SINGAPORE: Private landowners of coastal plots will receive capital grants to help them implement mandatory coastal protection measures, under the Coastal Protection and Other Amendments Bill passed in parliament on Friday (Mar 6).
The grants are designed to ease the upfront capital burden on landowners who will be legally required to install flood defences as part of an islandwide line of defence against rising sea levels, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said.
These landowners will also receive advice and consultation from national water agency PUB on how to carry out the required works.
20:07 Min
Singapore will establish a continuous line of defence against coastal flooding caused by sea level rise, high tides and storm surges. PUB will determine the location of the Absolute Protection Boundary. Landowners must put in place the measures for the prescribed place by a stipulated date. These obligations will take effect closer to the early 2030s. PUB will inform landowners of their obligations about 10 years ahead of the expected completion time and give them at least five years to implement the measures. The government will provide a capital grant to cover the cost of studies, surveys, services, diversion and construction. PUB will coordinate the works around the island while landowners must connect their measures with those of their adjacent neighbours. Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu, who announced these measures in parliament on Friday (Mar 6), said the measures aim to lay a strong foundation for coastal protection to ensure a resilient and liveable Singapore.
The new law will require all coastal landowners - including government ministries, statutory boards and private firms - to implement coastal protection measures as part of a continuous line of defence.
About 70 per cent of Singapore’s coastline is government-owned and will largely be handled by the state. The remaining stretches are held by private companies, mostly shipyards, ports, and businesses in the oil, gas and manufacturing sectors.
Under the Bill, capital grants will cover studies, diversion of services and construction costs. Grants will be sized against cost norms that account for prevailing market rates and inflation, and paid in reimbursement tranches to help landowners manage cash flow. Landowners may apply for the grant only after a legal obligation has been formally imposed on them.
PUB will notify affected landowners of their obligations around 10 years before the expected completion date.
The Bill also gives PUB enforcement powers, including emergency powers of entry if the continuous defence line is incomplete due to delays, or if a landowner cannot be reached during an imminent coastal flood event.
Mean sea levels around Singapore are projected to rise by up to 1.15m by the end of this century. Combined with storm surges and high tides, water levels could spike by 5m instead.
“This is serious. It means that around 30 per cent of Singapore could be flooded by seawater. Our businesses along the coast, such as shipyards or ports that rely on having access to the sea, will be at risk of coastal flooding,” Ms Fu said.
Eight MPs raised questions largely centred on the responsibilities that private landowners or lessees would have to bear.
MP Poh Li San (PAP-Sembawang West) pushed for a centralised approach to the design and construction of coastal protection measures to avoid points of weakness and allow the government to leverage economies of scale.
MP Lee Hui Ying (PAP-Nee Soon) echoed similar concerns, suggesting it might be more efficient for the government to build the entire defence line and then seek reimbursement from landowners.
In response, Ms Fu said landowners should be responsible for works on their own land.
“Having the government centrally implement solutions will be suboptimal, since it may not be feasible to account for every landowner's unique needs and timelines,” she said, adding that landowners were better placed to implement measures suited to their business operations.
MP Dennis Tan (WP-Hougang) asked for the type of private landowners that occupied coastlines, and whether they were non-business entities.
Ms Fu said the vast majority had leased industrial land from JTC, which PUB is working with to explore a centralised procurement model and other options to support lessees.
Mr Tan also asked if there were any industrial lessees that had short tenures remaining, which would affect their ability to carry out the coastal protection measures.
10:58 Min
The decisions made as the government implements the Bill will be felt by Singaporeans who are today in primary school, in their parents’ arms, or not yet born. NCMP Andre Low shared this observation in parliament on Friday (Mar 6). Putting forth two arguments, he said that how Singapore designs its coastal defences matters as much as whether they are built. He also noted that what Singapore builds has the potential to serve not just its own shores, but the shores of nations across the region, and in doing so, build a new pillar of Singapore’s economy.
“If a waterfront company runs into financial problems or goes into liquidation and is not able to build or to complete the construction, may we also be left with a public safety risk that neighbors cannot fix alone. How will the government intervene in such a situation?” asked Mr Tan.
Ms Fu said that PUB will have the power to step in and undertake maintenance and repair works for companies that face short-term liquidity issues and are unable to maintain their coastal protection measures. PUB will then recover the cost as necessary from the landowners, she added.
MP Cassandra Lee (PAP-West Coast-Jurong West) raised concerns about long project lifecycles that may span multiple ownerships, asking how liability and repair costs would be allocated if defects emerge after a change of hands.
Ms Fu said the transfer of liability is no different from when a property changes ownership.
