FIELD IN OLD KALLANG AIRPORT ESTATE (Jurisdiction of two Authorities)

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for National Development what is the rationale for two departments, namely, the Housing and Development Board and the Public Works Department, each controlling its own half of the field located at Block 5 in the Old Kallang Airport Estate.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the field next to Block 5 at Old Kallang Airport Estate is partly owned by the State and partly by the HDB. The State land portion which is at the junction of Mountbatten Road and Old Airport Road will eventually be affected by the Kallang Expressway. In the meantime, the Parks and Recreation Department has been planting trees and landscaping the area as a temporary measure. In any case, the Housing and Development Board and the Parks and Recreation Department have jointly ensured that the field is well maintained.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Mr Speaker, Sir, can I ask the Hon. Minister whether there are other areas in Singapore that are similarly controlled?

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is yes. In fact, there are many areas where you can find that one part of the land is owned by the State and the other part is owned by the Housing and Development Board. This is, in fact, very common.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Then, for the purpose of saving time and manpower, would the Minister agree to centralize control at the Area Office of the HDB for each respective constituency?

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid this is not possible. I will quote a simple example. In a new town, you will find that the expressway runs through an HDB estate. All these expressways are owned by the State. In fact, the trees along the expressways are planted by the Parks and Recreation Department. But in the public housing estates, they are maintained by the HDB. So it is not possible for the HDB to take over all the functions of the Government department.