Debated in Parliament on 2 Feb 2021.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry coordinates the schedules of multiple construction projects by different agencies affecting a specific residential area to minimise the duration of which they take place concurrently; (b) what are the criteria that will trigger the Ministry to review its approval process for these works; and (c) how do the different project leaders and relevant public agencies work together to address feedback from residents 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. Collectively, these efforts allow agencies to address residents’ feedback in a timely manner.
PAPERCUTS