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Private property prices up 3.7% in first quarter
Posted: 25 April 2008 1324 hrs



SINGAPORE: Prices of private residential properties increased by 3.7% in the first quarter of this year from the last quarter of 2007.

Analysts said this could be due to the price discounts offered by developers for some units in the suburban areas.

Dr Chua Yang Liang, Head of Research & Consultancy, Jones Lang LaSalle, said: "Here and there there are some anecdotal evidence of them giving some kind of rebates. But overall, I think the market is still going to hold for a little bit more. Transaction volume has come down. But naturally, looking at it from purely an economic point of view, transaction volume has declined. The next thing to move is probably the price."

The Q1 pace was slower than the 6.8% rise in the previous quarter and the 8.3% increase in the third quarter of last year.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said prices of non-landed private residential properties rose by 3.8% on quarter in the core central region in the first quarter, slower than a 7.5% increase in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Prices of properties in the rest of the central region increased by 3.3% in the quarter, compared with a 7.7% rise in the previous three months. Outside the central region, prices moved up by 3.8%, slower than a 7% rise previously.

The URA said sales of homes yet to be built by developers dropped to 730 units for the first quarter, nearly half the 1,397 units sold in the previous quarter.

The total number of sub-sales fell to 346 in the first quarter of this year, compared to 649 sub-sales in the previous quarter.

At the end of the first three months of this year, there were 67,736 uncompleted units of private housing from projects in the pipeline. Of these, 42,685 units were still unsold.

Earlier this month, the URA estimated that prices of private homes in the first three months of this year had risen 4.2% from the fourth quarter. That estimate was based on data from the first 10 weeks of the first quarter.

Private home prices jumped 31% in 2007 for the largest increase in eight years, but growth has slowed since the final quarter of 2007, while the January-March sales volume fell to the lowest since 2003. - CNA/sf/ir

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April 27, 2008         
HDB flat buyers pay less cash upfront
Cash over valuation falls as units are more accurately valued to reflect market prices
By Jessica Cheam

House-hunting for soon-to-be-married Jolyn Toh used to be a discouraging affair as prices were out of her reach.

But things are looking up for the engineer.

Just six months ago, home-owners in Bukit Batok, where she is looking to buy an HDB flat, used to demand nothing less than $50,000 cash upfront.

In the last month, however, this has dipped to about $20,000 to $30,000. 'This difference means my fiance and I can now afford a home before our wedding in July,' said Ms Toh, 25.

New government figures released last Friday will bring cheer to those hunting for their dream Housing Board flat as they reveal that median cash-over-valuation (COV) prices in many popular estates like Marine Parade, Queenstown and Clementi are falling.

COV is the cash that buyers must pay a seller over and above a flat's market valuation to secure the sale. For example, if a unit is valued at $250,000 and the seller will only part with it for $300,000, the COV will be $50,000.

It cannot be paid for by a bank loan or by money from a Central Provident Fund account.

Market watchers explained that the drop in COV was due largely to valuations of HDB homes rising sharply to reflect more accurately prevailing market prices.

Valuations of flats are made by a panel of HDB-appointed private valuers.

Agency boss Albert Lu of C&H Realty said valuers have started taking into account recent resale transactions, which have enjoyed robust growth, in their valuations.

This has led to the narrowing of the gap between valuations and COV prices, even as home prices continue to rise.

Take, for example, a five-room flat in Bukit Batok. In the fourth quarter of last year, its median price was $430,000, and the median COV was $41,000. Accordingly, valuation was $389,000, that is $430,000 minus $41,000.

In the most recent quarter, the median price went up to $450,000. However, the COV fell to $30,000, which meant that the valuer had valued the flat higher at $420,000.

A lower COV will help newlyweds, especially, get on the housing ladder. They now have to fork out less cash upfront and can take out HDB or bank loans to service the rest of the purchase.

Although HDB prices continued to rise 3.7 per cent in the first quarter this year, housing experts say the market could get a boost in coming months due to lower COVs.

'With valuations going up, the COV is coming down and this makes it more affordable,' said Mr Lu.

HDB prices rose 17.4 per cent last year, the highest in a decade. At the peak of last year's spectacular property bull run - which saw record prices such as $890,000 for an executive flat in Queenstown - home-owners were asking for COV sums of more than $150,000 in some mature estates.

This, in turn, priced many newly-weds out of the resale market, who then turned out in droves to queue for new HDB flats.

In Clementi, for example, the median COV for July to September last year was a sky-high $155,000 for an executive flat. This had dropped to $75,000 in the fourth quarter last year, and is now a more reasonable $40,000 this quarter.

For a very 'cash sensitive HDB market', even a small difference in COV makes an impact and could see more people returning to the resale market, said Mr Colin Tan, Chesterton International's head (research and consultancy).

PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said that another reason for the decrease in COV could be that sellers' expectations have moderated due to the recent softening of the property sector here, coupled with volatile global markets.

Mr Tan pointed out that HDB prices remained high and are daunting for lower-income families whose incomes have been stagnant. This makes new HDB flats, which are subsidised, the more attractive proposition.

