so is not only intrusive, but also destroys the social fabric. HDB residents with feedback on renovation works may contact HDB’s branch service line at 1800-225-5432 or the Essential Maintenance Service Unit after office hours. Residents in strata-titled developments may approach the management corporation or managing agent for assistance.”
“Certain renovation works that may affect the structural integrity of the HDB block, such as the demolition of walls and hacking of flooring, require a renovation permit from HDB. Currently, renovation contractors who have applied for a HDB renovation permit for such works on behalf of flat owners have to put up the notice of renovation outside the flat during the renovation period. The contractor is also required to serve a notice at least three days in advance to the surrounding flats within a 2-unit radius from the unit undergoing renovation. To improve outreach to residents, HDB is exploring digital options such as the use of the OneService app to keep the residents of the block informed of the units undergoing renovation. In a high-density living environment, some amount of noise is inevitable. It is important that residents do their part by showing consideration for their neighbours, such as by keeping the noise level down. In light of the COVID-19 situation and with more households working from home, we understand that some residents may be affected by renovation noise. However, there is a need to balance the needs of the owners who wish to complete their renovations early, and those of residents affected by the works. Mutual understanding and tolerance will facilitate the completion of works and allow new owners to move in as soon as possible. While HDB will investigate and take necessary actions against contractors who are found to have infringed the rules, in most instances, residents and contractors cooperate when alerted to feedback about noise, and will take measures to minimise the inconvenience to their neighbours.”
“Executive Condominium (EC) buyers purchase their ECs directly from the private developers and enter into a Sale and Purchase (S&P) Agreement with the developers. Under the S&P Agreement, the EC developer is responsible for all defects within the development during the 12-month Defects Liability Period. The EC developer is also contractually obliged to attend to all feedback from buyers on the design, finishing, workmanship or other concerns pertaining to the development, and to respond to the buyers accordingly. As EC buyers generally give feedback on defects directly to the EC developer, HDB does not have records of the number of feedback and complaints received. Nevertheless, when HDB receives any feedback from EC buyers, they will be conveyed to the EC developer for the necessary follow-up. All EC developments are required to submit an application to be assessed under the Construction Quality Assessment System (CONQUAS). To safeguard the interest of home buyers, BCA has introduced an additional tier under CONQUAS in October 2019 to impose 100% checks on all locations within all units of the development if a developer has at least one private residential development in the past three years with a significant number of major defects.”
“HDB takes a needs-based approach in assessing requests for public rental flats, and the $1,500 income guideline is not a hard cap or ceiling. Individuals with income exceeding $1,500 can still apply for a public rental flat. HDB will evaluate each application holistically and consider factors such as whether the applicant has other housing options. The income thresholds across social assistance schemes differ as the schemes meet different needs and have different target groups. For the Public Rental Scheme, we use $1,500 as a guideline because first-timer households with this income are generally able to buy a new flat with the help of our generous housing grants, and we want to encourage them to own their own homes.”
“HDB has implemented the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for over 5,000 blocks. There are about 150 blocks where it is not feasible to implement LUP due to high cost, or existing technical or site constraints. For such blocks, HDB will continue to explore new technical methods to bring down LUP costs and to improve accessibility for residents living in flats without direct lift access. Hence, we need not make a "final decision" on LUP at this point. In the meantime, residents living in these blocks who are in urgent need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or mobility reasons will be eligible for the Lift access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $30,000 when they buy another flat with direct lift access. All flat owners who have taken possession of another flat are given a grace period of 6 months to dispose of their existing flat. This also applies to those who have purchased another flat with the LHG. For flat owners who face difficulties selling their existing flat, HDB can grant an extension of time on a case-by-case basis. Flat owners who need further assistance can approach their HDB Branch for a discussion, and HDB will see how best to assist them.”
“The OneMillionTrees movement was launched in April 2020 to involve the community in planting one million additional trees across Singapore between 2020 and 2030, and to foster greater stewardship of our greenery and nature in Singaporeans. These one million trees will sequester an estimated 78,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. As the trees continue to mature, their carbon sequestration capacities will continue to increase. Currently, almost 150,000 trees have been planted under the movement. These efforts have involved more than 1,000 participants from our Friends of the Parks communities, schools, nature groups, corporate partners and other organisations. The OneMillionTrees movement also contributes towards our larger vision of transforming Singapore into a City in Nature, where we are extending and enhancing our green spaces, strengthening the connectivity between them, and integrating greenery into our built environment. This is on top of our existing greenery replacement measures to offset clearance due to development, such as replacement tree planting and increasing greenery and other natural elements in urban areas. Through our various greenery efforts, we will enhance liveability and climate resilience, strengthen biodiversity conservation and improve access to nature for all Singaporeans.”
