New Safra Club in Punggol

Safra Punggol model

SINGAPORE: National Servicemen and their families will soon have better and more facilities for recreation, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean announced on Wednesday (June 18).

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new SAFRA club in Punggol, Mr Teo detailed plans for the club, which will be ready by early 2016.

The five-storey waterfront club, built at a cost of S$57 million, will offer gym, cycling and inline-skating facilities, restaurants, a bowling centre, spa and karaoke room. To cater to NSmen with children, the club will also house Singapore’s first indoor water playground and the island’s largest NurtureStars childcare centre.

Mr Teo also revealed plans for another SAFRA club to be built in the north-western part of Singapore, bringing the total number of SAFRA clubs to seven. There are also plans to enhance SAFRA Mount Faber by 2016, and to redevelop SAFRA Tampines by 2018, he said.

A new Home Team NS club in Tampines will also be built by 2016, while the upgrading of the existing Home Team NS clubs in Balestier, Chinatown and Bukit Batok will be completed in August this year, Mr Teo said.

- CNA/cy

Singapore's first indoor water playground

NurtureStars Childcare Centre

Artist's impression of the Club

 

Punggol flats most popular in 2014's first BTO exercise

SINGAPORE: Flats in Punggol proved popular with applicants in HDB's first Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise in 2014 despite their higher prices as compared to the others on offer.

As of 8pm on Tuesday, Punggol BayView, which is located directly across the Punggol Reservoir, had more than 1,400 applicants vying for some 460 four-room units.

That is twice the number of applications for some 400 four-room flats in Woodlands Glen.

The demand from singles for two-room flats in January's BTO exercise remains strong.

The two-room flats are the most highly-subscribed units in this exercise with demand mostly coming from singles.

Nearly 40 applications from singles were received for each two-room unit in Punggol Vue.

For the Woodlands Glen project, the rate was 16.2 for each unit.

The 3,139 BTO flats on offer in January is the first tranche of the 24,300 BTO flats that HDB has planned for 2014.

The exercise closes at midnight on Tuesday. - CNA/fa

As published on 28 Jan 2014 in CNA.

Punggol to get 7 signature waterfront housing districts

From TODAY's Newspaper

More buses and bus services have been added since the second half of last year to improve public transport in Punggol. But the news that over the next 15 years and beyond, Punggol will be twice the size of today's Ang Mo Kio housing estate, with an almost four-fold increase in number of flats to 100,000, has lead to some anxiety among existing and would-be residents.

There are 7 LRT stations in the western loop which are not opened yet. Currently, the estate is served by 1 MRT station, 8 LRT stations and a bus interchange with 11 trunk services to places such as AMK, Bishan, Serangoon Central, Tampines and Yishun. However, there is no direct bus service from Punggol to CBD area.

Currently, there are about 26,000 flats in Punggol. This number will eventually increase to 100,000, with about 48,000 new units slated for completion by 2016.

Punggol waterway project wins international award

The New Paper | Fri, Nov 30, 2012

The latest accolade comes under the Project Built segment in the 2012 International Award for Liveable Communities. -TNP

SINGAPORE - The Housing Board has won a global gold award for a waterway project. The My Waterway@Punggol project includes a 4.2km man-made river, which opened last October, meandering through Punggol.

The board's latest accolade comes under the Project Built segment in the 2012 International Award for Liveable Communities.

It is conferred by the LivCom Management Company and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme, and aims to recognise best practices in the management of local environments. This year's LivCom Awards winners were announced at a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

Punggol to get 7 signature waterfront housing districts

AsiaOne
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012

SINGAPORE - HDB today unveiled the next chapter of Punggol's development with a plan expected to take Punggol through the next five to 15 years and beyond.

Notably, Punggol's next phase of development will see seven signature waterfront housing districts, each with its own distinct character, created to give residents a stronger sense of attachment to their neighbourhoods.