But for couples like teacher Lynne Ng, 26, and her fiance, the dip in COV could not have come at a better time. 'We were going to rent or live with our parents, but now it's possible we'll get a dream home of our own when we get married,' she said.

[email protected]

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April 29, 2008         
PropNex takes home buyers to court over fee dispute
Case hangs on whether flat buyers who deal without agents should pay a commission, too
By Tan Hui Yee

A COUPLE who bought a home and refused to pay the seller's agent the 1 per cent commission are being taken to court by a property company.

PropNex associate director Ricky Low Yong Sern is seeking about $4,000 in commission or a service fee in a case that is likely to turn the spotlight on the issue of whether home buyers should pay a fee to sellers' agents.

He was the exclusive agent handling the sale of a terrace house in Whampoa built over 30 years ago and classified as a Housing Board flat.

Marketing specialist Loh Yi Min, 29, and his wife, polytechnic lecturer Ariel Wee, 33, bought it for $400,000 in April last year. They had acted on their own without engaging an agent.

In documents submitted to court, Mr Low claimed that he had a right to collect a commission as he had exclusive rights to market the property. He also claimed that he had provided services to the buyers.

However, the couple refused to sign the commission agreement when they inked the sale last year. They claim they had made no deal to pay him a fee in the first place.

Both sides will attempt to reach an agreement when they attend a court dispute resolution session next month.

This is the first lawsuit of its kind started by eight-year-old PropNex.

The issue of commissions payable by independent buyers, or buyers who deal without agents, has been hotly debated in recent years.

While there is no law fixing the fees payable, property sellers typically pay their agents a 2 per cent fee, while buyers pay their agents a 1 per cent fee.

Many agents marketing HDB flats also charge independent buyers a 1 per cent fee, but this is not practised in private property deals. Property veterans said this disparity was due to the lower prices of HDB flats, which amount to a lower commission for agents.

Some independent buyers have complained that sellers' agents inform them that they have to pay a commission just before the purchase documents are signed, leaving them with little time to find out about their rights.

Once the buyers sign the commission agreements, they are bound to pay the fee.

However, agents have countered that independent buyers often leave the paperwork to the sellers' agents but refuse to pay a service fee.

Major real estate agencies contacted by The Straits Times have varied responses to such situations, although all maintain that independent buyers of HDB flats should pay a fee.

HSR property group chief executive Patrick Liew said his company takes three to four independent buyers to the Small Claims Tribunal each year for similar claims and has won payment each time.

ERA Singapore's assistant vice-president Eugene Lim said his company does not take independent buyers to court when no commission agreements are signed.

Meanwhile, the Consumers Association of Singapore has, in recent years, questioned the practice of agents taking commissions from both buyer and seller in the same transaction, citing a possible conflict of interest.

[email protected]

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May 2, 2008         
Hougang Town Council staff are all S'poreans: Workers' Party
It reveals this in response to challenge from PAP MP Seng Han Thong
By Sue-Ann Chia


Mr Seng, assistant secretary-general of the NTUC, had on Thursday taken the opposition party to task for its May Day message. -- PHOTO: ZAOBAO

ALL the town council staff in opposition-held ward Hougang are Singaporeans, the Workers' Party said on Friday in response to a challenge from MP Seng Han Thong of the People's Action Party.

However, the WP was quick to add that it recognises the contribution of foreign workers and is not against their employment.

For instance, Hougang town council does not object to its contractors deploying foreign workers in the estate, it said in a statement signed by the party's organising secretary Yaw Shin Leong.

The town council is run by the ward's MP Low Thia Khiang, secretary-general of the WP.

Mr Seng, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, had on Thursday taken the opposition party to task for its May Day message.

The WP had questioned if Singaporeans 'truly benefitted' from the job boom as six in 10 new jobs went to foreigners.

Rebutting the WP, Mr Seng told reporters on the sidelines of the May Day rally: 'We should take a pragmatic approach on this foreign worker issue.'

He also challenged the WP to match its words with deeds, by ensuring the Hougang Town Council did not hire any foreigners.

On Friday, the WP reiterated its views on foreigners.

'The issue here is not of foreign workers' employment per se but rather how the Singapore Government and the labour union will ensure that the dignity and societal position of Singaporean workers are not compromised,' the party said.

The Government's attitude, it added, should be to put Singaporeans first and 'resist any erosion of Singaporeans' societal standing'.

'It is the Government's responsibility to show compassion for the plight of the workers facing the pressure of high inflation,' the WP said.

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May 4, 2008         
HDB rental market remains strong
Flats much sought after because of spillover demand from private homes market, but agents say rents are unlikely to rise much more
By Joyce Teo Property Correspondent



How much an HDB flat can fetch in rent depends on its location. Rents for some executive flats in Queenstown have gone as high as $2,900 a month, a price previously seen only with private apartments. -- ST FILE PHOTO


The rental market for Housing Board flats remains hot, with rents up in the first quarter as more home owners apply for permission to rent out whole flats.

Rents for some executive flats in Queenstown have gone as high as $2,900 a month, a price previously seen only with private apartments.

Property agents say that although prices are flattening out, rental demand for HDB flats remains strong, thanks partly to spillover demand from the private homes market, where rents surged dramatically last year.