“HDB is continuously working on methods to reduce heat in our HDB estates. Under the Green Towns Programme for all existing HDB towns, HDB will be working with Town Councils to pilot the application of cool coatings on building facades and driveways. If this is assessed to be effective, the application of cool coatings can be extended island-wide. Solar panels will also be installed at more HDB block rooftops as part of the Programme. In 2020, HDB announced a new solar target of 540 MWp to be installed on 70% of HDB blocks island-wide by 2030. This is more than double the previous target. These solar panels may shade the top of the roof from direct glare of the sun, hence potentially reducing heat experienced by residents. In addition, urban farms, extensive greenery and community gardens will be gradually introduced to the top decks of Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCPs) which can support these features. Besides offering visual and spatial relief, the greenery is expected to reduce the ambient temperature of our estates.”
“There are typically between 30 to 70 hotels operating as Stay-Home Notice (SHN) dedicated facilities (SDFs). MND works with agencies such as MTI, MOM, MOE and ICA to match the supply of SDFs with forecasted demand. We have built flexibility in the system and worked with our hotel partners to put in place arrangements that allow us to be agile in activating and standing down capacity as required. The contracts for facilities will be renewed, so long as they continue to be needed to manage the risk of imported cases. There are about 15,000 individuals currently in SDFs. This figure changes depending on the external COVID environment, our border control policies, travel demand and other factors. A key consideration in our planning is ensuring sufficient vacant SDF capacity to accommodate returning Singaporeans who are welcome to return home at any point in time. We will continue to monitor the trends and evolving COVID-19 situation closely and adjust our active SDF capacity accordingly. Protecting the community from imported cases is our priority, and the SDF system that we have in place today is critical to ensure that travellers can be effectively isolated until they are found to be free of COVID-19. In balancing between the cost of SDFs and allowing inflow of travellers to meet our economic and social support needs (e.g. foreign domestic workers), we must ensure that we do not compromise our ability to isolate travellers arriving from higher risk countries. Since, 1 January 2021, all incoming travellers have to pay for their stay at SDF hotels.”
“There are various interim housing options available to young married couples with children who are waiting for their BTO flats to be completed. Most continue to stay with their families, while some choose to rent on the open market. For those who need further assistance, HDB already has in place the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) under which such couples can apply to rent a flat. Married couples with children enjoy priority in flat selection under the PPHS. We encourage flat buyers to take into account the lead time needed for the completion of their new flats, and consider the full range of housing options available to best meet their housing needs. Those who prefer to move in sooner can consider buying a resale flat, and tap on the various housing grants available for the purchase.”
“Singaporeans who own a local or overseas residential property can buy a resale flat if they meet the eligibility conditions for HDB flat purchases and dispose of their private property within six months from the date of the resale flat purchase. This requirement is consistent with the intent for HDB flats to be homes for long-term owner-occupation. It deters speculative purchases of HDB flats, thus helping to keep them affordable, and also prioritises our limited supply of HDB flats for home seekers who do not own other properties.”
“Couples applying for a new flat within 4km of their parents’ residence, can qualify for the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS). Under the MCPS, up to 30% of the flat supply is set aside for eligible first-timer families, while up to 15% of the flat supply is set aside for second-timer families. In addition, couples who wish to live near their parents may consider the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS). This scheme allows a married couple and their parents to make a joint application for two new flats in the same BTO project, and enjoy priority allocation. The parents can book up to a 3-room flat. Couples who wish to live with their parents can also apply for a 3Gen flat. 3Gen flats are larger than 5-room flats, and come with four bedrooms and two en-suite bathrooms. As these flats are designed for multi-generational living, only multi-generational families are eligible to buy them. For resale flats, eligible couples that buy a resale flat within 4km of their parents’ residence can qualify for a Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) of $20,000. If they buy a resale flat to live with their parents, they can qualify for a PHG of $30,000.”
“Collectively, these efforts allow agencies to address residents’ feedback in a timely manner.”
