Infrastructure & development — Topics

6 Feb 2023

Updates on Singapore Sports Hub Takeover and Plans Following Takeover

The transition from Sports Hub Pte Ltd to the Government was completed smoothly on 9 December 2022, with due diligence ongoing and a termination sum of $1.4 billion, about $0.1 billion lower than projected.
The Government advanced the termination sum from the Contingencies Funds with the President’s concurrence, to be replaced via a Supplementary Supply Bill without drawing on past reserves.
The new management has introduced community events like live performances, a Big Walk, and a Chinese New Year carnival, with plans for more school matches, open houses, and marquee sports and entertainment events.
Developments in the Kallang Alive precinct, including the Kallang Football Hub and Tennis Centre, are on track for completion this year.
The Sports Hub aims to become a vibrant community, sporting, and lifestyle space for all Singaporeans to enjoy.

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6 Feb 2023

Reasons Preventing HDB from Increasing Number of Completed Flats

The Minister explained that HDB flat completion numbers fluctuate yearly due to factors like the timing of past construction starts, project-specific challenges such as site conditions and design complexity, which led to the lower 2019 figures.
He noted that HDB ramped up supply and resources to mitigate pandemic-related delays, resulting in over 20,000 flats completed in 2022, the highest in five years and a 50% increase from 2021.
Current constraints include space limitations at some BTO sites affecting machinery and construction lift deployment, though HDB is using technology to optimize build times while maintaining safety and quality standards.
The Minister emphasized that HDB is committed to delivering affordable and quality homes promptly, despite these ongoing challenges and without compromising on safety or standards.

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6 Feb 2023

Installation of Passenger Lifts to Pedestrian Overhead Bridges along Hougang Avenue 3

Sylvia Lim questioned how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) should prioritize installing lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges (POBs), considering local demographics like senior density and specifically asked to include all non-lift POBs along Hougang Avenue 3 in the program.
Minister S Iswaran explained that LTA prioritizes lift installations based on the number of seniors and commuters with mobility challenges who would benefit and whether the lifts would provide barrier-free access to transport nodes and healthcare facilities.
The LTA retrofitted a lift at a specific POB on Hougang Avenue 3 in 2018 due to its high service to seniors and an eldercare facility, while the seven remaining POBs on the avenue are slated for future review, with four prioritized over the three in a lower-need industrial estate.

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6 Feb 2023

Popularity of Community Care Apartments or Senior-friendly Public Flats that are Combined with Care Services

The Ministry for National Development outlined that Community Care Apartments (CCAs) integrate senior-friendly design with personalised care services to enable ageing in place, with two pilot projects underway in Bukit Batok (410 units total, completion in 2024) and Queenstown (completion in 2028).
Waiting times for these flats are about 35 months from selection to completion for the Bukit Batok pilot and 59 months for the Queenstown pilot, with the government studying feedback and long-term plans based on positive public response.
Seniors can also access alternative housing and care options, including HDB’s Home Improvement Programme, Enhancement for Active Seniors, 2-room flexi flats, and nursing homes, while the government continues to explore options tailored to care needs, income, and family support.

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6 Feb 2023

Sheltered Linkways for Residential Estates with Larger Elderly Population

Denise Phua asked under what circumstances sheltered linkways are approved if not near major transport nodes or key amenities, and whether estates with large elderly populations will be favorably considered.
S Iswaran explained that LTA prioritizes building covered linkways near high trip-generating clusters to serve many commuters, including seniors, and has expanded the network to over 200 kilometers.
LTA evaluates requests not near major nodes on a case-by-case basis, considering factors like pedestrian traffic, needs of vulnerable pedestrians, and potential connections to other covered networks.

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6 Feb 2023

Work on Silver Zone at Bedok Reservoir Road

Pritam Singh inquired about the start date for the Silver Zone at Bedok Reservoir Road and whether it could be combined with cycling path works to reduce resident inconvenience.
S Iswaran confirmed that LTA will begin the Silver Zone works by end-2023 and that they will be carried out alongside the cycling path to minimize disruptions.
The project is part of a larger plan to complete 50 Silver Zones across Singapore by end-2025.