More Western expatriates can be found renting HDB flats these days. However, demand for HDB flats still comes mainly from Malaysian, Chinese and Indian nationals working in Singapore, says Mr Eugene Lim, an assistant vice-president of ERA Realty Network.

'Although HDB rentals have gone up, HDB flats are still among the cheapest forms of rental housing for them,' he said.

'Demand will continue to rise mainly because of the continuous influx of foreign talent, especially with the upcoming casino and international events such as Formula One,' said Mr Steven Tan, the executive director of the residential division at OrangeTee.com.

Nevertheless, rentals are unlikely to surge from current levels. 'We are starting to see some resistance,' said Mr Tan.

In Toa Payoh, which is close to town, first-quarter median rents ranged from $1,400 for a three-room flat to $1,780 for a four-roomer and $2,150 for a five-roomer, going by HDB data.

A little farther up north, first-quarter median rents in Ang Mo Kio started at a lower $1,300 for a three-room flat and moved up to $1,880 for a five-roomer.

While Tampines might be some distance from town, median rents for flats in the regional commercial hub ranged from $1,480 for a three-room flat to $1,950 for a five-roomer.

How much a flat can fetch depends on its location. Those next to MRT stations tend to command more, agents say.

Five-room flats in Choa Chu Kang fetched a median monthly rent of $1,480; those in Bukit Merah, $2,000.

Executive flats, some of which used to fetch monthly rents similar to those for five-room flats, now go for more, starting from $1,530 and going as high as $2,900.

'HDB rentals are quite high now. I think this is the limit,' says property agent Germaine Ng. 'I already saw resistance two months ago. Fewer tenants are coming to the market.'

Even if rents remain at current levels, HDB flats would make attractive investments, albeit only for those who are eligible to rent them out. Flat owners can rent out their entire unit after occupying it for three years. This minimum occupation period goes up to five years if they bought the flat with a subsidy or housing grant.

For instance, a five-room flat in Ang Mo Kio might be worth just $400,000 but it could fetch a monthly rent of $1,800, which would give a yield of 5.4 per cent.

'This is a very good yield considering that rental yields for private homes usually fall below 4 per cent,' said Mr Lim.

This explains why more and more people want to rent out entire flats. In the first three months of this year, 3,581 flat owners - most of them with three- or four-room flats - were given approval to rent out their flats.

Last year, 12,808 sub-letting approvals, of which about a third were for three-room flats, were given. In 2006, 8,544 approvals were given.

HDB flat owners can apply online for sub-letting approvals. Those who want to rent out just the rooms do not need HDB approval to do so, but they must continue to live in the flat and comply with other sub-letting conditions.

[email protected]

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New residential buildings must now meet minimum standards for energy efficiency
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 May 2008 2253 hrs



SINGAPORE: New residential properties must now include basic environment-friendly features before the building plans are approved.

This is a requirement introduced on 15 April by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Under the new guidelines, BCA has set a limit on the amount of heat that can enter a residential building through its facade. This limit is called the Residential Envelope Transmittance Value. Such a criterion already exists for commercial properties.

A house with floor-to-ceiling glass designs and little concrete all around. Such a look has become increasingly popular among private residential properties in Singapore.

The full-height window design exudes an air of elegance and makes the rooms look larger. But such a design is not environmentally-friendly.

".....because during the day, a lot of heat will be trapped inside the unit and when you turn on the air-conditioning, it'll work harder than normal," said BCA's deputy director for technology development, Ang Kian Seng.

This is why the BCA hopes that designers will incorporate 'green' features at the planning stage.

Today, more than 30 residential properties in Singapore have floor-to-ceiling glass designs. The BCA says such architecture is not suitable for a tropical country like Singapore.

In fact, if architects use less glass in their designs, they could actually save more money in overall construction costs. Consumers would then stand to benefit.

BCA's Mr Ang said: "Typically in a residential unit, 60 percent of the electricity bills will have to be used for air-conditioning. So with this (heat limit) requirement, typically you're looking at 10-20 percent kind of savings for the home owner....With our buildings properly designed....that can go a long way to delay the construction of a power plant, for example......instead of wasting energy and the load goes up, you may need a plant earlier than before."

So a 'greener' home now is a practical step towards a healthier environment in future. - CNA/ir

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More CCTVs to be installed to rid problem of urine in lifts in Aljunied GRC
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 May 2008 2314 hrs


CCTV camera installed in a lift                                           CCTV video monitor shows the interior of a lift

SINGAPORE : The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) plans to install more CCTVs under its "Zero Litter Campaign."

Urinating in most HDB lifts is a problem that's not as prevalent now as before, but the Aljunied GRC wants to fully rid the constituency of this irritation.

The area's "Zero Litter Campaign" was started last year but progress has been slow, so its Members of Parliament are urging the ward's 200,000 residents to play an active role in the campaign.

To solve the problem of urine in lifts, they are planning to install CCTVs in lifts and void decks.

Said Foreign Affairs Minister and Aljunied MP George Yeo: "The problem of urination and defecation in lifts is a very strange one. Why is it that in certain blocks (and) lifts, we have this persistent problem? And somehow, the culprits feel that they can get away with it.