This was announced by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan at the HDB Awards ceremony.


Signature Waterfront Housing Districts: Punggol's next phase of development will see seven signature waterfront housing districts, each with its own distinct character, created to give residents a stronger sense of attachment to their neighbourhoods.
Photo: HDB

The districts to be developed are Waterway East and Waterway West, which are currently already under development, and new areas at Northshore, Matilda, Punggol Point, Crescent and Canal districts.

In addition, HPB is looking into developing the area's town centre into a new "Punggol Downtown" - which will feature more civic spaces such as a town square and waterfront market village.

Residents can also look forward to more recreational spaces and commercial amenities such as a new sports complex, horse riding centre, community club and hawker centre.

As Punggol urbanises and develops, HPB said it will be building more green parks and green corridors to be integrated with the waterfront promenades.

The existing My Waterway@Punggol and the Punggol Waterway Park will be enhanced, with green spaces expanding towards the north.

Collectively, these open spaces - in which the town centre will be located - will form the "Green Heart" of Punggol, while green linear corridors spreading out from the Green Heart will be available for recreational use such as jogging, cycling and brisk walking.

As the town's population is expected to grow, Punggol's transport infrastructure is to be enhanced, with cycling tracks to be built in tandem with new roads to encourage clean commute.

"As HDB's first eco-town, Punggol continues to serve as a good platform for the pursuit of green initiatives and sustainable solutions," Mr Khaw said.

This is also in line with the Government roadmap's second thrust to develop sustainable towns.

More details will be available closer to the actual launches, Mr Khaw said.

yamadak@sph.com.sg

PM has fond memories of sleepy, rural Punggol

By Andrea Ong
The Straits Times
Sunday, Sep 30, 2012

SINGAPORE - Sleepy Punggol Point, once known for its rows of seafood eateries, may no longer be a place in the Singapore of today, but it still has a place in Mr Lee Hsien Loong's heart.

The Prime Minister can remember the first time he visited the area in 1967, when he was a 15-year-old boarding the ferry from Punggol Point to the Outward Bound School.

"Punggol was a very rural environment," he said, recalling how he would get "suddenly lost" on orienteering exercises in the kampung and secondary jungle areas.

"Today, you can't get lost in Punggol any more," he said with a tinge of nostalgia.

Mr Lee was responding to a question on whether he loved or missed any part of Singapore which has since been built over.

The importance of memories in defining the "soul of the nation" was a key theme of the Prime Minister's National Day Rally last month. In his speech, he reminisced about vanished places dear to him, and stressed the importance of memories of old places and friends in keeping Singapore the best home.

His memories of Punggol Point, however, were more recently sparked by a visit on Sunday to the "beautiful new town" of Punggol West.

Dramatic transformation

The area has undergone an extensive makeover over the years, from pig farms being resettled from the 1970s and bustling seafood restaurants moving out in 1994, to the building of new housing estates.

In 2007, Mr Lee unveiled plans for Punggol 21-Plus, setting the stage for the homes, parks and watersports facilities that have since sprung up there. The centrepiece is the 4.2km-long Punggol Waterway, which he opened last year.

And while he has fond memories of the old Punggol, the new Punggol is "better", said Mr Lee of the town, which will be almost as big as Ang Mo Kio.

"There's one 'Ang Mo Kio' coming up, south of the Punggol Waterway. And north of Punggol Waterway, another 'Ang Mo Kio' will rise one day, progressively."

At the same time, Mr Lee took comfort in the fact that a bit of the old Punggol has been retained. Kelong Bridge, one of five footbridges along the waterway, looks like one of the old fishing villages which used to dot Punggol's shoreline.

A stretch of Old Punggol Road, which used to lead to Punggol Point, and an old bus stop have also been conserved.

"I'm not sure if the bus still stops there any more, but they've kept the old bus stop," he quipped. "I think it's a nice microcosm of how Singapore has changed in one generation."