“Public construction projects comprise the development of land to meet public needs, such as for public housing, transport, and essential utilities. Within our urbanised environment, we recognise the need to minimise and mitigate the disruptions caused by construction projects on surrounding communities. Large-scale public land development projects are coordinated and planned upfront by development agencies such as HDB and JTC to minimise and mitigate the impact on surrounding communities, nature and businesses. The Municipal Services Office (MSO) under MND has also begun pilot trials to collate schedules of planned infrastructure works across several public agencies, with a view to consolidate and stagger works where possible. Construction works are also subject to requirements to mitigate their impact on surrounding communities. For example, to alleviate noise disamenities, all contractors, must comply with the noise limits stipulated in the Environmental Protection and Management (Control of Noise at Construction Sites) Regulations. Contractors must also comply with the Environmental Public Health Act and implement dust mitigating measures such as using netting or covers for aggregate and sand storage, and screening construction activities off from public places. Public agencies are committed to respond quickly and effectively to residents’ feedback on dis-amenities from construction works. Residents can provide feedback on such dis-amenities via MSO’s OneService app, which allows seamless case referral between agencies for expedient follow-up. Together with agencies such as LTA, HDB, PUB and NParks, MSO has also worked out escalation protocols to ensure that complex cases are escalated to the appropriate authorities when needed for prompt action.”
“The Temporary Development Levy (TDL) is payable when temporary enhancement of land value occurs when Temporary Permission (TP) is granted, for a temporary change-of-use or minor building works. Under Section 40B of the Planning Act, the TDL shall be paid for by the owner of the premises or the applicant for the TP. URA does not prescribe which party should pay the TDL – it is up to the relevant stakeholders to discuss and make a commercial decision.”
“And ultimately, looking at it from macro-perspective as the Community Care Apartments seek to close a gap in the overall continuum of housing options for our seniors in their golden years – whether indeed it plays the part of enabling a senior to right-size to a smaller home that they can manage better in terms of housekeeping, as compared to a larger home that they owned in their earlier days when their children lived with them; as they move to a new environment, there is that social communal kind of relationships that are forged with their neighbours in the apartments; whether they are kept involved and engaged in the community and interested in the community and in active pursuits of activities. And ultimately, it is the ability to make a more gradual support framework that escalates based on their needs; and as some seniors increasingly become frailer and have more care requirements, having priority access to a nursing home nearby.”
“I think the Member is right. In evaluating this pilot, we look beyond just the market response to a housing option like this because this is not just housing; it is housing plus social support and care options integrated together. And therefore, in evaluating this pilot, we look at a number of things. For example, getting feedback from the seniors as well as their care-givers and family members on the layout of the Community Care Apartments, on the communal spaces that we are providing, on the programming that we are offering, on the care services, both the basic as well as the optional care services that we are providing to them. We are also looking at whether the Community Care Apartments and the programming we are providing as well as the support that comes with it, whether it adds and supports and promotes the overall well-being of our seniors in a holistic way – both the physical well-being, emotional well-being and relational well-being. Thirdly, for a new housing concept like this, we also want to evaluate the new models such as joint balloting. For this particular scheme, we allow seniors who are family members or friends to jointly ballot and if they ballot successfully, then both can select the apartments; and ideally on the same floor next to each other. So, new models that seek to try to enable the kind of relationships that seniors would like to continue with, despite moving to a new home.”
“Yes, we are already studying and actively looking at how and what options may be available for persons with disability who may want to live independently in the community. For the Community Care Apartments, apart from the age criterion, a person with physical disability may benefit from the Care Apartment model. If a younger person with disability, and it is a physical disability, would like facilities such as these, we are certainly studying that. But, of course, there other forms of disability that we may need to look at, and the availability of community based services in a model such as this. But we are actively looking at it.”
“Mr Speaker, this is the very first pilot. We have scoped it. We want to see what the demand is and how people respond to a care continuum option like this. But nevertheless, if appeals come in, we will consider making exceptions to the two cases that the Member had mentioned. But I think we want to make sure that we can first, evaluate the pilot, at least the first site, for the target group that this was intended for. Nevertheless, in the steady state, we will certainly look at the exceptional cases like this. In the first case, if one is below 65 years old but a care-giver, I think we can look at the situation and exercise discretion. On the second, I have asked my team, beyond the pilot for Community Care Apartments for seniors, to look at the model for persons with disability and independent living in the community.”