"We have been cracking our heads how best to solve this problem. In the past, we had urine detectors. Some of them were mock ones, just to frighten people. It had not worked as well as it should. We've got to make examples... (that will have) deterrent effect." - CNA /ls

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May 5, 2008         
Aljunied trash index aims to wipe out litterbugs
Conservancy fees may be tied to index, with dirtiest precincts paying more
By Alfred Siew

TIRED of hardcore litterbugs, Aljunied GRC plans to start measuring the cleanliness of its precincts under a new litter index to be introduced in October.

Officials also said they will consider raising the conservancy charges for the dirtiest precincts to cover the extra work that goes into maintaining them.

The index, the first of its kind in Singapore, was unveiled on Saturday by the GRC's Members of Parliament.

They said that it was designed to encourage residents to change their attitudes towards tossing trash.

Aljunied Town Council chairman Cynthia Phua said that the index would be based on the cleanliness of lifts, the condition of public property and how large pieces of rubbish are disposed.

She told The Straits Times yesterday that the council would tie conservancy charges to the index only if it found an objective measure of cleanliness.

The plan is under consideration and would not be confirmed until next year, she said.

To keep the area clean, the town council is also installing cameras in lifts and void decks in 500 flats, in a five-year project estimated to cost $7.5 million.

This will help with the problem of people urinating in lifts, which has continued despite the installation of urine detectors.

Madam Phua said that in 20 blocks of flats where cameras had been set up, lifts have become cleaner.

Some HDB dwellers who spoke to The Straits Times said that they supported tying cleanliness to conservancy charges, but wanted to know how things would be measured.

Project manager Chong Kwang Heng, 34, who rarely sees trash in his area, said that the plan would make people think twice before littering.

He added: 'If they can find a fair way of measuring cleanliness, then it's fine. The plan sounds reasonable.'

Other town councils are not yet considering the same move.

Dr Teo Ho Pin, coordinating chairman of the 14 People's Action Party town councils, had reservations about the plan.

He said it means a few litterbugs at a block could end up causing everyone to be punished.

The North West District mayor pointed to a case where someone who was mentally ill kept dousing a lift with urine, irking other residents.

The problem was solved after his family was notified and stepped in.

'We should be telling people: 'This is your home, take care of it.' If we take punitive measures, it may cause a lot of friction among people,' said Dr Teo.

He added that although conservancy charges have been rising - by about 15 per cent - they involve more than just cleaning costs. The charges are also for maintaining the electric wires, landscaping and lifts, he noted.

[email protected]

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May 5, 2008         
En bloc uproar at Bayshore Park, Mandarin Gardens
Sales committees rein in estate councils, irking owners who want to upkeep homes
By Jessica Cheam


TALL ORDER: With $2 billion each needed to buy Mandarin Gardens (above) or Bayshore Park, analysts say their collective sales are unlikely in the current market. -- ST FILE PHOTOS

THE market for en bloc sales may have gone dead quiet, but the issue is still raising a ruckus at two of Singapore's most iconic condominium developments in the East.

Sales committees pushing for the collective sales of Mandarin Gardens and Bayshore Park have been accused of trying to control the management councils running these estates and voting down proposals to upgrade estate facilities.

The committees, made up of residents who are pro-en bloc, have denied the charges.

Still, things came to a head last Sunday at both condos' respective annual general meetings (AGM), which lasted up to 10 hours each.

Sales committees are ad hoc committees formed by residents to explore the potential of an en bloc sale. They are different from the management council, which is appointed at the AGM by residents to run the estate and look into the upgrading of facilities.

Residents against en bloc sales at both condos claim that the sales committees had gone round collecting proxy votes from residents so as to control the outcome of the AGMs.

Mandarin Gardens' emotional AGM has left the 25-year-old estate with no management council at all. The existing council quit and refused to be re-elected because of some resolutions passed at the AGM. At the centre of the dispute was a controversiol proposal by the sales committee, which was formed last year, to reduce the management council's current limit of $300,000 for expenses on urgent matters to $50,000. This was successful as the sales committee had enough proxy votes to form the majority. Council chairman Neoh Chin Chee said in a letter to residents last week that the resolutions passed made it 'untenable or difficult to carry on as a council member'. Proposals to upgrade the condo's rainshields and swimming pool tiles were also not approved.

The AGM was eventually adjourned when not enough candidates were nominated.

One resident Jeannette Aruldoss, 44, a lawyer, told The Straits Times that the $50,000 limit restricted the role of the council to run the estate. In emergencies, this fund may not be enough to address safety issues, she said.

But sales committee chairman Mr Tan Kok Khoon said some residents had felt the $300,000 limit was too high.

Over at the 21-year-old Bayshore Park estate, the sales committee proposed and pushed through a resolution to reduce the council members from 14 to nine.

Of the nine, four are also on the sales committee, so some residents are upset about the change.

Bayshore resident Mr S.K. Cheah, 40, a sales director, feels there could be a conflict of interest since sales committee members are likely to act in the interest of a sale, above that of the estate.

He noted that at the AGM, some resolutions for maintenance and upgrading were also voted down.

Another Bayshore Park resident, who declined to be named, commented that one common tactic used by many sales committees is to 'run the estate down' or keep maintenance to a minimum, so residents have little choice but to vote for a sale later.