Pilot energy project at Punggol

The New Paper

Saturday, Jun 30, 2012

One block in Punggol HDB estate may well hold the answer to household energy efficiency in the future.
 
In the next one to two months, 10 homes at Block 109C, Edgedale Plains, will be invited to install a new home energy management system, which aims to increase energy efficiency at home, reported Channel News Asia.

The system includes a smart phone application that indicates a household's monthly electricity consumption. Users will also be able to control their air-conditioners, even when they are not at home.
 
The project is a collaboration between Panasonic and government agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board, the Energy Market Authority and the Economic Development Board.
 
Mr Tan Chee Sim, senior principal engineer at the HDB Building Research Institute, said: "By giving the residents their consumption pattern and adding a dollar sign to it, it (the system) actually tells them how much they are paying. I think if they lower it, and reduce their cost, they will definitely change (mindsets of residents towards energy management)."
 
Panasonic says it expects 20 per cent savings for households.
 
Block 109C, Edgedale Plains, is a test bed for green energy solutions. Close to 190 solar panels have been installed at the block's rooftop, and lifts and lights in common areas will be powered entirely by solar energy, achieving zero emission. HDB says if it proves successful, it will explore introducing these solutions to other parts of Singapore.

Joint exercise at Punggol station tomorrow

As published in my paper
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Singapore Police Force and SBS Transit will be conducting an operational exercise at Punggol Station on the North East Line tomorrow.

The exercise begins at 1am and will end at around 4am.

About 80 personnel members and 11 emergency and supporting vehicles will be participating.

School misplaces exam scripts, students have to retake exam

By Fabian Koh
The New Paper
Monday, May 14, 2012

An entire cohort of Secondary 1 Express students at Punggol Secondary School had to retake part of their English Language examination last Thursday.

The reason? Their school, at Edgefield Plains in Punggol, lost some of their original scripts for the mid-year exams.

The students had taken the 110-minute English Paper 1 on April 27.

The school's principal, Mr Benedict Keh, said in an e-mail reply to The New Paper that the school had discovered on that day that scripts of two classes were missing.

The 80 scripts were only for the editing section of the English Paper 1, which accounted for 7 per cent of the whole English exam.

The school contacted parents of Express-stream students to inform them of the repeat exam for that section, which was conducted yesterday.

The students were given 20 minutes to complete it.

The repeat exam was of a similar standard to the earlier one, and the students were informed about it last week so that they could have ample time to prepare for it.

Said Mr Keh: "The school is appreciative that the parents and students responded with understanding and gave the school their cooperation."

He added that the school takes a serious view of this matter and will look into tightening the processes for conducting exams in future.

"An investigation committee, chaired by the vice-principal, was convened and an ongoing review of the examination procedures is being conducted to ensure that such incidents do not occur again," he said.

Students told TNP that the school called their parents last week.

Said one affected student: "They told my parents that some scripts had been misplaced, and that was why we had to retake the paper."

To ensure fair grading throughout the level, everyone had to retake the paper.

Wasted time and effort

Some students felt that the repeat exam was a waste of time and effort.

One said: "We took it once before. If this time we don't do as well as the other time, then wasted, right?"

He explained that before the rescheduled paper yesterday, he had taken a History exam, followed by a Literature exam.

Some students felt the stress of cramming three subjects into one day.

"After the Literature paper ended, we had time only to go to the toilet and to refill our water bottles before we started on English," one student said.

His classmate added: "If not for this extra paper, I would be home by now."

But there were also those who saw the bright side in having to retake the paper.

One optimistic student said he felt this was a great way to improve his overall score.

He said he studied hard again for this section, and that the paper made more sense this time as he was more prepared.

Another student explained that the repeat paper was an advantage in terms of time.

"The first time we did it, we were rushing because there were so many different sections," he said.

But most parents TNP spoke to were displeased.

One mother, who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan, said: "It's the principle of the thing. How can they lose exam papers?