“Mr Speaker, jointly developed by MND, MOH and HDB, the Community Care Apartments integrate senior-friendly housing with care services that can be scaled according to individual care needs, with the aim of better supporting our seniors to age in place. The first pilot at Bukit Batok will be launched for sale in February 2021 – which is this month – in our HDB Build-To-Order exercise. The number of Singaporeans who may be eligible for the Community Care Apartments will depend on their age, the income levels and in the case of this pilot, we give priority to those with need for assistance with their activities of daily living. The demand for the Community Care Apartments will also depend on seniors' budget, preferences and care needs. We have plans for the Community Care Apartments to be piloted at additional sites if the take-up rate and public response for the first pilot at Bukit Batok is good. As this is a new housing concept, we will evaluate the initial pilots before developing longer term plans.”
“HDB flat owners are not allowed to install CCTV cameras at their unit's main door facing the common corridor or common areas, to protect the privacy of their neighbours. However, residents may install CCTV cameras at the main door if they are facing safety issues, such as harassment from unlicensed moneylenders. In such situations, the CCTV footage could aid the Police in the investigation. All requests for installation of CCTV cameras facing the common corridors or common areas must be supported by a Police report. If the installation is outside the flat, the Town Council's approval will also be required. The CCTV camera must not face the door or windows of another flat, and the installation is only allowed for a period of 6 months and has to be removed thereafter. In the last three years, HDB received about 361 cases of feedback from residents on CCTV camera-related disamenities. In such cases, HDB will look into the feedback, and if it finds that the resident has not sought HDB's approval to install the CCTV cameras, HDB will ask that the cameras be removed.”
“As with all HDB blocks, rental blocks upgraded under the Home Improvement Programme will be provided with external clothes drying racks amongst other improvements. Some older blocks which were previously upgraded under other programmes are still using the pipe socket laundry pole holders. We are studying the possibility of replacing the pipe socket holders in these blocks with other clothes drying rack solutions. HDB has implemented specific upgrading programmes for rental blocks, such as the Ad-Hoc Upgrading Programme and the Rental Flat Upgrading Project, which included external rewiring among other improvement works. Beyond these programmes, external rewiring is carried out as part of the Town Council’s cyclical works. HDB will continue to ensure that rental blocks are in good condition. This includes studying the need for additional improvements as the blocks age.”
“Flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of their flats, including repairs for general wear and tear. Nevertheless, HDB will help flat owners repair dislodged tiles originally provided by HDB for a period of up to 15 years. This is beyond the current industry standard of one year. For flats more than 15 years old, flat owners will need to engage their own contractors to carry out the tile replacement. HDB can provide owners with a list of repair contractors, whom they can then engage on a private basis. Residents who need financial assistance with the cost of dislodged tile repairs can seek assistance from grassroots organisations and the Community Development Councils (CDCs). HDB will assist such residents by referring them to these community organisations. Over the past three years, CDCs have provided funding support to 146 households for repairs to dislodged tiles.”
“The average number of residents living in a public rental flat is 2.3. Most rental households with three or more members live in 2-room flats. Families that form two nuclei, such as grandparents living with parents and children, can apply for two rental flats and request for the flats to be in the same block, subject to vacancies. On a case-by-case basis, we will also be prepared to offer larger families a 3-room rental flat.”
“HDB received an average of 104 cases per 1,000 DUs over the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, and 105 cases per 1,000 DUs over the five-year period from 2016 to 2020. HDB does not have readily available data on water seepage cases before 2008.”
“Water seepage into flats after heavy downpours can be via the external walls of the flats, or via the rooftop, for flats located on the top floor. This is generally caused by wear and tear of the external walls and roofing material of HDB blocks, resulting in small cracks that allow water to seep through. The external walls and roof tops of HDB blocks are common property under the Town Councils' management and maintenance. Residents who encounter such water seepage issues typically report them to the Town Council managing their estate. MND does not collate data from Town Councils on the total number of such water seepage cases that are reported to the Town Councils, or the turnaround time that Town Councils take to completely resolve the cases. Nevertheless, if Town Councils face difficulties in resolving such cases, HDB will work with the Town Councils to resolve them by carrying out joint inspections and providing technical advice. For water seepage cases that have been reported to HDB directly and referred to Town Councils, the data is as follows: (a) For water seepage via external walls, HDB received an average of 11 cases per 1,000 dwelling units (DUs) over the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, and 15 cases per 1,000 DUs over the five-year period from 2016 to 2020. (b) For water seepage via roof tops, HDB received an average of 1.7 cases per 1,000 dwelling units (DUs) over the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, and 1 case per 1,000 DUs over the five-year period from 2016 to 2020. Water leakage can also occur as a result of water seeping from the floor of the upper floor unit to the ceiling of the lower floor unit. The cause of such leaks is generally wear and tear over time.”