But Bayshore's sales committee member Alan Chua told The Straits Times that they had no intention of doing that.

'We've lived here for many years and love this place, why would we do that?' he said.

On the en bloc sale potential, Savills Singapore director (marketing and business development) Ku Swee Yong noted that at least $2 billion each would be needed to buy each estate - a tall order even when the market is good. 'With the current market, the sale is impossible,' he said.

[email protected]

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May 15, 2008         
Private home sales slide in April
Number of new homes sold and launched fall sharply
By Fiona Chan

PRIVATE home sales weakened further last month, with the number of new homes launched and sold dropping sharply from March.

Developers launched just 271 units in April, most of them in mass market projects. This was less than half of what they launched in March, and the lowest number since the Urban Redevelopment Authority started releasing monthly sales figures last June.

Buyers took up 274 homes, down from the 301 sold in March.

Prices also continued to dip, with the median price of new sales sliding 8.9 per cent to $943 per sq ft.

Among the best-selling projects last month were the 56-unit Stadia in Yio Chu Kang Road, which sold 52 units, and the 88-unit Breeze by the East in Upper East Coast Road, where 22 units were sold.

The 848-unit Lakeshore in Jurong West saw another 32 units sold, while 14 units were taken up at the 625-unit Quartz in Buangkok.

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Singapura : 16 Mei 2008        
         
PASARAN HARTANAH PRIVET SEPI DEK TREND BERHATI-HATI

Oleh
Suryani Omar

PASARAN hartanah privet sepi bulan lalu, dengan pembeli dan pemaju hartanah terus mengambil sikap berhati-hati, menundakan pelancaran unit-unit hartanah privet yang belum siap dibangunkan.

Hanya 271 unit hartanah privet dilancarkan sepanjang April, jumlah terendah sejak Penguasa Pembangunan Semula Bandar (URA) mendedahkan perangkaan bagi unit hartanah privet yang belum siap dibangunkan pada setiap pertengahan bulan, iaitu sejak Julai tahun lalu.

Jumlah tersebut adalah kemerosotan lebih 50 peratus berbanding Mac lalu, apabila 642 unit rumah privet dilancarkan.

URA berkata hanya 279 unit rumah privet, termasuk kondominium eksekutif (EC), dijual bulan lalu.

Pada Mac lalu, sebanyak 322 unit, termasuk EC, dijual.

Para pengamat berkata pemaju hartanah masih menunggu sehingga situasi kembali cerah sebelum melancarkan lebih banyak unit.

'Mereka sedang menantikan tanda-tanda daripada ekonomi Amerika Syarikat dan laporan kewangan badan korporat setempat sebelum membuat keputusan,' kata Pengarah Urusan syarikat konsultan hartanah, Cushman and Wakefield, Encik Donald Han.

'Sentimen yang lemah boleh dijelaskan oleh tiadanya pelancaran baru dan pelancaran pembangunan yang besar, yang dapat menyuntik keghairahan dalam pasaran hartanah privet,' kata Pengarah Kajian di Knight Frank, Encik Nicholas Mak.

Pelancaran di Kawasan Tengah Utama (CCR) adalah paling lemah, dengan hanya 13 unit dilancarkan.

CCR merangkumi kawasan bandar termasuk Orchard Road, Scotts Road dan Sentosa Cove.

Pelancaran di Luar Kawasan Tengah (OCR) dan Baki Kawasan Tengah (RCR) turut merosot.

OCR turut merangkumi Tampines, Woodlands, Pasir Ris dan Jurong.

Baki Kawasan Utama (RCR) seperti Toa Payoh dan Queenstown.

Dalam pada itu, hanya penjualan hartanah privet di kawasan OCR meningkat, iaitu sebanyak 4.8 peratus berbanding Mac.

Encik Mak berpendapat trend yang lemah tersebut akan berterusan bagi beberapa bulan mendatang.

'Pasaran akan terus sepi sehingga awan mendung berlalu,' ujar Encik Han pula.

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May 16, 2008         
Design awards for HDB estates
Sengkang, Ghim Moh estates score well for innovative design, user-friendly features
By Ong Bi Hui


PRETTY AND PRACTICAL: Sculptures adorn the upgraded Ghim Moh gardens estate which is 32 years old. The estate has wheelchair-friendly lifts, safer racks to dry clothes, elderly-friendly toilets and sheltered walkways throughout. -- PHOTO: SURBANA INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS

HOUSING Board estates are not known for their innovative designs, but two cutting-edge ones are starting to change all that.

They have just become the first HDB estates to win design awards for both their good looks and user-friendly features.

The Coris, a precinct in Sengkang New Town, and the upgraded Ghim Moh Gardens estate, which is 32 years old, both won bronze awards at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Universal Design Awards.

'Universal Design' generally refers to design that allows users to get around easily, with easy-to-use facilities.

The BCA Awards were launched in September last year, and this year saw 34 entries, with most being refurbished buildings.

Both estates stood out due to their accessibility to residents, with seamless connectivity throughout.

The Coris at Sengkang, which has 14 residential blocks, had a comprehensive signage system so visitors can find their way around easily. There are also various recreational and communal facilities, including an area for the elderly to exercise, jogging tracks and pavilions.

