Extension of Enhanced Workflow for Identifying and Resolving Clashes Between Underground Utility Projects to Other Entities

Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the enhanced workflow introduced by URA since 2024 to identify and resolve clashes between underground utility projects will be extended to other entities carrying out underground works, such as Town Councils; (b) if so, by when; and (c) whether Town Councils and their contractors will be required to submit and access underground utility data through Singapore Land Authority's planned centralised portal.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) enhanced workflow is intended to improve the upfront coordination process for the planning and implementation of large-scale utility projects, such as major road and rail projects, as well as large transmission utility pipes and underground cables. The Singapore Land Authority's (SLA's) centralised portal is similarly focused on accepting survey submissions for large-scale utility projects. These initiatives help optimise how we use underground spaces for large-scale utility projects, avoid utility alignment conflicts that may cause downstream abortive works and reduce repeated road openings.

While such large-scale utility projects could be within or adjacent to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estate boundaries, they are typically implemented by Government agencies, such as the Land Transport Authority, HDB, JTC Corporation and the Public Utilities Board, or utility licensees, such as SP PowerGrid and Singtel. In contrast, utility works carried out by Town Councils, such as the maintenance and repair of utilities, are typically localised in nature and smaller in scale. Such works are not within the scope of URA's enhanced workflow and SLA's centralised portal submission requirements.