“Our goal is to steward a home and City in Nature that all Singaporeans, in this generation and future ones, love and cherish.”
“As the same time, as part of such conversations, it is good for all of us to better understand the opportunities and constraints facing Singapore when it comes to balancing our land use needs. And if we recalibrate the balance between conservation and development, we also need to discuss what this would mean, in practical terms. For instance, in a TODAY commentary which I read over the weekend, a 24-year old SUSS student Mr Yeo Wei Jiang summed it up aptly. He said that preserving the natural environment should be Singapore's "top priority" and that "I am willing to commit to it even if it means waiting longer for a BTO, living in a more inconvenient area, or paying a higher price". Now some may resonate, others may not agree, but that's part of the conversation. Singaporeans' aspirations and views are evolving: on housing and property, on material pursuits, on family and society, on nature, and on the nature and form of work. At the same time, the world, the global economy around us, and technology are changing, and changing rapidly. And so too must our strategies and approaches, so that we can emerge a stronger nation, after this most difficult of tests. URA will engage Singaporeans later this year, as we do regularly every few years, to discuss our aspirations as a people, and gather ideas, inputs and partnerships, to formulate our long-term plans for a liveable and sustainable future. We invite everyone to join these conversations and to partner us in action. The Government will continue to regularly review our plans in partnership with the community, to support the aspirations and changing needs of our people, as consensus on the balance between environmental conservation and development evolves.”
“HDB has since received and continues to receive feedback and suggestions from nearby residents and members of the public. There has been a very wide range of views, and we thank everyone who has contributed so far. Some have called to retain the site fully for greenery and recreation, and to designate it as a Nature Park. Some have gone further to say that we should not build any more HDB flats, and halt all development. We can understand this sentiment too. Others have urged the Government to redevelop other sites instead, including older housing blocks, or existing school fields and running tracks in the area. Several have suggested that new housing and nature should co-exist on the site, for example, develop the eastern end where vegetation is less dense, while integrating mature trees into the new estate and preserving some of the streams. While there are diverse views, many who have written in appreciate the tension between the need for development, and nature conservation. We are studying the feedback in detail and welcome more Singaporeans to give their views and inputs, as we consider our plans for the Ulu Pandan site. Accordingly, HDB will extend the public consultation period for another four weeks, so please write in. We will carefully consider all the feedback received, and share our plans when ready. We are encouraged by the keen interest generated in our plans for Singapore and nature conservation. Indeed, mainstreaming of nature consciousness among Singaporeans is a key part of our strategy to become a City in Nature. This is a good time as concerns about sustainability are now at the top of our agenda.”
“The studies, as well as feedback received, guide the planning of the site, including mitigating measures to reduce the impact on the environment. We also seek to preserve and integrate natural elements within the development where possible, to facilitate ecological connectivity. We thank the nature groups for their close partnership in working with the relevant agencies to achieve these outcomes. Now, let me talk about the specific sites in Clementi and Ulu Pandan mentioned by Members. The site at Clementi was an abandoned rubber plantation, which has since been overgrown with Albizia trees which are not native to Singapore. In January this year, I explained to Parliament that the land had been zoned "Residential (Subject to Detailed Planning)" 23 years ago, since the Master Plan 1998. While there is no immediate need to develop the site for housing, we will retain the zoning of the site for now. This will give our future generations the option of deciding whether to use it for housing or to review its land use if the need arises. As for the site at Ulu Pandan, it used to be a rubber plantation, fruit orchard and kampongs. It is similarly overgrown with non-native trees after the settlement and agriculture were abandoned. Since the Master Plan 2003, the land had been zoned "Residential (Subject to Detailed Planning)". HDB engaged an external consultant to conduct an environmental baseline study (EBS) for Ulu Pandan, to guide HDB’s development plans and identify the native flora and fauna and their habitats. HDB then consulted nature groups to refine their plans for Ulu Pandan, incorporating the findings from the EBS. Subsequently, the EBS report was published online for public feedback.”
