TOWN COUNCILS (Success in shaping social behaviour and attitude)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for National Development since the setting up of town councils to manage public housing estates and give residents the kind of environment they prefer, (a) to what extent have the social behaviour and attitude of residents been shaped by the town councils; and (b) has there been any survey done to assess the town councils' success in shaping such behaviour and attitude.

The Minister of State for National Development (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, Town Councils were formed with two key objectives: firstly, to devolve the responsibility for estate management from HDB to local councils and, secondly, to allow participation by residents in decision-making on local estate management matters. These objectives have been met. This is evident in the many improvements made by Town Councils to the common property and the transformation of HDB housing estates into vibrant communities.

In the initial years, Town Councils focused on the hardware aspect of estate management. Their role has evolved over the years to include the promotion of social responsibility and community bonding amongst residents, through close collaboration with the Community Development Councils and other grassroots organisations. The Annual Island-Wide Cleanest Estate Competition and Annual Town Days are some examples of such collaborative efforts.

The focus of our surveys in the past has been on how satisfied residents are with the maintenance of their estates and the quality of the services provided by the Town Councils. These results have been positive so far. For example, in a survey conducted in 2000, 96.2% of the respondents gave a "very clean or clean" rating to their towns, as compared to only 67.1% in 1996. Secondly, as far as enforcement actions by Town Councils are concerned, 88% of the respondents gave a "very effective or effective" rating as compared to only 78.5% in the 1996 survey.

It may be more meaningful for Town Councils to conduct specific surveys to assess their own efforts at the local level in shaping social behaviour and attitude, so that they can tailor their programmes accordingly. Several Town Councils, for example, Marine Parade, East Coast and Bishan-Toa Payoh, have in fact taken the initiative to conduct surveys on their own performance. We would like to encourage other Town Councils to follow their lead.