New community panel tackling neighbourhood noise among initiatives to improve living environment

SINGAPORE — To tackle a rise in complaints over noise from neighbours amid the pandemic, a panel will be set up to define community guidelines on the issue, which can then be referenced during disputes or mediation.

The Community Advisory Panel on neighbourhood noise will engage and conduct surveys with members of the public to establish these “community norms”, said the Municipal Services Office (MSO) in a release on Tuesday (March 8).

“These norms will provide some reference in terms of what is generally acceptable or unacceptable noise disturbances in the community, what could constitute unreasonable or inconsiderate behaviour, and what will be good norms that residents can observe to reduce noise disturbances to neighbours.

“The Government will reference these norms for its advisories, and when facilitating mediation and/or making decisions at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal,” said MSO, which will be setting up the panel with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).

The move comes as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) received about 3,200 cases of noise-related feedback a month in 2021, up from about 400 a month in 2019, MSO noted.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Simm Ann, Senior Minister of State for National Development, added that MSO and MCCY are "working on how agencies would enforce against neighbourhood noise using these ‘community norms’ as a reference".

The panel, which will include mediators, community leaders and experts, plans to submit its recommendations within this year. It will also hold public engagements on the proposed norms.

FACILITATING GROUP BUYS

In addition, an Alliance for Action (AfA) will be set up to explore ways to facilitate group buy activities in HDB estates. Group buys, which have taken off in recent months, involve residents banding together to place bulk orders for items, in order to cut delivery costs and enjoy discounts from suppliers. AfAs are industry-led coalitions, working in partnership with the Government.

Ms Sim noted that these activities can support small businesses and promote interaction among residents, but they can also create problems like cluttered common corridors and blocked walkways.

"We would like to identify win-win solutions so that residents can continue to engage in group buying and support small businesses, while minimising inconvenience to others," she said.

To find better ways to facilitate the delivery, storage and distribution of group buy items, group buy hosts, grassroots leaders and “potential solution providers” from the private sector will be invited to join the AfA by HDB and the People’s Association.

ENHANCEMENTS TO ONESERVICE APP

Providing updates on the OneService app, which allows users to submit feedback and access other municipal services, MSO said its user base has grown tenfold since it was launched in 2015. There are now more than 430,000 residents using it.

New enhancements have been made, such as a feature allowing residents to check crowd levels at public libraries.

The app has also been upgraded to allow residents to book, apply and pay for town council facilities, such as void decks, directly through it. Previously, residents had to apply in-person at the town council’s office.

For instance, if a resident wants to book the void deck for a wake, his personal information can be retrieved from official sources with his consent, along with the details of the deceased, for the town council’s verification.

“This way, the applicant would not be required to produce supporting documents at the (town council’s) office when booking facilities.”

From the second half of this year, residents can also submit municipal feedback on another platform, the LifeSG app. More OneService e-services, such as booking of facilities, will be available on LifeSG from next year.

Last year, the OneService app introduced a “Help Neighbour” feature for users to alert social service agencies to those in need — including rough sleepers, cardboard collectors and tissue paper sellers.

As of the end of January, users have referred 272 such cases to the agencies. Of these, about half were new cases “not already on agencies’ radar”, said MSO. CNA