"That's just so careless."

A student also told TNP: "My mother said, 'Why your school got teacher so stupid go lose exam papers?'."

A teacher from another school, who has 15 years of teaching experience, said she was surprised by the incident, "as this kind of thing rarely happens".

She explained that her school practises standard procedures while invigilating exams.

An exam committee would organise the exam scripts into bundles, based on the number of scripts each class needed.

These bundles are then left in trays in a holding area, which could be located in the head of departments lounge.

Said the teacher: "Invigilators will go in to collect the scripts about 15 minutes before each paper.

"We have to sign out when we take the scripts, and sign in when we return them at the end of the exam."

She said that the Punggol Secondary School incident could have resulted from a lapse during the time the papers were moved from the holding area.

"I have no idea how such a lapse could have otherwise happened," she said.

Buyers throng showflats, snap up 224 units at Watertown over the weekend

Chinese New Year cheer for condo launches
By Esther Teo, Property Reporter

The notion that buyers avoid the property market during the Chinese New Year was shot down in flames over the weekend when 224 homes were sold at Watertown in Punggol Central.

Other projects also held open days over the festive weekend, with many willing buyers heading to showflats.

The so-called seasonal effect - namely that sales slow during the December school holidays, the Hungry Ghost Festival and Chinese New Year - has long dampened real estate activity. But things have been changing in recent years.

Mr Chia Boon Kuah, Far East's chief operating officer of property sales
Local home-seekers are more willing to buy all year round while there is also an increasing share of foreigners in the market who might be less superstitious. Developers keen to shift property in what could be a slow year also seem happy to take their chances.

Huge Crowds Flock to Watertown Showflat

New lifestyle hub planned for Punggol

As published in Yahoo news
18 Jan 2011

Property developers Far East Organization, Frasers Centrepoint Limited and Sekisui House, Ltd. have unveiled Waterway Point, a retail and lifestyle hub at the 992-unit Watertown in Punggol Central.

Waterway Point comprises around 370,000 sq ft of net lettable retail space, al fresco waterfront dining and a Shaw Theatres IMAX cinema.

It is strategically located within walking distance to Punggol MRT and LRT stations as well as the bus interchange.

"We're especially excited about Waterway Point, which will be a truly unique shopping and dining enclave by the waterfront in a trans-urban location," said Mr Lim Ee Seng, Group CEO, Frasers Centrepoint Limited.

"Positioned as an upmarket lifestyle mall that opens till late, we will put together a carefully selected mix of innovative and creative concepts to capitalise on the waterway frontage. We see the market responding well to such mixed-use projects like Watertown," he added.

Waterway Point is expected to be ready in 2015 and will benefit residents living in Watertown as well as the Punggol area.

Meanwhile, 250 residential units at Watertown will be released for sale this Chinese New Year, with prices starting from S$1,080 psf.

According to Far East, it expects that 90 percent of the buyers will be Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs).

Watertown features a wide range of unit types, including Suites, SOHO Apartments, Sky Patios and Residences. Sizes of the units range from 527 sq ft to 1,582 sq ft. Related Stories: HDB shops to get S$11m boost

Showflat not ready, but buyers lap up Watertown

The Straits Times - January 19, 2012
By: Esther Teo

NADARAJANHOME buyers, undeterred by recent tough market cooling measures, turned up in strong numbers at the preview of Watertown in Punggol Central yesterday.

Far East Organization said more than 160 units out of the 250 units launched were snapped up, with Singaporeans making up more than 90 per cent of buyers.

The enthusiastic response means that the official launch, originally scheduled for next week, will now be brought forward to tomorrow.

Industry analysts say developers seem eager to push out projects quickly, possibly before more uncertainty emerges.

In the case of Watertown, the developers bought the site for the 992-unit project less than a year ago and have yet to finish the showflat.

But agents had been fielding inquiries on the mixed-use development even before the authorities' approval for the launch had been given, sources say.