Ghim Moh Gardens features wheelchair-friendly lifts that stop at every floor, safer clothes-drying racks and elderly-friendly toilets. Getting around is easy, with markets and bird- viewing spots all linked by sheltered walkways.

This year, three silver and six bronze awards were given in six categories of buildings: commercial, institutional, residential, open spaces, refurbished and open.

Other winners include Terminal 3 at Changi Airport and the National Museum of Singapore.

At last year's awards, Ikea Tampines clinched the top prize, the gold award, but a prize in this category was not handed out this year.

Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, chairman of the award assessment panel, attributes this to it having 'raised the bar' this year.

He said: 'Buildings need to be a holistic package. They must be comprehensive, integrative and have that special touch, while taking into account the owner's corporate philosophy.'

Winners will receive their awards from Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan next Thursday. Those interested in applying for next year's awards can visit www.bca.gov.sg.

[email protected]

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Development plans taking shape in Punggol
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 May 2008 2040 hrs



SINGAPORE : Punggol residents can expect a new shopping mall as large as Junction 8, in their town centre, when the Housing and Development Board (HDB) launches the first sale site at Punggol in the next two to three years.

The site will be used for a mixed commercial and private residential development.

Earmarked as Singapore's waterfront town, much of the activities in Punggol will centre around a new waterway.

The HDB has completed technical studies for the waterway.

It will now explore ways to integrate eco-friendly features and how to make it safe and vibrant for different recreational options.

Work on the waterway is expected to start next year.

Mah Bow Tan, National Development Minister, said, "We are actually going to dig a major waterway, over four kilometres long and four metres deep; the width will varying depending on where it is. In three to four years' time, we should have the new waterway completed."

HDB has also launched a new design competition to get the private sector involved in the design of the waterway landscape.

A Waterfront Housing Design Competition will also be held to develop more concrete plans for a new generation of public housing.

Mr Mah said, "HDB is going to launch and build another 4,000 new homes in Punggol later this year for sale under the BTO (Build-to-Order) programme. So if you add it all up, we are going to have more than 20,000 new flats in Punggol."

Going forward, HDB plans to launch the first public housing site along the waterfront in the next two to three years, after major works of the waterway are completed.

Some land will also be set aside for private residential projects.

HDB said fun and adventure await residents along the coastline.

Work on the coastal promenade will begin soon, while the development of a Rustic Park at Coney Island will start next year. - CNA/ms

fatz2

May 19, 2008         
Punggol to have new shopping mall, more flats

RESIDENTS in Punggol will have a new shopping mall and more fellow residents within the next three years.

The new town, which already has 16,700 flats, has another 2,100 being built now.

The Housing Board also recently launched 1,700 flats and will launch another 4,000 by year's end, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan last Saturday at the launch of a two-day exhibition on the progress in Punggol.

He added that, with more residents calling Punggol home, it would become feasible to build more commercial and public facilities.

One being planned is a shopping mall about the size of Junction 8 in Bishan.

The first sale site for a mixed commercial and private residential development will be launched in the town centre in the next two to three years.

Punggol's 4.2km waterway through the town will be used to bring water closer to the community. The Housing Board recently completed technical studies on it and works will begin next year.

A landscape masterplan design competition is being held to tap the expertise of urban planners, architects and landscape architects, who will be expected to contribute designs and concepts for the waterway, two tributaries and 10m-wide promenades along the waterway and town park.

The HDB plans to launch the first public housing site along a waterfront after major works of the waterway are completed in the next two to three years.

Several plots of land will also be set aside for private residential projects.

Work on the coastal promenade will begin soon, while the development of a rustic park on Coney Island will start next year. Other facilities being worked on include a horse-riding centre and a golf range.

SUJIN THOMAS

fatz2

May 20, 2008         
Jurong dogged by strays: Cat & dog lovers at odds
Feline fans say roaming dogs are a hazard to cats, while canine camp calls for compassion
By Lim Heng Liang


MIDNIGHT SNACK: Madam Fauzih, who believes that hungry dogs cause trouble, has been feeding strays in Jurong for years. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK

RESIDENTS from Lakeside to Jurong West are fighting like cats and dogs - over cats and dogs.

The neighbourhood is the turf of stray dogs that roam in packs of three to a dozen, usually at night.

Dog lovers do not mind them, but cat lovers are hoping that life can be less of a hazard for the neighbourhood felines.

Mrs Alice Koh, 57, a retiree who lives in Block 444 Jurong West Avenue 1, said more than 10 cats, both strays and pets, have been killed in the last three years.

'The first time we found a dead cat, we knew it was the work of the dogs because of the puncture marks on the body,' she said. 'If the dogs started attacking people, it'd be terrible.'

At least one resident claims to have been attacked.

Madam Heryati, 47, a baker, said she was with her cat and some neighbours near her Jurong West block last September when it happened.

The dogs did not back off until a neighbour swung a plank at them, she added.

Her children, too, have become afraid of the dogs.

'When they see a dog, they'll try to find something to throw at it to make it run away,' she said.

But those in the pro-dog camp say this is exactly what could be provoking the canines.

