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SINGAPORE : The government has deferred plans to begin quarrying for granite on Pulau Ubin following a significant improvement in the granite supply situation in the last two months.
The decision to carry out limited quarrying works at the Kekek Quarry in Pulau Ubin was announced in April this year after Indonesia, a major supplier of granite to construction companies in Singapore, banned the export of granite.
In a statement on Saturday, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) says there is now adequate granite supply coming in from both nearby and new distant sources in the region.
There has not been any drawdown from the national stockpile since May and prices have also moderated and stabilised.
BCA says a tonne of granite, which is a major component of concrete, now costs between S$23 and S$29.
Concrete prices have also dipped from a high of $200 per metre cube when supply was disrupted, to about S$140 to S$150 per metre cube.
Over the past few months, preparatory works for reactivating the Kekek Quarry on Pulau Ubin had been carried out.
These included an environmental impact study, conducting water quality tests and regulatory reviews.
BCA says these have been a useful experience, and have given a better understanding of the process involved in reactivating a quarry.
But although there is no need to begin quarrying for granite on Pulau Ubin for the time being, BCA says it is keeping all options open.
And the reactivation of local quarries remains a part of contingency plans to ensure resilience in the supply of essential construction materials. - CNA/ch
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