HDB MULTI-STOREY AND BASEMENT CAR PARKS (Construction cost)

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HDB MULTI-STOREY AND BASEMENT CAR PARKS:

(Construction cost):

. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the construction cost per car park lot for a Housing and Development Board multi-storey car park without a basement as compared to one with a basement; (b) why is there a need to build basement HDB car parks despite its high cost of construction and maintenance; and (c) whether HDB will review its policy on basement car park construction so as to cut waste and save costs.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the average construction cost per lot of a normal HDB multi-storey car park (MSCP), without a basement, is about $11,000. The construction cost per lot of a multi-storey car park, with basement, is higher, and can be higher by between 20-150%. This, of course, depends on the site conditions and whether the basement car park is naturally ventilated or fully enclosed.

The HDB prefers to build normal multi-storey car parks rather than those with a basement. This is because the normal multi-storey car parks are more cost effective, easier to maintain and provide better security.

The HDB will build multi-storey car parks with basements only where there are site constraints and where it needs to optimise land use, for instance, in certain high-density public housing and open green space. Thus, the higher cost of multi-storey car parks with basements is offset, in these cases, by the savings in land cost.

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In cases where HDB has to build multi-storey car parks with basements, its first option will be to build naturally ventilated basement car parks, as these are obviously more cost effective than fully enclosed car parks. HDB will consider constructing a fully enclosed basement car park, which will require full-scale mechanical ventilation, only if it has no other choice.

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, may I ask the Minister of State why there is really a need to build basement car parks, especially for HDB estates which are normally not on prime land because we can maximise land use by building multi-storey car parks. A lot of the soil condition in Singapore is marine clay and it is very expensive to build basement car parks, especially during temporary work construction and maintenance. The cost can be easily 2-3 times more than the normal multi-storey car parks without basement. By avoiding basement car parks we can actually save millions of dollars in the construction of car parks.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the hon. Member that, wherever possible, we should not build basement car parks. We would only do so in exceptional circumstances because of site constraints. All the Member's other points about the fact that it is cheaper not to build a basement, it is also cheaper not to have to maintain a basement car park, are valid and he can rest assured that we will consider all these factors before we give approval for a multi-storey car park to be built with a basement.