NOISE POLLUTION IN HDB ESTATES

Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for National Development whether noise pollution is a serious problem in Housing and Development Board Estates and whether stricter rules will be introduced to control noise pollution.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, in high-rise community living, it must be appreciated that a certain amount of noise is inevitable. In the case of HDB estates, the sources of noise are major roads and expressways, nearby construction sites, commercial premises, markets and hawker centres, and functions carried out in the void decks. Noise pollution from these sources can generally be controlled through various planning and management measures. However, excessive noise generated by residents themselves is harder to eliminate.

The HDB will work closely with grassroots organizations such as RCs to advise and counsel residents against generating excessive noise. But residents themselves must be more considerate and cooperative with their neighbours. They must take simple measures to make high-rise living more pleasant such as restraining their dogs from barking and keeping the volume of their TV or radio sets low. The HDB will be glad to receive suggestions from residents and grassroots organizations on what kind of stricter rules can be formulated, how these can be enforced with minimum cost to themselves and the type of punitive measures that can be introduced.

Dr Koh Lam Son (Telok Blangah): Sir, with regard to noise disturbance from neighbours in the HDB estates, what further action is being taken by the HDB in those cases where the recalcitrant residents refuse to cooperate and take heed of friendly advice or warning letters from the HDB?

Mr Dhanabalan: Sir, the present procedure is that when the HDB receives a complaint, they do go to the house complained against and they counsel the owner. They speak to him, and this is done many times. As far as I am aware, nobody has yet been evicted from his flat for making noise that bothers his neighbours. But as I said, this is a difficult problem because some of the problems are in blocks comprising purchased flats, and eviction, of course, is not a simple process. That is why I said that this is a community problem and we will be glad to discuss with community leaders and residents themselves what they think will be a fair method of dealing with this problem. The easiest thing, of course, will be to pass legislation that if there are more than three or four or X number of complaints against a particular family, the flat can be repossessed. But I do not think we should resort to such a simple administrative solution at this stage. We are always open to discussing with community organizations as to what more can be done in this respect.

Mr Speaker: End of Question Time. Ministerial Statement, Dr Yeo Ning Hong.