CONSTRUCTION WORKS NEAR HOSPITALS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS

CONSTRUCTION WORKS NEAR HOSPITALS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS

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(Prohibition on Sundays and public holidays): **

25.

Mr Calvin Cheng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether his Ministry will consider prohibiting all works on construction and building sites near hospitals and residential areas on Sundays and public holidays.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Under the National Environment Agency (NEA) Regulations, maximum allowable noise limits for construction sites are prescribed for different time periods of the day and for different types of premises affected by the construction noise. For example, the allowable noise level is stricter for construction sites near to schools and hospitals.

My Ministry and NEA regularly review the regime for the control of construction noise. In October 2007, NEA tightened the allowable noise limits on Sundays and public holidays for construction sites near to residential premises, and increased the maximum fine for construction noise violations from $20,000 to $40,000.

Singapore is a highly urbanised and compact city with vibrant economic activities, and noise nuisances cannot be eradicated completely. Nonetheless, we recognise that construction noise remains a concern for many residents. In 2008, NEA received about 14,200 (3) complaints on construction noise, up from about 9,200 in 2007. From January to October this year, NEA received over 10,400 complaints on construction noise.

We are therefore currently reviewing the effectiveness and adequacy of the current regulatory regime for construction noise. In doing so, we will take into account feedback from the public as well as the views of relevant Government agencies and industry stakeholders. We expect to complete the review early next year and will provide an update on any new measures to be introduced thereafter.

(3) The exact number of complaints received by NEA was 14,184 in 2008 and 9,228 in 2007 and 10,467 from January-October 2009.