Ms Leona Lee, a 38-year-old manager who lives in Bukit Timah but has been helping a friend feed strays in the Jurong area for a year, said the dogs are actually afraid of people and are in hiding most of the time.

'They come out only when they recognise those who feed them,' she said, urging people to show them 'some compassion'.

Another resident, who wanted to be known only as Madam Fauzih, is also unconvinced that the dogs are a problem.

She has been feeding them a mix of rice, sausages and eggs late at night for the last four years.

Her philosophy: Dogs with full stomachs do not make trouble for cats or humans.

Her 'reward'': Nasty text messages from neighbours who want her to stop operating her midnight snack bar for canines.

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it has impounded two dogs from the area after residents complained in March.

Jurong residents are not the only ones griping about stray dogs, many of which have been dumped by their former owners. Bishan, Bukit Batok, Jalan Bahar, Tuas, Yishun and Woodlands also have this problem, AVA spokesman Goh Shi Yong said.

The AVA impounded 2,065 dogs islandwide in the last year and 397 in the last two months alone. Only five were claimed while the rest were put down.

Last year, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) received 3,002 dogs and put down 2,122.

But its executive officer, MsDeirdre Moss, said culling would not solve the problem. The real solution, she said, is to sterilise the animals to stop more dogs being born.

To this end, the SPCA gives out vouchers which the public can use to get strays sterilised at participating veterinary clinics, she said.

But Mr Ricky Yeo, who heads Action For Singapore Dogs, pointed out that neutering makes dogs more passive, so these are the ones more likely to be rounded up by the AVA, leaving the unsterilised ones out there - still multiplying.

The real solution is to teach people to be responsible pet owners because abandonment is the root of the problem, said the AVA's Mr Goh.

'Education is key to arresting the pet abandonment and stray animal problem in the long term,' he said.

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fatz2

May 20, 2008         
Causeway din vexes Marsiling residents
Frustrated motorists in jam honk and shout, raising noise level at neighbouring blocks
By Chen Meiyue


SOUND OF FRUSTRATION: Madam Teo, who lives in one of the blocks facing the Causeway, has been plagued by the rise in noise level following long tailbacks and frayed tempers since security was stepped up at the checkpoint. The noise level in her flat during peak hours reaches that of a washing machine. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

RESIDENTS of Marsiling Causeway View estate near the Causeway are being driven up the wall by the incessant blaring of horns and revving of motorcycle engines.

They say the noise, which starts at 4am and goes on till midnight, became worse after terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from detention on Feb27, and the stepped-up security screenings at the checkpoint created long tailbacks of traffic and frayed tempers.

While drivers of cars wait only about an hour, lorry drivers have complained of being stuck in the queue for up to six hours.

The estate of nine blocks, just 600m from the Causeway, faces the inbound and outbound traffic and gets the brunt of the noise.

One fed-up resident, housewife Teo Lay Khim, 40, wrote to The Straits Times Forum complaining: 'Residents have to bear with the engine noise of thousands of motorcycles, on top of the honking and shouting which start when the motorcyclists vent their frustrations.'

The 15th-storey resident of Block 215, the second closest to the Causeway, said she gets barely three hours of sleep a night.

This reporter, visiting her at home during the evening rush hour more than a week ago, heard shouting and honking from the balcony and the master bedroom; and the air smelled of exhaust fumes.

More than half or 34 of the 60 residents The Straits Times spoke to said they were putting up with the same, with some calling for fines to be imposed.

Sembawang GRC MP Hawazi Daipi, who oversees the Marsiling ward, said a better solution was to see how immigration clearance could be speeded up.

Asking residents to be patient, he said: 'It's too difficult to control the shouting or to fine them as there are just too many of them. We have to understand that thousands of motorists come in, so there's bound to be noise.'

A sound-level meter provided by Lee Hung Scientific was installed in Madam Teo's balcony to measure the noise level.

Traffic noise registered an average of 64.2 decibels from 6am to 7am and rose to 65.2 decibels between 6pm and 7pm - about the noise level of a washing machine.

Audiologist Carmela Singh said that, as a guide, anything above 70 is considered noisy. However, anything clocking more than 35 decibels during sleep hours would count as a 'noise event'.

Studies suggest that the louder the noise gets while one is asleep, the higher one's blood pressure goes.

So, while 65 decibels of traffic noise is not enough to cause hearing loss, 'it could make a lot of difference in the blood pressure during sleeping hours', she said.

ResidentAnnie Lee, 35, said her three sons - 10-month-old twins and an 11-year-old - now sleep with her and her husband in the master bedroom, which faces away from the Causeway.

And student Jevethira Rajaratnam, 15, is staying back at school to get studying done because 'home isn't conducive now'.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has placed signs along the lanes leading to the immigration counters asking that motorcyclists turn off their engines while waiting in line to cut exhaust emission and noise.

Retiree Zainol Ismail, 70, has suggested 'no honking' signs be put up along with those.

ST Forum writer Madam Teo said she understood the frustrations of the motorists, 'but sounding their horns and shouting are simply not reasonable'.

But recruitment manager Abdullah Mat, 46, is resigned: 'I try to adjust. We can't run away from the fact that we live next to the Causeway. Sometimes, we just turn up the volume of the TV set to drown out the noise.'

