MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Ministry of National Development will plan and work towards better housing with improved social and recreational facilities, better infrastructure and public amenities in pleasant and gracious environment in the next 5 years.

The importance of creating new parks and open spaces is underlined by the large number of people living in high rise flats. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue with its effort to improve our garden city. Six new parks will be developed at West Coast reclaimed land, Pasir Panjang Hill, Sembawang, Pasir Ris, Marina Centre and Tanjong Berlayer. Recreational facilities will be introduced into these parks wherever necessary. Appropriate planning policy will ensure the maximum utilisation of our scarce land resources and the creation of a pleasant and gracious environment.

$20 million will be spent on kampong roads, bridges. jetties, street lighting and public utilities for the improvement of the rural areas.

Housing and Public Projects

Since 1960, the Housing and Development Board has completed about a quarter million housing units for 55% of our population. Under the fourth Five-Year Building Programme another 150,000 units will be completed by 1980. An additional 10,000 flats will be built in the Central Area to help reverse the population drift to the new towns. At this pace of development applicants will not have to wait longer than 1 - 1 1/2 years to buy or rent HDB flats. It is estimated that about 2 million people will live in HDB flats by 1980. The HDB will continue to strive to establish a closer rapport with the residents and will continue to seek their cooperation and assistance in providing an efficient, courteous and responsive management.

HUDC flats are built for middle income citizens who are not eligible for HDB flats and who cannot afford private housing Ownership of HUDC flats is made easier as the purchase of the flats can be made with the assistance of the Central Provident Fund. 2,000 flats have already been built and sold. Another 1,000 new flats will be built by 1978 at Braddell Rise. Chancery Lane and Ulu Pandan. Middle income housing is also planned for the Central Area.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority will systematically clear slums and renew the Central Area. Places of historic interest, however, will be rehabilitated and preserved. Entertainment and recreational facilities will be planned to promote activities after normal business hours. Transit and permanent resettlement centres, where required, will be built to resettle businesses.

Our housing and industrial programmes make it necessary for the Public Works Department to construct and maintain a large network of roads. The Pan Island Expressway, the East Coast Parkway and the Woodlands Expressway are three major road projects under construction. Computerised traffic control will be introduced to maximise utilisation of roads. To cater to the interest of the growing number of pedestrians on our roads, landscaped footpaths, pedestrian malls and walkways will be constructed.

The PWD is now engaged in the improvement of Paya Lebar Airport to adequately meet the projected growth in passenger and air cargo traffic over the next few years. The construction of a new airport with two runways on reclaimed land in Changi has begun. The first runway of the new airport is scheduled for service in the early 80's. Construction of the University of Singapore campus at Kent Ridge with facilities for the University to increase its student population from 3, 500 to 7, 500 will be completed by 1980. Work on Kent Ridge Hospital - a teaching-cum-general hospital with 750 beds - will commence in 1978. 36 primary schools and 30 secondary schools sited within the new centres of population will be built. In addition, the Department will also build hospitals, clinics, libraries, markets and food centres.

Primary Production

Within the limits of available land, self-sufficiency in pork, eggs and poultry meat will be maintained. For environmental control, pig farms will be relocated from the Kranji area to a non-catchment area. A central market for fruits and vegetables will be built at Pasir Panjang to replace the Clyde Terrace Market and other wholesale centres in the city which are affected by redevelopment.

Resettlement

In addition to the provision of HDB flats for residential cases, there will be alternative premises or cash payments in lieu for shops, resettlement facilities for specific trades and land for efficient pig farmers in Punggol. Flatted and terrace factories will be developed at Paya Lebar and Jalan Perang for the relocation of small and supporting industries for them to continue and to expand.

Reclamation

Reclamation to provide additional land for housing. industries, recreational facilities, roads and other public projects will continue. At the East Coast. 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of land have been reclaimed. Another 1,180 hectares (2,950 acres) are being reclaimed of which 600 hectares are for the development of Changi Airport. Reclamation will provide about 580 hectares (1,450 acres) of new land adjacent to the Central Business District. This will allow for the expansion of the old city and if needs be, the building of a new city of the future.