Yuhua to go 'fully green'

SINGAPORE - Yuhua estate will be transformed into Singapore's first fully "green" neighbourhood over the next two years.

Residents in the Jurong East constituency can look forward to new features such as energy-efficient lifts, solar panels on rooftops and an automatic waste collection system that promise a cleaner, eco-friendly neighbourhood.

Selected blocks will have their roofs or facades decked in greenery, while storage tanks to collect and use rainwater for cleaning common areas will be set up at 17 blocks.

The project under the Housing Board's Greenprint scheme will cost an estimated $18 million, said HDB.

Separately, HDB has set aside $1 million under the scheme to finance the implementation of eco- friendly ideas devised by the public. Five initiatives based on these ideas will be implemented in Yuhua next year.

In October last year, Yuhua was selected as the first precinct for Greenprint, which aims to bring environmentally sustainable living to public housing estates.

On Saturday, the constituency's MP and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu said construction of several features of the project will begin soon.

For instance, lifts will be retrofitted with energy-saving features in the next few months, said Ms Fu, who is also Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. She was speaking at HDB's first exhibition showcasing "green" home appliances at Yuhua Community Club.

Yuhua resident David Tan, 60, said he supports the use of such appliances to save electricity and help reduce utility bills.

He made an effort two months ago to replace the lights in his maisonette flat, as well as the air-conditioner and refrigerator, with energy-efficient models. "So far, I feel that there hasn't been much savings, and the devices don't come cheap," he said.

"But I am buying a few more lights to try out."

An LED lamp can cost two to five times more than a regular fluorescent one but has a longer lifespan.

Ms Fu, who is also Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, said this is the first time a mature HDB estate has embarked on such an environmental campaign.

She said: "It is an important step because whatever lessons learnt and valuable experiences... we will expect HDB to propagate and implement across the island."

chpoon@sph.com.sg

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