“These areas were abandoned, acquired by the Government for future redevelopment, and have over time become green spaces inhabited by indigenous flora and fauna. We will not only protect and enhance existing green spaces but will also extend our network with an additional 1,000 hectares of green spaces over the next 10 to 15 years, and weave greenery more intensively into our urban areas. In tandem, we will implement species recovery plans for 130 animal and plant species by 2030, to strengthen the conservation of our endangered and rare species. These efforts will restore existing ecological habitats for our wildlife, and provide Singaporeans with greater access and a more immersive experience in nature. Let me assure Members that we are committed to stewarding and protecting our green spaces. But given our physical constraints and scarce land area, there will be some greenfield sites that we might have to develop to meet our land use needs. Any decision to proceed is made only after detailed study of the trade-offs and alternatives. And where development cannot be avoided, we proceed with care. Developments near to sites with significant biodiversity undergo an in-depth consultation with Technical Agencies and may be subject to an environmental study to assess the possible environmental impact of development plans, including ecological connectivity. We also engage stakeholders, such as those from the nature community, to take in feedback and strengthen the rigour of the studies. Unless there are security considerations, the studies will be made publicly available, so that anyone can provide feedback on the findings and recommendations.”
“In fact, the Masterplan goes further than that, and in terms of our City in Nature ambitions, it includes the mindsets of our people, and their ability to be conscious and scientific in their understanding of nature, and to understand the stresses and tensions that we deal with as we seek to protect the biodiversity on our city-island. As a result of this approach, we have retained a number of ecologically important sites as green spaces, although they had initially been designated for other, human uses. For instance, the Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat had initially been planned for factory use. Yet, after careful study through biodiversity surveys and ecological modelling, we decided to keep it as a Nature Park given its ecological value. Similarly, while other green spaces such as Dairy Farm Nature Park and Rifle Range Nature Park could have been developed for housing, they have been retained as green buffers to our Nature Reserves instead. We’ve done this in many other areas too over time – Sungei Buloh, Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa, Kranji Marshes, Chestnut, Thomson, Khatib Bongsu, and Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Parks, and the Rail Corridor, to name a few. We are looking out for other areas, to enhance ecological connectivity and biodiversity. Today, we have safeguarded approximately 7,800 hectares of our land for Nature Reserves, Nature Areas, Nature Parks and other green spaces, such as parks and park connectors. These comprise key representative ecosystems and habitats for Singapore's native biodiversity. We need to remember that not all of these areas were untouched habitats. For example, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the upcoming Khatib Bongsu Nature Park were once prawn farming areas.”
“We will continue to carry out land reclamation where appropriate, and see how we can make use of underground spaces and deep cavern spaces for infrastructure, though the costs are high. We also undertake major long-term redevelopment moves when the opportunity arises, to re-imagine Singapore to advance our children’s interests, and those of their children. For example, the height restrictions over a large part of eastern and north-eastern Singapore will be lifted after the air base moves out of Paya Lebar, allowing us to intensify land use both in and around the site. We will also progressively redevelop the Greater Southern Waterfront after the port moves to Tuas, freeing up prime waterfront land for public and private housing, and other purposes. But many of these moves take time and require complex planning and careful coordination, because they affect people, homes, livelihoods, and industries. So we cannot redevelop these spaces overnight. There are also different trade-offs to weigh, including the compatibility of a new development with surrounding land uses, and the availability and capacity of supporting infrastructure, among many other considerations. Now let me move on to explain our approach when it comes to greenfield sites. Because of our commitment to land stewardship and sustainable development, we adopt a science-based approach to identify core biodiversity areas and surrounding buffers that we want to retain for future generations. Broadly, the considerations include ecological significance and connectivity of habitats. The 4-pronged Nature Conservation Masterplan sets out the strategies to safeguard these green spaces.”
“While it remains to be seen if some of these shifts will persist in the "new normal" beyond COVID-19, we are actively monitoring these trends and adjusting our land use strategies to satisfy both the needs of today, and the possibilities and challenges of tomorrow. To meet our growing and changing needs, we have been, and will continue to adopt a range of development options. This includes increasing the density of developments – building higher, and building more densely, while ensuring liveability. So there is a limit. We are also co-locating suitable uses. For example, the upcoming Punggol Town Hub will feature a public library, community centre, hawker centre, and health services. All co-located for one-stop, convenient access for our residents. We are also co-locating a Water Reclamation Plant and an Integrated Waste Management Facility at Tuas Nexus, and a 4-in-1 rail and bus depot in the East Coast. Such projects save us hectares of land. We are also redeveloping brownfield sites such as golf courses, old school sites, or industrial areas, as leases expire. For example, last year, we launched the former First Toa Payoh Secondary School site for public housing, after the school was merged. Many Members might also remember that Bishan used to be a cemetery. Going forward, when the lease for the Keppel Club Golf Course expires, we will use the land to develop public and private housing. Land taken back from Jurong Country Club, Raffles Country Club, Marina Bay Golf Course from 2024 and Orchid Country Club from 2030, will also be used to meet other needs. By 2030, we would have taken back more than 400 hectares of golf course land for redevelopment.”
