HDB InfoWEB: Remaking Our Heartland Update : Shaping My Punggol : Press Releases

Date issued : 17 May 2008

           Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced plans to transform the heartland into more vibrant homes at the 2007 National Day Rally. HDB had exhibited these plans under the Remaking Our Heartland Exhibition in Sep & Oct 2007. The plans to develop Punggol into a Waterfront Town of the 21st Century had been overwhelmingly welcomed, with 97% of the Remaking Our Heartland survey respondents agreeing with the proposals for Punggol.

2         Today, Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan will be launching a two-day exhibition at Punggol to inform residents and Singaporeans of the progress that has been made for Punggol since the plans were first exhibited.

3         The two-day exhibition over the weekend on 17 and 18 May 2008, will be held at the open field next to Punggol Plaza from 12 noon to 9 pm on 17 May 2008 and 10am to 9pm on 18 May 2008. A location map is attached at ANNEX A for reference.

Key Strategies for a Waterfront Town of the 21st Century

4 The key strategies exhibited in 2007 for developing Punggol were to plan more homes to build critical mass, bring waters closer to residents, create a unique Town Centre, provide more housing choices, activate the recreational coastline and enhance connectivity for the town. We have provided a summary of the progress at ANNEX B for reference.

Efforts to Build up Critical Mass

5 HDB had committed to launch more new flats in Punggol so that the population mass could level up to attract and support new facilities. Since Oct 2007, HDB has launched three new build-to-order projects comprising about 1,700 units. The take-up rate for flats in Punggol has also been consistently good, with about 80 % of new units offered taken-up. HDB has plans to launch another 4,000 units under the Build-To-Order system by end 2008. As at today, HDB has completed about 16,700 flats in Punggol with another 2,000 units under construction. By 2011, another 4,900 units are expected to be completed, bringing a total of more than 20,000 completed units in Punggol.

Bringing Waters Closer to Residents

6 When plans for the Punggol Waterway was exhibited, 94% of survey respondents supported the proposal of having a waterway through the town and HDB has made exciting headway in laying the groundwork for the waterway. With technical studies for the waterway completed in November last year, our engineers are now looking at plans to incorporate green features, and aspects of making the waterway experience safe and pleasant.

7 To bring the waterway to life, HDB is tapping professional expertise through a Landscape Masterplan Design Competition for the Waterway. The competition is opened to Urban Planners, Architects and Landscape Architects, which are expected to contribute designs and concepts for not just the overall landscape design of the 4.2 km waterway and the 2 tributaries (1.3km), but also the 10m wide promenades at both sides of the waterway as well as the Town Park.

Unique Town Centre

8 The town centre will be the centrepiece and gateway to the town. It aims to provide opportunities for shopping, dining, entertainment, sports and recreation, and community events. The waterfront site for the first mixed commercial/private residential development at the Town Centre will be launched for tender by 2010/ 2011. When ready the Town Centre will also include a Town Plaza where celebrations and events could be held by the waters.

More Housing Choices with Green Living on the cards

9 As regards to housing choice, HDB had launched the first eco-precinct, Treelodge@Punggol and will incorporate eco-features from the precinct into other new developments in Punggol. In addition, green living will be extended to the entire stretch on both sides of the waterway. The plans called for an environment to cater to a unique lifestyle, which incorporates environmentally-friendly and sustainable features. These technologies will also be used for the housing, recreational facilities and the public areas along this stretch.

Recreational Coastline taking Shape

10 Along the coastline, works on the coastal promenade will start soon while development of the Rustic Park at Coney Island will start next year. The New Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs will be completed by 2009 and Sengkang Floating Island along Sungei Punggol will be completed by 2010. There will also be a host of recreational facilities coming onstream at two activity clusters, including a horse riding centre that will be completed by 4th Quarter 2008 and a Golf Driving Range by 2009.

Better Connectivity with Scenery to match

11 The widening of the Tampines Expressway between Punggol Flyover and Pasir Ris Drive 12 and Pasir Ris Drive 12 will be completed in 1st Quarter 2009 and the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway will be completed earlier in 3rd Quarter 2008. Meanwhile, HDB has already planted 800 trees and 80,000 shrubs on the eastern part of the Boulevard along Punggol Central, between Punggol Road and Punggol East.

Let every idea count towards Shaping My Punggol

12 When HDB exhibited the remaking plans last year at various locations, it attracted about 110,000 visitors and HDB received over 11,000 completed survey forms. Moving forward for Punggol, HDB would like to hear from Singaporeans, the students and especially Punggol residents ideas about how their homes along the Waterway will look like, the kind of facilities and amenities they look forward to and how to make the Waterway environment clean and special. Ideas can be submitted to HDB in any media, such as drawings, photographs or a written piece via http://www.hdb.gov.sg. Selected entries will be published or posted online and the contributors will receive a token or appreciation from us.

13 This call for ideas is an important part of resident engagement to help harvest the best possible ideas and inspiration for the Waterfront Town of the 21st Century

Going forward

14 HDB will also be updating Singaporeans on the progress of the remaking plans for Yishun and Dawson, the two other showcase towns under the Remaking our Heartland plans in the coming months.

ANNEX A - LOCATION MAP

Location Map (176KB)

ANNEX B - PROGRESS TABLE BASED ON THE STRATEGIES EXHIBITED

Strategy	Exhibited in Sep 2007	Updates
New Waterway	� New feature after damming up of 2 rivers. � Promenades along both sides	The technical study for the proposed waterway had been completed in 2007 and engineering design of the waterway is currently in progress. HDB has launched the Landscape Masterplan Design Competition for professionals.
Town Centre	Iconic commercial cum residential development – Sale of waterfront site to be launched within in 5 years.	Launch by 2010/ 2011
Housing Choices	� New housing forms. � Terrace gardens and courtyards � Common area activities � Eco-friendly features	HDB has launched the Call for Ideas exercise to hear from the public and the students, their ideas to shape Housing, Community Spaces and Facilities and the Waterway Environment along the waterway.
Building Critical Mass	Concentrate housing around Town Centre and along waterway	Recently launched Punggol Spring (494 units), Damai Grove (738 units) Punggol Lodge (516 units) Under construction Punggol Vista (628 units), Treelodge@Punggol (712 units), Coralinus Phase 2 (365 units), Coralinus Phase 1 (369 units) New Units to be launched 4,000 from May - Dec 2008
Recreational coastline	Coastal Promenade	New Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs Completion: 2009 Activity Cluster 1: - Horse Riding Centre, Completion: 4Q2008 - Interim Park, Completion: 2010 Proposed Rustic Park at Coney Island Start Development: 2009 Coastal Promenade: Completion: 2010 Activity Cluster 2: - Golf Driving Range & Plant Nursery, Completion: 2009 Proposed Lorong Halus Wetland: Completion: 2011 Sengkang Floating Island : Completion: 2010 Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre Completion: Jun 2008
Connectivity	� Tree-lined boulevard along Punggol Central � Improvements to TPE and completion of KPE	- 800 trees & 80,000 shrubs planted along a 1.4km stretch (between Punggol Road and Punggol East) - KPE, Completion: 3Q2008 - Widening of TPE, Completion: 1Q2009

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