Measures to Minimise Construction Noise

Sir, HDB is mindful of the temporary inconveniences that are inevitable during construction. However, HDB endeavours to undertake all possible measures to, firstly, safeguard public safety and, secondly, keep the noise and dust levels within limits set by NEA.

Beyond NEA's regulations, where possible, HDB also works closely with its contractors to adopt additional measures to minimise various disamenities. These include the greater use of precast components produced off-site so as to minimise on-site noise generation, as well as using high hoarding with screen nets to contain the dust and abate noise. To minimise mosquito breeding, HDB also requires contractors to carry out weekly site checks and maintain good housekeeping on site. In addition, HDB officers are also stationed at the construction site to address any feedback and suggestions residents might have.

In the introduction of new HDB developments, HDB plans and implements the necessary infrastructure to serve them ahead of demand, in line with our long-term development plans. To do this, HDB coordinates with the respective agencies, such as LTA, for the construction of rail lines, expressways and major roads and, PUB, for the construction of sewers. HDB also plans for amenities and works with the agencies to provide more schools, hawker centres, health facilities and commercial facilities in tandem with the growth of our estates.

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Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his assurance. I would like to follow up with practical questions. In a mature town like Bukit Panjang where we have something like eight BTOs announced, the concern among residents, understandably, is whether all the infrastructure like roads, public transport and facilities and amenities like hawker centres and so on, would be able to cope with the increase in population. The problem on the ground is always this: there are so many agencies to deal with, and each time when the construction starts, there is no co-ordinating agency to work through. So, I am glad that the Senior Minister of State has said that HDB should be the agency. I want to ask the Senior Minister of State this: should there be a situation where, for example, LTA says that "We cannot build any wider roads here now; we cannot have more road links or more public transport", is HDB still going to proceed with some of these constructions, knowing that there is going to be congestion on the ground?

My second question is whether in the ramp-up to this housing programme, is it reasonable to build eight BTOs at about the same time, all at one go, in a mature estate? Should HDB not phase out some of these at different locations so that we do not have a complete tsunami of housing construction going on at the same time?

Well, I thank the Member for his questions. I see that there are immediate worries but also longer term happiness because his town would be transformed in three to four years' time. When HDB plans for any major expansion, they would do so by taking advantage of existing infrastructure that are being laid out well ahead of time in that particular estate. So, in Bukit Panjang, I would assume that the entire town is planned in such a way that it is to house a certain density or population and the resulting vehicular density and so on. On that basis, while residents may see empty land parcels in their neighbourhood in the last few years, they should expect the parcels to be filled up in a way that will be supported by a certain housing density when built up. On that premise, HDB will go forward to launch new projects onsite. As Minister has said, some of these sites are built so that they can take advantage of the existing amenities.

I would like to assure the Member that in his particular location of Bukit Panjang, where eight BTOs have been announced and are under construction, HDB keeps a close eye on what is happening on the ground to make sure that as and when the project is executed, mitigating measures on pollution will be taken to ensure that inconvenience to the residents is minimised.

On the Member's second question: HDB will remain the co-ordinating agency on the ground. If there are local bottlenecks that he observes, even at this stage of construction, we will be quite happy to call for inter-agency meetings to see how we can "de-bottleneck" some of these choke points.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask Minister how often does he has these inter-ministry meetings. Certainly, I do not agree that there is good co-ordination. For example, in Yishun South, I have six BTOs, but the road network that you are going to provide to serve the residents in that area will be completed only in 2015, whereas I will have five BTOs completed by 2014. So, there will be a big jam along Lentor Avenue. The other aspect is the bus services. Definitely, bus services are grossly inadequate. Is this being discussed, when was it discussed, and how will it be resolved?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for her questions as well. The co-ordination meetings are on-going. In the recent ramp-up of BTO flat construction, we have learnt a lesson internally that we also need to plan on a longer time horizon. In other words, some of the major infrastructures, such as vehicular network and rail access, will take a much longer time than construction of HDB flat precincts. That co-ordination for short-term construction projects and longer term planning are on-going, and we would intensify them as and when necessary. In the Member's particular area, we would suggest that we continue to stay closely co-ordinated, in terms of bringing the various pieces of infrastructure to take place at about the same time, so that the inconvenience on the ground can be minimised and shortened. We will convey the Member's concerns to MOT and LTA.

Thank you, Sir. A follow-up question for the Senior Minister of State: when I liaised with HDB about the BTO projects, they made reference to the fact that a lot of the plans are reflected in the URA Masterplan for 2008, and indicated to residents that they could refer to the URA website, or the publicly available information concerning the URA project plans, housing plans and plot ratios and the likes of it. It is not co-ordinated within the HDB domain, or within the HDB website to describe to people what is going to happen. You have multiple agency information that requires individuals to navigate in order to understand the development on the ground. I hope that in the co-ordination effort with HDB, they could synthesise some of the information so that residents have a better idea as to what is going to happen to their town, what kinds of developments are going to take place over the next few years, and how the masterplan will affect their living environment as a whole. Then, they are better informed and know what choice they have to make, what neighbourhood they are going to stay in.

Well, on an on-going basis, HDB does conduct briefings to the local MPs, and the entire GRC sometimes, to update them on key projects that will take place or are scheduled over the next few years. I personally attended a number of such briefings. I find them very useful. What may be useful, going forward, is to make available some of this information publicly, to the residents. We have to do so carefully, because as soon as we make it public, we also lose some flexibility on subsequent fine-tuning or adjustments or acceleration or push-backs on some of the plans. We will discuss with the local Member of Parliament and see how best to have meaningful communications with the residents.

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