“For example, there is a growing trend of smaller households as more young couples, singles and their parents choose to have their own flats instead of staying with their extended families as it was so in the past. Indeed, Members of this House have championed some of these needs and more. The average household size in HDB dwellings was 3.07 in 2019, compared to 4.24 in 1990. Or take a more recent development like COVID-19, which continues to affect our lives in many ways, and has thrown up new land use challenges. Apart from the fact that working from home became the norm for many of us, the pandemic also reminded us that supply disruptions are a very real concern. For example, given the supply tightness that the world experienced for certain food and medical items, our agencies are looking to strengthen local resilience of some of our resource systems, such as for food. This may mean increasing local production and storage capacity for such resources, where feasible. The pandemic has also demonstrated the importance of having buffer sites for emergency uses, which we were able to activate quickly for quarantine and recovery facilities, and temporary housing of our migrant workers. Meanwhile, trends such as tele-commuting and e-commerce have accelerated, raising questions about how much office and retail space we might really need in the long term. Our economic imperatives may also shift and evolve after the pandemic, as technology changes and advances, so we will need to take a good, hard look at land use needs for the future.”
“These tensions are inherent in land use planning everywhere, but felt much more acutely in a small city-state like Singapore. Sustainable development for Singapore over the long term also means that we need to recycle and reuse our limited land, while incorporating flexibility into our plans, to meet the changing needs and aspirations of each new generation. We must continue to plan ahead to support our collective vision for Singapore, not just for ourselves, but for our children and theirs. Our land use needs today are quite different from those of yesteryear, and will continue to evolve. Let me use Public Housing as an example. Today, we continue to see a high demand for new HDB flats. In 2020, the overall application rate for BTO flats was 5.8 times. This means that for each BTO flat, we broadly get between 5 and 6 Singaporean applicants. This is driven partly by marriage and family formation. Between 2015 and 2019, the annual average number of citizen marriages registered was 23,600, higher than the annual average of 22,400 registered between 2010 and 2014. In the near term, we expect more demand from the larger "Echo" Baby Boomers cohorts (born in late 1980s to 1990s) as they enter into the marriageable age. For comparison, we built an average of 16,200 new HDB flats each year over the same period, to cater to BTO demand by all buyer groups, and not just newly-weds. For completeness, other housing options, of course, including HDB resale flats, ECs, private property, open market rental flats or living with family members, remain. We therefore need to continue building to meet the demand and aspirations of young families. On top of that, our public housing demand is also partly driven by changing social structures.”
“Members have asked about development plans for green spaces in Singapore, including specific sites at Clementi and Ulu Pandan. I will first address our overall approach to land use planning and nature conservation, and then talk about specific sites. Let me start with our approach to land use. We are a city, 728 square kilometres of land area in all. But we are also a city-state. Our land use considerations are therefore quite different from most other cities. This is because, unlike most other cities which have large hinterlands, we have to cater for everything that a country needs within the limits of our city, instead of far beyond its limits in the cases of other cities. These include uses such as airports and seaports, airbases and military training ground, reservoirs, incineration and power plants, agriculture, and so much more. Our approach to conservation as a city-state is also quite different. For example, in other cities, you travel out, sometimes for many hours on the motor-way, to enjoy natural greenery and nature. But in Singapore, our wild spaces are right in our midst. With our gem, the Central Catchment and Bukit Timah Nature Reserves, nestled in the green heart of our city. We have always taken a long-term view towards land use planning, with stewardship and sustainability as core, long-held principles. Given our small size, we have been, and have to be, judicious in stewarding our scarce land resources to support Singapore's development as well as in our aspiration to be a City in Nature. We have to constantly balance demands and trade-offs across a wide variety of needs, including housing, green spaces, infrastructure, community facilities, workplaces, amongst others.”
“The plot of land between Tampines Expressway and Fernvale street contains sites with a mixture of zones, including Residential, 'Civic & Community Institution', 'Place of Worship', 'Park' and 'Road' use. Government agencies are currently working on future plans for the site, and will share more information with the public when ready.”