Previous landowners would have had to engage a qualified person to certify that the structure was up to standard before PUB approved it, she added.
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The grants are designed to ease the upfront capital burden on landowners who will be legally required to install flood defences as part of an islandwide line of defence against rising sea levels, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said.
These landowners will also receive advice and consultation from national water agency PUB on how to carry out the required works.
20:07 Min
Singapore will establish a continuous line of defence against coastal flooding caused by sea level rise, high tides and storm surges. PUB will determine the location of the Absolute Protection Boundary. Landowners must put in place the measures for the prescribed place by a stipulated date. These obligations will take effect closer to the early 2030s. PUB will inform landowners of their obligations about 10 years ahead of the expected completion time and give them at least five years to implement the measures. The government will provide a capital grant to cover the cost of studies, surveys, services, diversion and construction. PUB will coordinate the works around the island while landowners must connect their measures with those of their adjacent neighbours. Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu, who announced these measures in parliament on Friday (Mar 6), said the measures aim to lay a strong foundation for coastal protection to ensure a resilient and liveable Singapore.
The new law will require all coastal landowners - including government ministries, statutory boards and private firms - to implement coastal protection measures as part of a continuous line of defence.
About 70 per cent of Singapore’s coastline is government-owned and will largely be handled by the state. The remaining stretches are held by private companies, mostly shipyards, ports, and businesses in the oil, gas and manufacturing sectors.
Under the Bill, capital grants will cover studies, diversion of services and construction costs. Grants will be sized against cost norms that account for prevailing market rates and inflation, and paid in reimbursement tranches to help landowners manage cash flow. Landowners may apply for the grant only after a legal obligation has been formally imposed on them.
PUB will notify affected landowners of their obligations around 10 years before the expected completion date.
The Bill also gives PUB enforcement powers, including emergency powers of entry if the continuous defence line is incomplete due to delays, or if a landowner cannot be reached during an imminent coastal flood event.
Mean sea levels around Singapore are projected to rise by up to 1.15m by the end of this century. Combined with storm surges and high tides, water levels could spike by 5m instead.
“This is serious. It means that around 30 per cent of Singapore could be flooded by seawater. Our businesses along the coast, such as shipyards or ports that rely on having access to the sea, will be at risk of coastal flooding,” Ms Fu said.
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CONCERNS IN PARLIAMENT
Eight MPs raised questions largely centred on the responsibilities that private landowners or lessees would have to bear.
MP Poh Li San (PAP-Sembawang West) pushed for a centralised approach to the design and construction of coastal protection measures to avoid points of weakness and allow the government to leverage economies of scale.
MP Lee Hui Ying (PAP-Nee Soon) echoed similar concerns, suggesting it might be more efficient for the government to build the entire defence line and then seek reimbursement from landowners.
In response, Ms Fu said landowners should be responsible for works on their own land.
“Having the government centrally implement solutions will be suboptimal, since it may not be feasible to account for every landowner's unique needs and timelines,” she said, adding that landowners were better placed to implement measures suited to their business operations.
MP Dennis Tan (WP-Hougang) asked for the type of private landowners that occupied coastlines, and whether they were non-business entities.
Ms Fu said the vast majority had leased industrial land from JTC, which PUB is working with to explore a centralised procurement model and other options to support lessees.
Mr Tan also asked if there were any industrial lessees that had short tenures remaining, which would affect their ability to carry out the coastal protection measures.
10:58 Min
The decisions made as the government implements the Bill will be felt by Singaporeans who are today in primary school, in their parents’ arms, or not yet born. NCMP Andre Low shared this observation in parliament on Friday (Mar 6). Putting forth two arguments, he said that how Singapore designs its coastal defences matters as much as whether they are built. He also noted that what Singapore builds has the potential to serve not just its own shores, but the shores of nations across the region, and in doing so, build a new pillar of Singapore’s economy.
“If a waterfront company runs into financial problems or goes into liquidation and is not able to build or to complete the construction, may we also be left with a public safety risk that neighbors cannot fix alone. How will the government intervene in such a situation?” asked Mr Tan.
Ms Fu said that PUB will have the power to step in and undertake maintenance and repair works for companies that face short-term liquidity issues and are unable to maintain their coastal protection measures. PUB will then recover the cost as necessary from the landowners, she added.
MP Cassandra Lee (PAP-West Coast-Jurong West) raised concerns about long project lifecycles that may span multiple ownerships, asking how liability and repair costs would be allocated if defects emerge after a change of hands.
Ms Fu said the transfer of liability is no different from when a property changes ownership.
Previous landowners would have had to engage a qualified person to certify that the structure was up to standard before PUB approved it, she added.
Related:
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