Debated in Parliament on 23 Feb 2015.
Mrs Lina Chiam askedthe Minister for National Development (a) how many constituencies have benefited from HDB's Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) from 2007-2014; (b) which are the constituencies that have benefited from NRP after 2011; and (c) what is the total amount of monies disbursed for NRP from 2007-2014.
Madam, since its launch, 100 projects have been selected for the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme or NRP, benefiting 22 constituencies.
However, selection of projects is not by constituencies, but at the Town Council or TC level. This allows MND to ensure a good geographical spread of projects, while at the same time better meet the preferences of the TCs. As part of the selection process, TCs are required to nominate and prioritise their preferred precincts and MND will strive to meet them within the limits of the approved NRP budget. Since 2011, 41 projects have been selected, with each TC getting from one to five projects each. The only exception is the East Coast TC where all eligible NRP blocks had already been selected.
From FY2007 to FY2013, about $150 million has been disbursed under the NRP.
I have four supplementary questions in regard to the NRP. What was the first constituency chosen as the first batch or sites to have undergone NRP in 2007, and when were these flats built? Can the Minister of State let the House know who are the people comprised in the Committee to decide which sites in a constituency are eligible for NRP? Why is Toa Payoh Lorong 8 first, although some of the flats were built as early as 1974? What is the timeframe for public consultation by residents for feedback for NRP?
Madam, perhaps I can clarify. The Neighbourhood Renewal Programme or NRP was announced in 2007. The NRP focuses on blocks and neighbourhood improvements, and is implemented on the neighbourhood basis, if it is more than two or more constituency precincts. It is meant for blocks that are built up to December 1989 but have not undergone any Main Upgrading Programme or MUP, or Interim Upgrading Programme or IUP, or IUP Plus. So, we do not do NRP for precincts that have already undergone some of these upgrading programmes.
The question was what were the first few constituencies. I do not have the details of the breakdown by constituency from when we started out 2007. But just to say that, as I had mentioned earlier, we give it by Town Council. We ask the Town Councils to nominate. When we started out, we were trying to see how to implement the projects. So, at that point in
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time, not all Town Councils may have received or selected their nominated precincts.
Since 2011, we have started ramping up. At that point, LUP was coming to the tail end of the programme. By 2011, we were able to select at least one nominated precinct by each of the Town Council.
On the timeframe, the challenges in NRP are that it works differently from the LUP and the other upgrading programmes. Because residents are not required to pay and the works are done externally, NRP requires a lot more consultations because of the space that is being upgraded. There is a two-stage consultation process: one is the public consultation; and the other is the consensus-gathering stage. The engagement process is very critical. First, it really depends on the size of the precinct that has been nominated and selected. Secondly, it really depends on the level of consultation and the extent to which the residents can find consensus in terms of the kind of works that they would like to have. This would engender greater ownership for the works done.
It is very difficult to say what is the average timeframe. It usually takes four to five years in total, from nomination to completion. But some may complete earlier, depending on the consensus built by the residents on the kind of works that they want to have.
The other objective of the NRP is to encourage greater community spirit in the community, so that neighbours come together and come to the realisation of the kinds of things they can and want to have and, at the same time, meet the various needs of the demographic profiles of that particular neighbourhood.
I have another supplementary question for the Minister of State. As mentioned in my Parliamentary Question, under (b), what are the constituencies that have benefited from NRP after 2011?
Madam, as I have said in my reply, we do not select the projects at the constituency level. We select them based on those nominated by the Town Councils. As of now, 22 constituencies have benefited from the NRP projects. All TCs have nominated since 2011. At least one project by each TC has been selected since 2011.
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