HOUGANG NEW TOWN (Completion date)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development when Hougang New Town will be fully completed; and whether he will indicate the number of residential units and the type of infrastructural facilities and services to be provided there.

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, Hougang New Town will be fully developed in the mid-1990s. It will have about 40,000 dwelling units. The infrastructural facilities provided will be a town centre, neighbourhood centres, Area Offices, bus terminus, town and neighbourhood parks, a junior college, a vocational and industrial training school and a swimming and sports complex.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Hon. Minister know that such infrastructural facilities and services that are to be provided in tandem with the completion of the Hougang New Town does seem to come a bit slow?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not possible to build everything at the same time. Some things have got to be built first, and other things second, and others third. The housing and basic roads are put in first and the other amenities will be built in due course. This is always a problem with every new town because people who move in first complain that they do not have all the facilities that other older new towns have. This is just a matter of being patient. Things can be done only one at a time. The only way to please everybody would be to build the whole town with all the facilities before anybody moves in. That is not possible. It will tie up a lot of money, and that is not really the best way of using public funds.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, whilst I agree with the Hon. Minister about not being able to put up everything together at the same time, nevertheless, could his Ministry ask the Housing Board to try and put in as many basic facilities as possible, especially when the new town is under construction?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Member would let me know what are the high priority items which he finds missing, I would be very glad to discuss with the Housing Board to see how they can expedite the construction.