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6 Feb 2023

Impact of Collapse of Sun Cable Project on Singapore's Renewable Energy Targets

Dr Lim Wee Kiak and other MPs raised concerns about the implications of Sun Cable’s collapse on Singapore’s green targets, whether the project could be revived, and what lessons could be drawn for future clean energy projects.
Minister Gan Kim Yong clarified that Singapore has not made any financial investment in Sun Cable, so there is no financial impact from its collapse, and the Energy Market Authority remains on track to import up to four GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.
Singapore is pursuing multiple clean energy pathways, including accelerating solar deployment, developing regional power grids, and exploring hydrogen and geothermal energy, with over 20 proposals received for electricity imports.
The government highlighted ongoing international collaborations, including MOUs with regional partners and a feasibility study with the US, as well as small-scale import projects like the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project to support future scaling.
Minister Gan emphasized that while Sun Cable’s proposal is one of many under consideration, Singapore welcomes its resumption of discussions when ready and continues to assess commercial risks and execution for future projects.

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6 Feb 2023

Affordable and Accessible Public Housing and Public Housing Policies

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim explained that rising HDB prices are driven by a self-reinforcing cycle of rising market prices, higher subsidies, and inflation, and proposed breaking the link between market-valued land costs and BTO prices to improve affordability.
Cheng Hsing Yao defended the inclusion of land costs in HDB pricing, arguing it reflects the value created by national investments and prevents windfalls, while emphasizing the importance of consistent valuation and urban renewal through SERS.
Louis Chua highlighted a severe supply-demand imbalance in public housing, noting that current BTO supply plans are insufficient relative to household formation trends, and urged the government to urgently increase housing supply beyond existing commitments.
Denise Phua and Xie Yao Quan supported expanding the Prime Location Housing model and introducing tiered subsidies and MOPs to keep flats affordable while balancing the desire for mature estate flats.
Multiple members, including Sitoh Yih Pin and Vikram Nair, criticized proposals to defer or remove land costs (e.g., PSP’s Affordable Homes Scheme), warning that such measures could distort the market, create inequities, and risk crashing resale prices, while reaffirming support for the government’s existing housing policies.

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6 Feb 2023

Affordable and Accessible Public Housing

The Minister for National Development affirmed the government's commitment to keeping HDB flats affordable and accessible, citing policies such as building supply in step with demand, pricing flats affordably with grants, and maintaining a stable property market, while noting that COVID-19 disruptions caused temporary supply tightness and higher resale prices.
He highlighted that before the pandemic, HDB resale prices had been stable or declining for years, and BTO flat prices have remained nearly unchanged despite rising construction costs, with nearly 70% of 2022 BTO flats affordable to median-income households using less than a quarter of income for mortgage payments.
The government is ramping up supply by launching up to 100,000 new flats from 2021 to 2025 and increasing shorter-wait-time flats, while prioritizing first-timer couples and considering measures to better allocate flats to those with urgent needs.
He addressed concerns about mature estate flat access by noting the Prime Location Public Housing model and plans to moderate locational premiums, while cautioning against policies that could increase windfall gains or undermine long-term sustainability, including the trade-offs with national reserves.
The minister emphasized that housing policies must balance current and future generations' needs, rejecting proposals that ignore fiscal trade-offs, and reiterated the government's goal of improving affordability and accessibility through ongoing reviews and future announcements.

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10 Jan 2023

Data on Proportion of Greenfield and Brownfield Sites for Public Housing Development

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development for data over the past decade and expected future HDB BTO launches on the proportion and numbers of greenfield and brownfield sites for public housing, along with the number of flats in each site type.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that approximately half of the public housing sites in the last 10 years were greenfield, located in areas like Punggol and Tengah, while brownfield sites were mainly infill developments in mature towns such as Bukit Merah and Kallang Whampoa.
Annually, there were about 10 to 20 greenfield sites yielding 5,900 to 14,900 flats and five to 20 brownfield sites yielding 2,900 to 13,100 flats, with future BTO details dependent on prevailing demand.

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10 Jan 2023

Number of Short-lease 2-room Flexi Flats and Community Care Apartments Launched in Past Five Years

Between 2017 and 2021, HDB launched about 21,200 2-room Flexi flats and 170 Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok, with 18,300 seniors applying for the former and 600 for the latter.
Approximately 80% of seniors applying for 2-room Flexi flats and 50% for Community Care Apartments were successful, with unsuccessful cases primarily due to oversubscription in popular projects.
About half of the seniors who were unsuccessful in applying for these flats were already living in 4-room or larger HDB flats at the time of application.

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10 Jan 2023

Number of BTO Flats with Shorter Waiting Times Launched Each Year

Since 2018, HDB has launched nearly 11,000 BTO flats with shorter waiting times (under three years), with specific annual numbers and proportions detailed in a table.
Shorter waiting times are achieved by commencing construction before the BTO projects are officially launched, typically about a year in advance.
To address high housing demand, HDB plans to launch up to 23,000 flats in 2023 and up to 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025, with shorter waiting time flats included where possible.