They say at least 100 buyers were ready to hand over cheques on Tuesday. But building plan approvals were issued yesterday and only then could agents collect cheques and grant options to purchase last evening.

The $1.6 billion project is being jointly developed by Far East, Frasers Centrepoint and Japanese firm Sekisui House. It will be integrated with a mall of 370,000 sq ft of net lettable shop space and a Shaw Theatres Imax cinema.

Developers had earlier said that prices will start from $1,080 per sq ft (psf), which they said included a discount.

Even so, the development will still set a benchmark in Punggol, trumping Sim Lian Group's A Treasure Trove, priced at $866 psf at its launch last September.

Buyers were unfazed at picking units off the plan as the showflat is not yet up.

Key attractions are the waterfront location and the fact that the project is integrated with Punggol MRT station, experts say. Recent mixed-use launches like Bedok Residences have also seen robust sales and benchmark pricing at a median of $1,359 psf.

SLP International research head Nicholas Mak said that developers are pushing out projects as quickly as possible before more uncertainty hits the market.

'Especially in the Punggol area, developers face increasing competition as the Government has pushed out a lot of land there,' he added.

He said the 11-month turnaround for the site, bought in February last year, was 'fairly quick'.

It typically takes a year or more for integrated projects of this size to be launch-ready, he added.

The Dec 7 cooling measures included an extra stamp duty of 10 per cent on all home buys by foreigners. Some analysts tip price falls of 10 per cent to 20 per cent this year.

Separately, Sekisui House said it will tap its network of retailers to introduce new-to-market brands and concepts from Japan into the upcoming mall.

Five BTO projects launched, offering 3,923 flats

Posted on CNA: 11 January 2012
By Qiuyi Tan

SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched five Build-To-Order (BTO) projects on Wednesday.

The BTO launch, the first this year, offers 3,923 new flats in Choa Chu Kang, Punggol, Sengkang and Tampines.

And a further 4,110 new flats will be offered for sale in the next BTO launch in March, in Bedok, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, Clementi, Geylang and Toa Payoh.

In total, HDB plans to offer 25,000 BTO units for the entire year.

HDB says at least 95 per cent of the flat supply (excluding Studio Apartments) will be set aside for first-timer households. Eligible first-timer households can also enjoy various housing grants to help them own a new BTO flat.

The projects launched on Wednesday are Fernvale Lea in Sengkang, Sunshine Gardens in Choa Chu Kang, Tampines Alcoves and Tampines GreenTerrace in Tampines, and Waterway Sunbeam in Punggol.

The selling prices for units at Fernvale Lea range from S$83,000 for a 2-room unit to S$283,000 for a 5-room unit.

For Sunshine Gardens, the price range is from S$77,000 for Studio Apartments to S$295,000 for a 5-room unit.

For units at Tampines Alcoves and Tampines GreenTerrace, the price range is from S$86,000 for Studio Apartments to S$292,000 for a 4-room unit.

And at Waterway Sunbeam, the price range is from S$152,000 for a 3-room unit to S$340,000 for a 5-room unit.

All these prices exclude grants.

Analysts expect strong demand for the Tampines projects, but the other projects are not likely to see 100 per cent take-up rate.

Mr Lim Yong Hock, senior vice president at PropNex Realty, said: "We can see the take-up rate has moderated over the last one year, from subscription of more than five times. Now, we have moderated down to one-over times.

"I believe today's launch will probably see further moderation of the take-up rates. But of course, in a good location, the take-up rate will still be very strong, like Tampines (Alcoves). It's a hot location and it's also near a future MRT station, Tampines West."

Mr Lim said applicants are being more selective as more BTO projects, some of them in mature estates, are in the pipeline.

He added: "Of course, everybody hopes to apply for a good location. So some of them may even wait for the March launch before they even put in their applications."

The vast majority of new flats are reserved for first-time applicants, and only five per cent go to second-timers.

