Ministry of National Development

The Minister for National Development (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Our goal is to create an outstanding living environment, a City in a Garden, and a vibrant, thriving home for all Singaporeans. We commit to house all Singaporeans and to help them own their homes. Our home ownership programme is world renowned: 90% of Singaporeans own their homes, the vast majority in public housing. Unlike public housing elsewhere, our new HDB towns are comparable to, and often surpass, private housing in quality and amenities.

However, a sudden rise in housing prices following a sharp economic recovery amidst global liquidity has worried many Singaporeans. We are taking active measures to address the temporary imbalance in supply and demand, even as we keep a close watch on global uncertainties.

We are building more HDB flats and speeding up their completion. We have adjusted the income ceilings, so that higher income couples and singles can also qualify for public housing. Where possible, some of the new flats will be built in mature estates to widen choices and meet aspirations.

Some vulnerable families are unable to afford their own homes and will need subsidised rental housing. We are building more flats to meet such demand. However, building more rental housing is not the long-term solution as many of these families have deeper social problems. We will collaborate with social agencies to render holistic help.

For higher income Singaporeans, there is a thriving private property market to meet their aspirations. We are releasing more land for private housing and will calibrate our measures to ensure that prices move sustainably with the economy. We will amend the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act to enhance transparency and accuracy of information on housing projects for buyers to make informed decisions. We have licensed estate agents and the Council for Estate Agencies will regulate and raise their professional standards.

In the next phase of public housing, HDB will strive for even better-designed and sustainable towns that have ample public spaces and community facilities so that residents can enjoy cleaner, greener and better living. HDB will tap on private sector expertise and public feedback to develop such sustainable towns.

For the mature estates, we will upgrade and rejuvenate them. As we complete the Lift Upgrading Programme, we are accelerating the Home Improvement Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme. We will also identify suitable sites for more intensified redevelopment so as to inject more housing in mature towns.

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Beyond physical development, we will build stronger communities in HDB towns. Residents can take greater ownership of their living environment, for example in spearheading community gardening, taking care of community facilities such as the Punggol Waterway, promoting neighbourliness and practising responsible pet ownership. We are reviewing the Town Council Management Report so that it can better encourage and reflect how residents are participating in the daily affairs of their Town Council.

We cannot be certain what the future will bring. For example, food security and global warming may impact us in dramatic ways. But we can maximise the opportunities for our future generations by preparing well ahead. Through Concept Plan 2011 and the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, we will adopt integrated and comprehensive land use and urban solutions to safeguard our quality of life.

To secure our food supply, we will further diversify our overseas food sources and raise local production, where feasible.

We will balance competing land demands to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental outcomes. We will create underground space and reclaim from the sea, wherever viable. We will also build infrastructure ahead of demand and start to prepare for new towns at Tengah and Bidadari. They will not be needed soon, but we are planning ahead so as to retain flexibility.

Our population will continue to grow and age. We will need new infrastructure to make Singapore a City for All Ages, friendly to both the old and the young. We will bring jobs closer to homes as new growth areas such as Jurong Lake District, Paya Lebar and Kallang take off. Housing will be gradually intensified, especially around MRT stations and in mature towns such as Queenstown and Bishan, to take full advantage of their excellent amenities.

As we undertake more complex construction and infrastructure projects in a denser Singapore, we will need to raise the capabilities and productivity of our construction industry. This is also to reduce our reliance on foreign workers. We will step up efforts in greening our buildings to make them more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly.

As we push on with new developments, we will collaborate with the community to preserve our key physical and social markers. These will anchor our treasured memories, and make Singapore an endearing home.

Even as we intensify land use, we commit to keeping Singapore a Garden City. In fact, we are raising our ambition as we strive to transform our Garden City into a City in a Garden. This is not a mere play of words. Besides the Singapore Botanic Gardens, we will soon have another world-class green icon in the Gardens by the Bay. We will create an extensive network of regional and neighbourhood parks, streetscape and skyrise greenery. We will embed greenery into our city and HDB towns. Our park connectors will link up parks and green spaces within neighbourhoods. We will introduce more native plant species and add biodiversity such as butterflies and hornbills to our urban habitats. Daily close encounters with nature will be Singaporeans' way of life.

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We will realise this vision together. The Rail Corridor is one example where Singaporeans are coming together to co-create a green spine along the former KTM rail tracks. Such an approach of public involvement will be the MND way. Together, let us build a world-class city and a better home that Singaporeans are proud and passionate about. A place where our shared memories are celebrated and new spectacular memories are created.