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10 Jan 2023

Proposal to Require Private Residential Property Developers to Incorporate Multi-purpose Hall in Condominium Developments

MP Gan Thiam Poh asked whether the Ministry would mandate developers to include multi-purpose halls in condominiums for resident functions like private wakes without inconveniencing others.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that URA already incentivizes communal spaces via a bonus GFA scheme, and most developers provide such facilities usable for wakes if the MCST permits.
He noted alternative venues for wakes include purpose-built funeral parlours and places of worship.

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10 Jan 2023

Longer Waiting Times at Emergency Departments of Hospitals Located in Peripheral Residential Towns

The Minister for Health explained that longer emergency department waiting times at peripheral hospitals are due to larger bed capacities at central tertiary hospitals and high demand in housing estates, especially during the pandemic.
He noted that new bed capacity will be added with the opening of Woodlands Health Campus and Tan Tock Seng Hospital Integrated Care Hub from 2023, and a new hospital in the Eastern region is planned.
He emphasized the importance of the Healthier SG national strategy to keep the population healthy and reduce healthcare load.

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10 Jan 2023

Use of Low-noise Road Surfacing Pavement Mixes Along Seletar Expressway Intersecting Estates of Sengkang and Punggol

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked if low-noise road surfacing technology will be applied along the Seletar Expressway stretch intersecting Sengkang and Punggol estates.
S Iswaran responded that the Land Transport Authority will continue evaluating and implementing noise reduction measures near residential areas.
For the Tampines Expressway stretch intersecting Sengkang and Punggol, LTA plans to implement the low-noise pavement mix in 2025.

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10 Jan 2023

Cost of Land Reclamation over Last 10 Years

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development for the per square foot cost of land reclamation on a site area basis for each of the last 10 years.
Desmond Lee responded that the cost for projects completed in the last 10 years ranges from about $270 to $850 per square metre.
He noted that land reclamation costs vary depending on project nature and prevailing costs for materials and manpower.

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9 Jan 2023

Amount of Housing Grants and Subsidies Required for Launching Up to 100,000 New BTO Flats

Pritam Singh sought the total dollar value of housing grants and subsidies and the number of flats for up to 100,000 new BTO flats from 2021 to 2025 in mature and non-mature estates.
Desmond Lee explained that the Ministry does not provide detailed estimates beyond the current timeframe due to planning flexibility, site constraints, and the need for further reviews.
He emphasized that BTO flats remain affordable, with first-time buyers typically using CPF to cover mortgages with minimal cash outlay and favorable home price-to-income ratios compared to international benchmarks.

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9 Jan 2023

Number of Construction Workers Required to Sustain Level of Development and Projected Shortfall for Construction Manpower in 2023

The Minister stated that the number of construction work permit holders in Singapore exceeded pre-COVID levels by about 15% as of end-2022, due to eased entry requirements and firms catching up on delayed projects.
The Built Environment Industry Transformation Map aims to improve productivity and reduce reliance on a large, manpower-intensive workforce, with initiatives like enhancing the Buildability framework to mandate Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) for large projects.
The Building and Construction Authority supports firms in adopting DfMA technologies such as precast and PPVC, and has extended the Productivity Innovation Project scheme to co-fund up to 70% of costs for newer technologies.

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9 Jan 2023

Post COVID-19 Resumption of Building of New Mosques

Shahira Abdullah inquired about the timeline for reviewing deferred plans to build new mosques, including one in Tampines North, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Masagos Zulkifli explained that the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) is used for mosque construction and upgrades, with new mosque plans deferred in May 2021 until the economy recovers.
MUIS is prioritizing upgrades for existing mosques, such as securing longer leases and renovating Masjid Tentera Diraja and Masjid Ahmad Ibrahim.
A fresh needs assessment for all religious infrastructure, including prayer space demand and supply, will be conducted with relevant agencies, considering pandemic impacts on construction costs.
The review of new mosque plans will factor in the updated needs and funding requirements post-COVID-19.

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9 Jan 2023

Possibility of Land between TPE and Fernvale Street to be Used for New HDB BTO Flats

Gan Thiam Poh asked whether the open land between TPE and Fernvale Street would be used for HDB BTO flats and, if so, when construction would begin.
Desmond Lee stated that the land is zoned for mixed uses including residential, civic, and recreational purposes under the URA Master Plan 2019.
He added that agencies are still developing plans for the area and will share details once they are finalized.

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