Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 5: Indranee Rajah on working closely with Singaporeans to shape the urban and Built Environment

The Government is working closely with Singaporeans to shape the urban and Built Environment, said Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah. Outlining the key strategies in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 5), Ms Indranee said the Government, having engaged Singaporeans on the Long-Term Plan Review, will now engage a wide range of Singaporeans on its Draft Master Plan to translate long-term strategies into implementable plans over the next 10 to 15 years. They revolve around four broad themes - shaping a happy and healthy city, strengthening urban resilience, enabling sustainable growth and stewarding nature and heritage. These include significant plans for parts of Singapore, such as the “Long Island” project, where discussions have started with some stakeholders. The Government will also be engaging the public on its islandwide planning strategies, such as “Play”. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and agencies are developing a Recreation Master Plan for networks of recreational spaces incorporating sports, arts, nature, heritage and wellness. These will be both indoor and outdoor, close to homes and well-connected via footpaths, cycling paths and park connectors. Between the second and third quarters of this year, URA will hold a series of roving exhibitions to seek the public’s views. There will also be roadshows, focus group discussions, collaborations with professional bodies and competitions for ideas. These engagements will culminate in the Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition in the second half of 2025 at the URA Centre and selected locations. Plans will be showcased at the exhibition for public feedback before they are gazetted as the next Master Plan. Ms Indranee said the Government is committed to work with Singaporeans in the planning and designing of spaces to meet diverse needs and aspirations. Secondly, the Government will develop sensitively and sustainably, said Ms Indranee. It is protecting the island against the impact of climate change with a wide suite of cooling strategies across various scales. At the national level, greening Singapore remains a key strategy. At the development and district level, new towns and districts are designed to optimise wind flow and ventilation, as well as reduce heat gain from the sun. At the building level, cool coatings which reflect heat-generating radiation back to the atmosphere are being tried out. Thirdly, the Government will support the Built Environment firms in their transformation journey, said Ms Indranee. It will expand the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) to new sectors. One of them is a new grant for the construction industry to support the cost of energy-efficient equipment. Under the Base Tier, eligible local construction firms can receive up to 70 per cent of funding support for pre-approved energy-efficient construction equipment, with a cap of S$30,000. Under the Advanced Tier, firms that wish to do even more to reduce emissions can receive funding support of up to S$350,000, inclusive of the support under the Base Tier. The Government targets to introduce the EEG for the construction industry by the end of this year. To transform the Built Environment sector, the Government has developed a system of incentives and grants to support investments in different types of technologies. The Government will extend the Productivity Innovation Project scheme until March 2025 to provide builders and prefabricators with co-funding support of up to 70 per cent of the costs of technologies, capped at S$10 million. Over the last six years, the scheme has supported 78 firms with S$37.4 million of funding in investments. “Our plans for the future are a reflection of our collective ideas, hopes and dreams. Every stakeholder is critical in this journey - from our residents and nature and heritage groups to our professional bodies and Built Environment firms. I urge each of you to actively participate in our stakeholder engagements, share your insights and contribute to the conversation that will shape Singapore,” said Ms Indranee.