“HDB considers factors such as potential disamenities and the impact on the living environment when determining the types of pets permissible in public housing estates. HDB's pet ownership policies aim to preserve a pleasant living environment while balancing the interests of residents who are pet lovers and those who may be affected by disamenities from pets. In many cases, pet owners may not be aware of the disamenities caused, and will undertake the necessary mitigation measures after advice from HDB. In cases where a dispute arises between pet owners and their neighbours, HDB will encourage them to seek mediation at the Community Mediation Centre to resolve the issue amicably. HDB works with NParks to regularly review and update its pet ownership policies, including the types of pets permissible, to balance the different interests and needs of residents. Agencies will continue to take into consideration the views and feedback from residents, and adopt a holistic approach in addressing the issue of pet ownership in HDB estates. Residents also need to be responsible pet owners, to maintain a harmonious living environment for all.”
“The stock of rental flats is sufficient to meet demand. HDB currently has about 5,000 vacant rental flats available for new applicants. HDB plans to continue building a small number of new rental flats in the next few years, to gradually replace older rental blocks that are redeveloped and renew our stock of rental flats. The Fresh Start Housing Scheme has helped second-timer public rental families with young children to own a home again. Close to 100 families have been placed on the scheme. Public rental families can also tap on other support for home ownership, such as the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant, and guidance from the Home Ownership Support Team.”
“The Wildlife Act aims to protect, preserve and manage our wildlife. In this regard, the Act is not intended to cover the feeding of domestic species, such as community animals. Instead, NParks works with stakeholders such as NEA, Town Councils, animal welfare groups and feeders to ensure responsible feeding of community animals. This includes educating feeders to place food in receptables and to clear up after feeding so that they do not dirty the environment. Where there has been irresponsible feeding leading to littering, enforcement action can be taken under the Environmental Public Health Act. Enforcement action can also be taken by the respective agencies if there has been damage to public property.”
“Nonetheless, HDB continues to monitor the operators’ performance as well as ground feedback to ensure that the operators are managing the eating houses well. Should there be negative issues on the ground, HDB can review the tenancies of the rental eating houses at the end of their tenure.”
“To ensure that residents have access to affordable food options, HDB provides a good supply of eating houses across all HDB estates. There are 770 HDB-built eating houses at present, of which 402 are sold and 368 are under tenancy with HDB. HDB typically offers a tenancy term of three years, after which the incumbent operator’s tenancy may be renewed at the assessed market rent, subject to the absence of ground issues or infringements. This approach provides business continuity for operators, and minimises possible disruptions to residents. Since September 2018, all new HDB eating houses have been let out via Price-Quality tenders. Transitioning to Price-Quality tenders has allowed HDB to ensure more sustainable rents, as tenderers need not drive up the tender price to secure a unit. Tendered rent under Price-Quality tenders has been lower on average compared to Price tenders previously. Price-Quality tenders also allow HDB to select tenants who can better serve residents, for instance, tenants with a good track record and productivity, who implement community initiatives, and who are committed to provide affordable food options. However, HDB does not control or keep track of rents between operators and individual stallholders as this is a private contractual agreement between the parties involved. This provides eating house operators with flexibility to negotiate with stallholders and allows operators to manage their own costs in terms of renovation, upkeep and other initiatives. At the same time, it is in the operators’ business interest to keep stall rents reasonable, to retain their stallholders. If the rents are too high, stallholders could move to other nearby eating establishments, resulting in vacant stalls.”
“To qualify for the scheme, retailers must be represented by an MA, which will be responsible for drawing up the scope of physical upgrading works taking into account the localised needs of retailers. This is to encourage ownership of the upgrading plans by local stakeholders. Shop owners in the town or neighbourhood centre must also support and co-fund the upgrading works. This ensures a common vision and continuity of the revitalisation effort in the long term. Examples of upgrading works under the ROS scheme include the installation of shopfront awnings and vertical blinds, re-tiling under the fixed awnings, and the replacement of shop signages. The ROS scheme is currently being reviewed, and more details of the changes will be announced when ready. The ROS scheme is implemented independently from ROH, so that MAs in towns that have not yet been identified for ROH can tap on ROS to upgrade their business environments whenever they assess that there is a need to do so, and have garnered sufficient support from the retailers within the town or neighbourhood centre. Nonetheless, where a site has been identified for both ROS and ROH or other upgrading programmes, HDB will work with the MA to scope the ROS upgrading works to complement the common area upgrading works under ROH or other upgrading programmes where possible. This is to facilitate a more comprehensive and impactful improvement to the shopping environment.”