Speech by Minister Khaw Boon Wan at Foundation Laying Ceremony for Punggol NC 1

Aug 21, 2015

Over 50 years, HDB has built 23 towns. For each new town, we try to plan and build something different, to factor in past experience and to match new aspirations.

Thus, Punggol Town is different from Toa Payoh Town or Ang Mo Kio Town. Each town has its own characteristics, to fit local conditions, histories and buyers’ demographics.

But all HDB towns have their own attractions and are popular in its own right. Singaporeans are free to choose where they want to live in. 

Based on resale prices, some towns appear to be more popular than others. There are many reasons: location, near to the MRT, near to CBD, the city area etc. 

But one common feature which feedback from the residents tell us is the provision of communal facilities. Facilities like hawker centres, F & B outlets, supermarkets, swimming complexes, schools, childcare centres, polyclinics, often top the chart of residents’ wish lists. Are they (the facilities) comprehensive, are they easily accessible?

Toa Payoh Town is a good example. HDB’s HQ is located there and I go there quite often. It is the oldest HDB town, but it never loses its charm. I spoke to the residents there. Many have lived there since the beginning and have no plans to leave. I have spoken to the residents about monetisation – move to a smaller unit, cash out and have some funds for retirement. But, almost all of them have said no. They are happy with the very comprehensive range of facilities there, and all within short walking distance. 

That is the reason why for every HDB town, old and new, we ensure that communal facilities are adequate and within easy reach. We do this at three levels. First, among a few blocks, we make sure that there is a cluster of HDB shops so that daily needs are served. When a larger cluster like this neighbourhood is formed, we develop neighbourhood centres. These larger Neighbourhood Centres (NCs), often in the form of shopping complexes provide a one-stop retail and F&B convenience to residents. Thirdly, in the town centre itself, there could be huge shopping complexes that serve the larger needs.

The neighbourhood centres usually take the form of shopping malls which have F&B outlets and even cinemas.

There was a period when HDB stopped building NCs. Instead, land was carved out and offered to bid and left to private developers to come and assess whether it is time to build a neighbourhood centre.

When I spoke to the residents living in the towns, the results were mixed. When it was left to the private developers, the considerations are their bottom line. They did not start building it early enough. As we know, towns and neighbourhoods grow organically. So the first few months, perhaps even the first few years, there is no critical mass to support the restaurants, coffee shops etc. When private developers take their time to build, there is some unhappiness. Due to bottom line considerations, they bid high and they later find that the rentals may be high and they may need to re-coop some of these rental costs. So, 2 years ago, within MND, we took a look at this policy of leaving it to the private developers to build neighbourhood centres and we decided to unwind this policy. Henceforth, we shall again go back to the past where we plan, design and build NCs.

That is why we are here this morning to lay the foundation for Oasis Terraces, the first NC in Punggol along the popular Punggol Waterway. We take great effort in ensuring that the NCs suit residents’ needs.

The local MPs and the residents provided us with valuable feedback and helped us in the design and planning of this facility. We made efforts to reach out through focus group discussions and surveys to find out from residents, as you have been living here and presumably will make use of the NC, on what tops your wishlist. Some were predictable - more dining options, more facilities where families, young and old can gather together. Some even asked for more tuition centres!

Midway in the planning phase, we heard from MOH that they going to build a new Punggol Polyclinic here. We therefore decided to do an integrated development so that the NC is not designed from an individual agency’s point of view but designed from the residents’, users’ point of view. As a user, you will find it hassle free.

HDB has incorporated many of your suggestions and the outcome has been remarkable. Oasis Terraces was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2015 World Architecture Festival, for its unique design concept for mixed-use development. Later, you can view the exhibition of the final product. I hope they are in keeping with your needs.

I am confident, that when completed, Oasis Terraces will be very popular with the residents. It will be a watering hole for the residents, right along the Punggol Waterway. As a developer, we are proud to handover to, you, the residents.

I hope the residents will keep it beautiful and improve on it. There are two ways we can achieve this. One, we keep the environment clean. If you see someone littering or worse, throwing rubbish into the waterway and make it into a canal, please let us know. Peer pressure will be on the whole neighbourhood to keep it clean. For your own good. Secondly, assert, be demanding and expect high standards from your town council. Make sure they are well run by people who know their stuff, who have the competencies to run their town councils well and keep the environment clean. If you do so, the asset values of your homes will continue to escalate as our economy continues to grow.