Tampines residents concerned after renovation waste piles up over 2 weeks in new HDB estate

Tampines residents in the vicinity of the new GreenQuartz Build-to-Order (BTO) HDB estate have been dealing with heaps of renovation waste left nearby, Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday (June 2).

The clutter, which accumulated amid homeowners renovating their flats prior to moving in, was apparently left unattended for two weeks.

Speaking with the Chinese-language publication, a resident in the area said the large piles of waste created an environment that was both dirty and messy.

"There is a lot of large garbage piled up in the open space downstairs," the resident said. "This situation has been going on for two weeks.

"I'm worried that if no one clears it, it could be a fire hazard due to the heat, or it could be a nest for rats or snakes."

A Shin Min reporter that visited the area noted about four locations with waste placed at the foot of the blocks, mainly in open spaces beside drop-off points.

While large trash bins were provided for residents to use, they were already full and residents resorted to tossing their garbage in areas around the bins instead.

Residents were not the only ones to blame, however, as the Shin Min reporter also found tiles and unopened packages, believed to belong to contractors.

Other residents who spoke with Shin Min also shared that this is a common occurrence around new developments, and that there would be no problems if cleaners were able to clear the garbage in time.

"If too many items pile up, there will indeed be hygiene and safety hazards," a resident told Shin Min.

Clutter removed, enforcement stepped up

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, Tampines Town Council said the clutter has since been cleared, and the situation Tampines GreenQuartz faces is a common challenge for newly completed BTO developments that undergo extensive home renovation works.

"The clutter that is visible is not representative of the overall cleanliness standards in Tampines or the performance of their conservancy cleaners," the town council added.

It explained that the majority of renovation debris found in common areas is often due to contractors not disposing of waste properly at the end of each work day, in breach of HDB's renovation guidelines.

Should a homeowner require a renovation permit for their unit, they must hire a contractor that is listed on the HDB's list of contractors.

And these contractors must comply with the regulations stipulated by HDB, the town council added.

Should they fail to do so, they may be fined or prevented from taking on renovation projects for HDB flats.

If common facilities are damaged by contractors, homeowners may also be liable.

Although conservancy cleaners have helped to clear the debris, their primary responsibility is the daily cleaning and upkeep of common areas.

"It is therefore not realistic to rely solely on them to clear large volumes of renovation debris due to the illegal dumping by renovation contractors," explained the town council.

Large trash cans have also been provided to reduce the likelihood of such instances happening.

"The Town Council will continue to improve compliance and maintain the cleanliness of the estate.

"Meanwhile, we encourage homeowners to work closely with their renovation contractors to ensure renovation debris is properly disposed of and not placed in common areas. This helps keep shared spaces clean and safe for everyone."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com