November 21, 11:43 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 If you are thinking of living near the central business district (CBD) for a quicker commute to work, you can forget about waiting out for a good Build-To-Order (BTO) launch, or even an Executive Condominium (EC) launch for that matter.
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) release plots of land for residential development from time to time.
Looking at land sites released over the past year, you would notice that most of the sites within 15 – 16km to the CBD (or 30 – 45 minutes on public transport*) have been released for private property development.
HDB BTO launches in 2013 were mainly in Yishun, Punggol, Sengkang, and Bukit Batok, all around 19 – 22km (or 60 – 80 minutes on public transport) outside of the CBD. There were some lucky folks who got flats in Whampoa (40 minutes on public transport) or Kebun Bahru (45 minutes on public transport*) in the January 2013 BTO launch.
Take a look at the table below - it shows the sites put up for bidding for private property and ECs by the HDB/URA since September 2012.
| Private Property Sites | Distance from CBD / Public Transport Travel Time* | Executive Condominium Sites | Distance from CBD / Public Transport Travel Time* |
| Alexandra View | 5km / 17 minutes | Pasir Ris Rise | 20km / 53 minutes |
| Commonwealth Avenue | 8.6km / 23 minutes | Fernvale Link | 17.4km / 57 minutes |
| New Upper Changi Road/Bedok South Avenue 3 | 15km / 38 minutes | Punggol Field Walk | 22.3km / 54 minutes |
| Bishan Street 14 | 11km / 30 minutes | Sembawang Drive | 25.8km / 48 minutes |
| Tampines Avenue 10 | 17km / 54 minutes | Canberra Drive | 25km / 57 minutes |
| Upper Paya Lebar Road | 13km / 34 minutes | Anchorvale Crescent | 20.2km / 47 minutes |
*Distance from CBD, Public Transport Travel Time is measured using Google Maps.
The destination in CBD is defined by the Raffles MRT, with the suggested route by Google taken as a measurement.
From an average Joe’s perspective, it would seem that the BTO and EC offerings are generally further away from the CBD.
Just two days ago, URA released its 2013 Draft Master Plan. One of its main initiatives in Marina South was to develop the area for 9,000 new private housing units.
Another interesting nugget, Joo Chiat could become the first 100 per cent private constituency in Singapore. This is possible when its last four blocks of HDB flats, 12km from the CBD, are demolished under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme to make way for more private property.
I don’t want anybody to get hurt, but all these developments raise 5 questions:
1. Why is the HDB/URA seemingly releasing sites for EC development further from CBD as compared to its private residential property site releases?
2. Will the HDB/URA consider launching more BTO sites in locations akin to its recent private property site releases?
3. Will the prices for the private housing in Marina South be prohibitive for Singaporeans?
4. Is this a missed chance for public housing to be built in Marina South? Can we explore developing another site like Pinnacle@Duxton in Marina South for the average Singaporeans with aspiring HDB dreams?
5. We understand that the government has conducted public consultations with Members of Parliament (MPs), key grassroots leaders and professional institutions prior to the release of the Draft Master Plan. Are they okay with having 9,000 private housing units in such a prime site?
Top photo from here.
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