A/P Ho Peng Kee
Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs &
Member of Parliament for Nee Soon East SMC,
Mr Ong Ah Heng
Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Central SMC,
Dr Lim Wee Kiak
Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC,
Grassroots leaders,
Residents,
Ladies and gentlemen

        Good evening. Thank you for welcoming me to Yishun. I am here this evening to tell you about the exciting plans that the Government has for Yishun, and for other HDB estates in Singapore.

NDR and ROH Exhibitions in 2007

2.      Last year, Prime Minister Lee unveiled plans at the National Day Rally to transform our HDB estates. These plans are part of the government’s overall strategy to remake our housing estates of different ages - new, middle-aged and older estates, or to put it another way “Remaking our Heartlands”.

3.      Through this initiative, the Government will build the HDB heartland of tomorrow, to match the rising expectations of our people and make Singapore Our Best Home.

4.      Since Remaking Our Heartland is about Singaporeans’ homes, we wanted to hear from Singaporeans, what they wanted to see in the transformation of our heartland. Senior Minister of State Grace Fu chaired a special dialogue session while HDB carried out surveys to gather public feedback. I am happy to hear that the public has been active in sharing their comments and suggestions.

5.      HDB and the other agencies involved in HDB estates have studied the feedback. These have been incorporated in the proposed plans where possible. I am glad to share more about the plans for Yishun with you this evening.

Update on Yishun Plans

6.      As an established town, Yishun enjoys many facilities and strong community ties. In addition, Yishun is close to many natural assets such as Yishun Pond, Yishun Park, Yishun Town Garden and Lower Seletar Reservior. HDB has therefore adopted “A Vibrant Hub and Great Outdoors” as the planning vision for Yishun.

7.      Key to the development of a vibrant hub in every town is its town centre. A town centre is the main activity centre for residents within the town. Therefore, let me first bring you through some of the changes that will be taking place within the town centre to transform it into a vibrant hub.

8.      As residents are aware, Yishun town will be welcoming a key institution – the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital that is currently under construction and scheduled for completion by 2010. Before the end of this year, the Northpoint Shopping Centre extension is due for completion. The National Library Board will be opening a new public library at Northpoint Shopping Centre around the same time.

9.      Works to improve the pedestrian mall and linkages within the town centre will start early next year. You can look forward to a seamless pedestrian mall with covered community plaza by mid-2010.

10.      We are also planning to redevelop the existing bus interchange, so that Yishun residents can enjoy a new shopping complex with residential apartments integrated with a new bus interchange. I understand that this proposal received very strong support from residents in HDB’s survey. I am therefore happy to update you that the authorities target to tender out the site in 2011.

11.      Besides the improvement works within the town centre, you can look forward to the "Great Outdoors", starting with the Wellness Walk which will connect the town centre to Yishun Park. Work on the Wellness Walk will start next year and is expected to be completed over the next five years. The first phase, which leads to the Yishun Pond and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital will complete in 2010, in tandem with the hospital.

12.      From the survey results, we saw strong support from families for the proposed outdoor recreational facilities. NParks has plans to extend the Park Connector Network to link up the major parks in Yishun and beyond.

13.      Since cycling is a popular activity in Yishun, HDB, and the Town Councils are working together to refine plans for a cycling path along Yishun Ring Road. This cycling path is a dedicated track for cyclists and will connect to all neighbourhood centres.

14.      PUB will start work on the other outdoor recreational facilities such as Family and Rowers’ Bay later this year. By 2010, residents can look forward to a range of activities at the reservoir.

15.      We have also not forgotten Yishun’s rich history. To preserve this, physical works on a heritage trail will commence early next year. A heritage corner located at Yishun Central 1 will be the starting point of the trail. The National Heritage Board and HDB are working together on this heritage trail.

16.      HDB has recently launched two Built-to-Order (BTO) projects¹ in Yishun. Response for the new HDB flats being offered has been very good. The sale of a land parcel for private residential development has also been completed. These show that Yishun is an attractive place that new residents are keen to come and live in.

HIP and NRP

17.      In our Remaking of Our Heartland plans for a middle-aged town like Yishun, it is important not only to look to the future and remember the past but also take care of the present. The existing HDB estate in Yishun needs to keep up with newer estates so that it can continue to be an attractive place to live in and draw in new residents. It is the aim of our rejuvenation programmes to upgrade our older estates to prevent them from degenerating into the slums that plague public housing projects in many other countries. In doing so, we also ensure that our HDB flats remain a store of value for Singaporeans which they can cash out, when they retire.

18.      At the National Day Rally last year, Prime Minister unveiled two new upgrading programmes – the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) and the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP).

19.      The HIP helps residents with maintenance within the flat such as spalling concrete and ceiling leaks, at heavily subsidized costs. The NRP provides improvements to the block and precinct, free of charge for the residents.

20.      These two programmes are the main features in the remaking of Yishun and other middle-aged estates. I am pleased to inform you that Yishun is one of the first towns to be offered the two programmes. Residents in this precinct will be voting in the very first HIP poll in Singapore.

Conclusion

21.      Yishun is at an exciting phase of its development. I thank Yishun residents for the public feedback on the plans for Yishun so far. The journey to remake our heartland is one that we must undertake together.

22.      I encourage residents to take some time to tour both this HIP exhibition and the “Enriching My Yishun” exhibition at the town centre. With your feedback and participation, we can make Yishun an even more vibrant and exciting place to live and play. Thank you.

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