[email protected]

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 20-5-2008 06:45 AM
May 20, 2008         
Causeway din vexes Marsiling residents
Frustrated motorists in jam honk and shout, raising noise level at neighbouring blocks
By Chen Meiyue

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/ ...

view rumah bagus siak

fatz2

Government to spend S$30m on Punggol Waterfront Town
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 May 2008 1851 hrs



SINGAPORE : The government will spend about S$30 million to develop key features of the new Punggol Waterfront Town.

Most of that amount - S$25 million - will go towards the man-made Punggol Waterway, which will be constructed next year.

The waterway will be the focal point of activities, according to plans by the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

Professional planners have been invited to submit designs and concepts to develop the areas along the waterway.

Punggol residents have a lot to look forward to. They will soon have plenty of activities that are centred around a new 4.2-kilometre waterway.

The waterway will connect Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol. It will snake through various areas, including the proposed Town Centre - bringing water and water activities closer to residents.

Dr Johnny Wong, Deputy Director, Building Technology Department, HDB, said: "We are hoping that it will promote activities like canoeing, some passive walking along the waterways, and even alfresco dining. So we are quite excited about this project."

Architects, engineers and landscape planners have been invited to enter the Punggol Waterway Landscape Masterplan Design Competition. Interested groups were brought to the sites of some of the developments - including the waterway - on Wednesday.

The waterway will be built mostly on vacant land, so that there will be minimal disruption to the surrounding areas.

Mabel Goh, Director, Design Link Architects, said: "We have done quite a fair bit of public housing and it's not new to us. The exciting thing is to redesign public housing with spaces, balconies overlooking the waterways and even private space to integrate with the waterways..."

Leonard Ng, Landscape Architect, Atelier Dreiseitl Asia, said: "It has to be considered in the urban context. We have to relate it to the buildings around it, to the open spaces, the parks around, and how the edge of the river can connect the people and engage the people.

"And so the challenge would be how to carry that out while still being mindful about the safety and security aspects."

The winner of the competition will be announced in November and stands to win S$300,000 and will work with the HDB to develop the Punggol area.

Punggol Town will have 96,000 housing units eventually, with 60 percent allocated for public housing and the rest for private housing.

The residential areas will also house eco-friendly features and be a showcase for green technology. - CNA/ms

fatz2

May 21, 2008         
Seletar's colonial houses in demand as bulldozers roll in
Rentals have soared for the 131 units that will remain even after area's development as aerospace hub
By Karamjit Kaur, Aviation Correspondent


TRANQUIL ABODE: Residents have so far been paying under $3,000 for such homes. -- ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

WHEN it was a verdant oasis of calm and tranquillity, not many people wanted to live in the former Seletar airbase.

But now that the bulldozers have rolled in to turn the area into Singapore's key aerospace hub, monthly rentals for the colonial houses sitting on streets with quaintly English names have shot through the roof.

In some cases, they have just about doubled.

Never mind that the din and dust will be a fixture until 2018, when the 300ha Seletar Aerospace Park - including the existing airport and runway - is ready.

The higher rents reflect the current market conditions, said a spokesman for the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), in response to queries from The Straits Times.

Of the 378 Seletar houses, 204 will be retained, and 174 demolished. Of those to be left standing, 131 will be retained as homes, and the remaining 73 redeveloped for non-residential use - for example, to house aerospace training schools and food and beverage outlets.

Two-year leases for the properties have all either expired or will expire soon.

Those living in the units to be demolished or redeveloped must move out by year-end.

If their leases expire before then, these residents have the option to extend them for these last few months - but they will have to pay between 16 and 33 per cent more in rent.

The SLA spokesman said: 'For each of such renewals, the rental rates will have to be revised to reflect market rates, as advised by professional valuers.'

Islandwide, rental rates jumped 69 per cent between the first quarter of 2006 and the first quarter of this year, she noted.

Rental hikes for the units unaffected by the development are a lot steeper - more than 100 per cent in some cases, residents said.

The SLA did not provide data on this, but said the increases were 'still lower than the bids which we have received for the units'.

As and when leases have expired for units whose residents have opted against renewing them, the properties have been put up for public bidding.

In one such case, a two-storey terrace house recently attracted a bid of $5,000 - more than three times the recommended rent of $1,500 set by the SLA, its spokesman said.

Seletar residents, some of whom have lived there for more than 20 years, paying under $3,000 for a house with a garden, have been taking the impending changes in their stride.

But they are sorry to leave behind what they admit is a great deal.

Ms Edith Kraayeveld, 39, an airline marketing and sales manager and mother of two preschool children, pays $2,650 a month for her three-bedroom house with a garden.

She said: 'Yes, we realise we have been incredibly lucky all these years. But it is not quite our fault that nobody wanted to live here. We just managed to find the deal and saw the opportunity.'

She and her husband, the managing director of a sports company, have to move by year-end, after 14 years there.

She said: 'It is a great community of people who live here and everyone is so upset about leaving. I have two golden retrievers and two young children who have grown up amid the lush greenery and fruit trees.

'If need be, we will move across the Causeway after moving out of Seletar.'

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