ABC Waters project to usher in cleaner waterways throughout S'pore by 2009

[Nautilus]

ABC Waters project to usher in cleaner waterways throughout S'pore by 2009
By Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia
 

SINGAPORE: The PUB wants to work with the community to beautify and maintain Singapore's pristine waters through the ABC Waters project.

The Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters project will involve all 32 major rivers, more than 7,000 kilometres of canals and drains and 17 reservoirs by 2009.

Launched in April this year, the project was piloted at three locations - Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir.

More than just shoring up river and canal banks or providing clean water,
the PUB wants to find out what residents want.

On Saturday, the PUB held the first community workshop on the project, engaging residents at Kolam Ayer.

As part of their plans, Kolam Ayer residents want to enjoy concerts and watersports on their stretch of the Kallang River.

"My wishlist for Kolam Ayer is to have a place where people can enjoy and de-stress themselves....have some time to enjoy the sun and the sea," said a resident.

The Kolam Ayer project will be completed by March next year.

While Singaporeans can expect beautiful waterfront facilities, they must also exercise responsibility over them.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, said: "It is not sustainable for the Ministry, or the PUB, or NEA to do everything that we want to do. We have to get community participation and ownership. As we open up our waterways, we beautify them, it's not something that we just go, have fun and go back. You must feel that you are part of it." - CNA/ir

[Bitchy]

Indeed, we can only realise and sustain a beautiful "City of Gardens and Waters" if we all 'take care' of our waters. So do pick up any litter u spot in the waters when u leisure paddle the next time 

[Nautilus]

Seems like ABC is running into some serious stalling. Read all about it!

MacRitchie facelift stalled
Contractor went bust, new tender to be called
 
LOH CHEE KONG
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg
 
THE wait for shower facilities and more carpark spaces at MacRitchie Reservoir — the first phase of which was scheduled for completion by the end of this month — has just gotten longer.
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According to the PUB, the construction work for the $5-million makeover would be delayed for at least another nine months after the construction work on the carpark "has virtually stopped in the last two months".
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The contractor, Wacon Construction, is understood to be undergoing financial difficulties due to the rising costs of raw materials including sand. It is facing several lawsuits from creditors.
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First announced in October 2006 as part of the PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme to spruce up Singapore's waterways, the project would equip MacRitchie with new features, including shower facilities, a designated warm-up area and a two-storey carpark that would double the number of parking lots.
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PUB's director for best sourcing Moh Wung Hee said it has terminated the contract with Wacon and would be calling for a new tender by the end of the month. Mr Moh added that the PUB "aims to complete the construction of the carpark by the end of the year and the amenities centre by next October".
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In 2003, the tendering system for public projects was tightened after a couple of Housing and Development Board projects — an upgrading project in Marine Terrace and the building of flats in Sengkang — were stalled.
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Among the new rules introduced then was the empowerment of the Building and Construction Authority to audit the financial status of contractors more frequently, to act as an early-warning system against contractors in danger of insolvency.