If take-up rates continue to moderate, analysts expect the government to start allocating more flats for second-timers as early as the first half of the year.

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan had said in his blog last year that second-timers can expect more BTO flats to be reserved for them, starting 2012.

More information is available on HDB InfoWEB.

Applications and enquiries for Wednesday's BTO launch can be submitted online from January 11 to January 17.

For enquiries, the public can:
- Log on to www.hdb.gov.sg/esales; or
- E-mail hdbsales@hdb.gov.sg; or
- Visit the HDB Sales Office to speak with our Customer Service Officers during office hours (Mon to Fri 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 1 pm).

- CNA/fa/ck

Veteran grassroots leader appointed as adviser to Aljunied GROs

As published on CNA
03 January 2012 1945 hrs

SINGAPORE: A 73-year-old grassroots veteran has been appointed as adviser to Aljunied grassroots organisations for Bedok Reservoir-Punggol.

Mr Anthony Loh will take over from former Foreign Minister George Yeo, who has stepped down from his role with immediate effect.

A statement from the People's Association said Mr Loh, who is currently honorary chairman of the Bedok Reservoir-Punggol citizens' consultative committee and patron of the Punggol Community Club Building Fund Committee, has been an active grassroots leader since 1989.

Over the past 22 years, he has served as the chairman of various community club management committees and citizens' consultative committees.

Mr Loh said: "I hope that in facilitating greater interaction amongst residents and neighbours, it would help them to deepen friendships, and strengthen mutual trust, understanding and support in the community.

"I will ensure that accurate feedback is given to the government on issues that affect people; and see that the grassroots organisations deliver the government's programmes to the people."

PA also paid tribute to Mr George Yeo for his leadership as grassroots adviser since 1988. It said Mr Yeo played a key role in leading and guiding the grassroots organisations in their role of connecting people to people, and people with the government.

-CNA/ac

Punggol Point Walk waterfront destination launched

As published on CNA
20 Nov 2011

SINGAPORE: Visitors to fishing spots along the coast of Punggol will now have better access to the area with the opening of the 1.2-kilometre Punggol Point Walk.

It's the second zone to be opened as part of the S$16.7 million Punggol Promenade.

When fully completed next year, the 4.9 kilometre-long waterfront promenade will connect two recreational clusters along the north eastern coast of Singapore.

Lee Howe Ming, executive architect of Conservation & Urban Design Group at Urban Redevelopment Authority, said: "What we are trying to do is to really bring people back to Punggol Point, make it as a recreational node by building this nice park. It's also well connected along the coastline to other recreational options along Punggol such as your My Waterway@Punggol, Lorong Halus Wetlands "

Visitors to Punggol Point Walk will not only enjoy the seabreeze from the viewing deck but also take in the panoramic views of the Straits of Johore.

The deck, which marks the end of Punggol Road, can hold some 300 people and also serves as a shelter to users of the jetty.

There's also a giant lily pond, a children's playground and an events plaza at Punggol Point Walk.

Footpaths and cycling tracks will link up with park connectors along the Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs, forming a continuous 17 -kilometre loop around north-eastern Singapore.

When the last stage of the promenade, the Nature Walk measuring 2.5km, is completed early next year, the public can make their way from Riverside Walk in Punggol East to the Sengkang Riverside Park.

Lee Howe Ming said: "Punggol Point Walk is just one of three segments of Punggol Promenade. So when the entire Punggol Promenade is open early next year, it will also be connected to park connectors that will run along Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs.

"So eventually all this will link up to form a north eastern park connector, a network loop, so that's about 17 kilometres.

"And this will also be connected in the future to the round island cycling routes, so that's about 150 kilometres."

"Singapore is a small island but by doing all these park connectors we're giving a lot more recreational options to residents in Singapore."

There'll also be a soon-to-be opened horse riding school at Punggol Point.

