URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BILL

2.11 pm

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, in my earlier reading of the Planning (Amendment No. 2) Bill, I mentioned the amalgamation of the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Ministry of Development's Planning Department and the Research and Statistics Unit. The Urban Redevelopment Authority Bill seeks to give effect to the amalgamation by the establishment of a new Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The present Urban Redevelopment Authority Act was enacted in 1974 to establish the URA, when it took over the functions of the former Urban Renewal Department of the Housing and Development Board. In the present Act, there are specific provisions which relate to the transfer of staff from the HDB as well as the transfer of the Board's property, assets and liabilities to the URA. There are also various references as to how existing rights, commitments and pending proceedings which relate to the HDB are to be dealt with.

The amalgamation of the present URA with the Ministry's Planning Department and the Research and Statistics Unit will really mean that a new Authority is being established. Many of the provisions which relate to the previous Urban Renewal Department of the HDB which are found in the present Act will no longer be applicable. New provisions which relate to the transfer of the existing staff, assets, liabilities and commitments of the three component organizations have to be spelled out. New functions have to be added to the Act with the amalgamation and some existing functions have to be deleted and placed in the Planning Act. At the same time, we would like to take the opportunity of the amalgamation to streamline the operations of the existing URA to bring them in line with other major statutory boards.

Mr Speaker, Sir, to accommodate all these new provisions, we could have made extensive changes and rearrangements to the present Act. But we believe that it is neater to accommodate these changes by repealing the present URA Act and enacting a new Act altogether. Moreover, since we are constituting a new organization, it is appropriate to establish it by enacating a new Act. We therefore have the present URA Bill which has the provision of repealing the present URA Act.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the physical development of Singapore in the coming years will be increasingly undertaken by the private sector. The public sector will guide the course of our physical development rather than become involved in the direct implementation of projects. The Planning Department has to be strengthened to enable it to provide strategic guidance. At the same time, the URA, having hived off its commercial undertakings in development and property management to a new company called PIDEMCO, will become primarily an urban planning agency. My Ministry therefore proposes that the present URA and the Planning Department be amalgamated so that there will be a single authority in a position to administer the Planning Act.

The Research and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of National Development will also be amalgamated with the new URA to give it the statistical and research support it needs to undertake its planning activities.

Sir, let me now enumerate the advantages of the amalgamation. First, it streamlines planning functions. The URA is currently the Conservation Authority and the planning agency for the Central Area, while the Planning Department is the planning authority for the rest of the Island. Through the amalgamation, the planning and development control functions will be centralized under a single authority.

Second, it facilitates the sharing of expertise. With the amalgamation of URA's expertise in Central Area planning, particularly in urban design, and Planning Department's experience in strategic plan- ning, there will be better coordinated planning for the whole island.

Third, it minimizes the duplication in supporting services. Duplication in data collection, analysis and land data computerization will be minimized with the amalgamation. New and better technical and administrative support will be provided with the shared resources.

Lastly, it attracts talent. The amalgamation will widen the scope of planning work, making the new organization more attractive to talented young architects, planners and engineers. Besides, it will provide greater opportunities for job enrichment and career development to staff of the three existing organizations.

Sir, the new planning authority will retain the name Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) because of the reputation and goodwill which has been built up both locally and abroad by the URA.

Sir, let me now highlight the main provisions of the Urban Redevelopment Authority Bill 1989 with regard to the functions, duties and powers of the new Authority which are in addition to the provisions in the present Act.

Part III of the Bill sets out the functions, duties and powers of the new URA. These will remain the same as those of the existing URA, with the following additions:

With the amalgamation of the Research and Statistics Unit, the authority will collect and analyse statistical information which relate to building, construction, land use, etc. It can publish information as long as it observes the confidentiality of such information.

The new URA can also provide advisory and information services which relate to planning and land use. In this connection, the Authority will take over the administration of the Ministry's records and data and the computerized Land Information System (ILUS).

In line with our intention to have the main planning functions contained in the Planning Act, the following functions will be removed from the present URA Act:

(1) The planning function to control and regulate the provision of car parking spaces for developments (Section 49 of the present Act), and

(2) The planning functions which relate to conservation of land and buildings and the designation of conservation areas and the issuance of conservation guidelines, ie, section 18 of the present Act.

As the new Authority will effectively be undertaking various planning functions under the Planning Act, through the appointment of its Chief Executive as a Competent Authority under the Act, clause 6 (l) will have a general provision to empower the Authority to carry out the functions and duties as are imposed upon it.

The power of the Minister with respect to the Authority remains unchanged. This includes the power to give specific directions to the Authority and to require it to keep the Minister informed of its activities.

Mr Speaker, Sir, to effect the amalgamation, Part IV of the Bill will make the necessary provisions with regard to the transfer of existing staff, existing rights and liabilities of, as well as pending proceedings against, the component organizations. The salient provisions are:

(a) Staff in the Planning Department, Research and Statistics Unit and the existing URA will be automatically transferred to the new URA from the effective date of the amalgamation on terms not less favourable than what they were enjoying before the transfer. Pension benefits will be preserved. The Minister may, however, determine that certain grades of persons in the Planning Department and the Research and Statistics Unit, for example, common user staff, will be given the option to remain in Government service.

(b) The new URA will take over the existing liabilities and pending proceedings of the Government in respect of the Planning Department and the Research and Statistics Unit.

(c) Existing rights and liabilities in relation to the existing URA, Planning Department and the Research and Statistics Unit will remain after the amalgamation.

(d) Information collected by the Research and Statistics Unit before the appointed day and transferred to the Authority shall be subject to the same safeguards with regard to disclosure as provided in the Statistics Act.

Sir, let me now just deal with a few other salient provisions. We are also taking the opportunity in this Bill to streamline certain of the operations of the URA to bring them in line with the practices of other major statutory boards. For example, clause 18 will allow the new URA to appoint, with the approval of the Minister, a Chief Executive, to be known by a designation as the Authority may determine.

On matters of finance and audit, the URA will follow the model provisions developed by the Auditor-General which all statutory bodies are required to incorporate into their respective Acts. These are contained in the Third Schedule to the Act.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr S. Dhanabalan].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the sitting and will take the Chair again at 2.50 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 2.25 pm until 2.50 pm. Sitting resumed at 2.50 pm