Besides building Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats ahead of demand to ease the housing crunch, the Ministry of National Development (MND) will be preparing for new towns at Tengah and Bidadari, Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.
In the MND addendum yesterday to President Tony Tan's address at the opening of Parliament on Monday, Mr Khaw said: "They (Tengah and Bidadari) will not be needed soon but we are planning ahead so as to retain flexibility."
Tengah is near Choa Chu Kang, while Bidadari is near Woodleigh.
And, as Singapore's population continues to grow and age, new infrastructure will be built to make the Republic "a city for all ages".
"We will bring jobs closer to homes as new growth areas such as Jurong Lake District, Paya Lebar and Kallang take off. Housing will be gradually intensified, especially around MRT stations and in mature towns such as Queenstown and Bishan, to take full advantage of their excellent amenities," said Mr Khaw.
The undertaking of more complex projects in a denser Singapore also means the construction industry has to increase its capabilities and productivity, he added.
The Building and Construction Authority will target to raise the productivity of the sector by 20 to 25 per cent over the next 10 years.
Mr Khaw also said the MND is taking "active measures to address the temporary imbalance in supply and demand".
More flats will also be built to meet the demand for subsidised rental housing.
Mdm Parveen Bengam, 27, and her husband are among the families that managed to secure a rental flat with the HDB's help, after approaching them in 2009.
Mdm Parveen, a part-time operator, told Today: "I finally have a roof over my head. The house is small but we have our own privacy and we have created a small world here for ourselves."
Mr Khaw said the MND will strive for "even better-designed and sustainable towns that have ample public spaces and community facilities" in the next phase of public housing. "We are reviewing the Town Council Management Report so that it can better encourage and reflect how residents are participating in the daily affairs of their town council," he said.
Source: Today Online by Ong Dai Lin
04:47 AM Oct 13, 2011 SINGAPORE
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