A site has also been reserved at Punggol Point Walk for F&B outlets in the future.

"We hope that Punggol Point Walk will offer respite from the hustle and bustle of city life to the residents in Punggol and allow visitors of all ages to relax and soak in the idyllic atmosphere," said URA Chief Executive Officer, Ng Lang.

"This latest recreation destination is a collective effort from the project team, leaders and residents from the grassroots and constituency, the agencies from the public sector and supporters from the private sector."

The Punggol Promenade is the latest in a series of improvement projects that the URA has undertaken to enhance the living environment. Others include the Southern Ridges, the Woodlands Waterfront and the soon-to-be completed Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk.

It is also part of URA's Rustic Coast Proposals, which aims to connect the five coastal areas - Pulau Ubin, Changi Point, Pasir Ris and Coney Island and Punggol Point URA's Parks and Waterbodies and Identity Plans to open up coastal areas and introduce new recreational activities and amenities for residents to enjoy.

- CNA/ck

Waterway on Stomp

This Urban Jungle       

Here's a cool place to cycle at night: My Waterway @ Punggol           

If you thought this was some resort for the rich and famous, guess again. These gorgeous pictures are of the newly completed My Waterway @ Punggol.

STOMPer seaeagle wrote:
"I found this cool spot to cycle at night, with all these beautiful lights!
"This is My Waterway @ Punggol.
"Punggol residents should be very happy with this Waterway."

Punggol - The new waterfront town

Singapore's longest man-made waterway has made its way into Punggol New Town. Built at a cost of $225 million, My Waterway@Punggol was constructed by damming two reservoirs - Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol.

'Venice of Punggol' opens

AsiaOne
Sunday, Oct 23, 2011

 

Housing estate Punggol saw a new addition to its facilities today when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially opened the Punggol Waterway.

Speaking at the opening, PM Lee said he was happy to witness the completion of the waterway, which some call 'Venice of Punggol'.

He recounted how it was a long journey to complete the waterway, after initial plans for Punggol 21 were affected by the Asian financial crisis.

However, the plans for the waterway were revisited and improved after the economy recovered.
PM Lee said in his speech that Punggol Waterway was a central feature of the Punggol 21 Plus plan to transform Punggol into the "Waterfront Town of the 21st Century".

He also said there will be 23,000 families living in Punggol by the end of 2011, with a new commercial hub and town plaza by Punggol MRT by 2015.

The project cements Punggol's claims as Singapore's first 'eco-precinct', where every aspect, from building orientation to solar panels to rainwater harvesting, is based on sustainability.

PM Lee said he hoped Punggol residents would treasure their new surroundings as it was doubtful such a waterway could be built in other estates.

The Government will also be investing $10 billion over the next 10 years in upgrading projects to improve living conditions in older estates like Yishun and East Coast.

He also asked for Singaporeans' support and residents' partnership in these upgrading projects.

paullim@sph.com.sg

Singapore's first solar leasing project kicks off in Punggol

As published in CNA
15 Sep 2011

SINGAPORE: Forty-five HDB blocks in Punggol will be fitted with solar panels by the middle of next year, in Singapore's first solar leasing project.

The solar power generated panels will be used to power services in common areas such as lift operations, corridor and staircase lightings, and water pumps.

This makes up 10 per cent of total block usuage.

Private company Sunseap Enterprises will finance the design, maintenance and installation of the two mega-watt peak solar system.

HDB will cover 30 per cent of the start up costs at S$3.28 million, while the remaining costs will be covered by Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council's monthly payment for solar power, over the next 20 years.

But this will be lower than what the council usually pays for electricity because the price of solar power is at a 1 per cent discount from Sunseap Enterprises.

"At the moment, solar power generation is still likely to be more expensive than generation of energy from the usual power plants. But in time to come we envisage if we can do more of solar power generation, the cost is likely to come down," said Dr Cheong Koon Hean, CEO of HDB.- CNA/cc