LAND RECLAMATION WORKS IN PUNGGOL (Progress)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development (a) what progress has been made with regard to land reclamation works in Punggol; (b) when such works will be completed and at what cost; and (c) what development plans are in hand.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, land reclamation works in Punggol, west of Sungei Serangoon, commenced in October 1983. To-date, 95% of the works has been completed and 140 hectares out of the total 145 hectares of foreshore has been reclaimed.

The Punggol project is expected to be completed by end 1987 at an estimated cost of $37 million.

The reclaimed land will be part of the future Punggol New Town.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, could the Hon. Minister indicate to the House what other lands are to be reclaimed in the Punggol area? When will such works take place and whether he will make available a copy of the plan indicating the works to be carried out to the House?

Mr Dhanabalan: Sir, in addition to the area that I have mentioned, there will be lands reclaimed west of Punggol Point between Sungei Punggol and the Punggol Point, as well as the land between what is known as Coney Island and the mainland. The total land to be reclaimed between Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon will be 373 hectares. This will form part of the future Punggol New Town. There will also be other reclamation in the vicinity to the east of Sungei Serangoon where there will be another area of 210 hectares that will be reclaimed. We have not yet decided what this land will be used for but it will be used for future development. The area between Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon will be reclaimed between 1987 and 1989 and the other area which is east of Sungei Serangoon will be reclaimed in the early 1990s.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Could the Hon. Minister indicate what is the total estimated cost of these additional works? And he has not answered the third part of my question, that is, whether he will make available a copy of the plan of works to the House?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I certainly will give a plan (Cols. 1019 - 1020) for the information of the House. The total cost of the additional reclamation works would be in the region of $150 million. plan - LAYOUT OF PUNGGOL AND NORTH EASTERN COAST RECLAMATION (Cols. 1019 - 1020)