S$10m fund seeks to spur construction firms to cut noise

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday launched a S$10 million fund to encourage construction companies to use quieter machines and noise-control equipment to help reduce noise in the midst of a construction boom in Singapore.

The Quieter Construction Fund (QCF) is the latest initiative by the agency to promote a quieter living environment in areas near construction sites, such as hospitals and schools. Existing measures to reduce construction noise include imposing maximum permissible noise levels and the no-work rule on Sundays and public holidays.

Over the past few years, public feedback on construction noise has been increasing, averaging more than 16,000 a year due to the growing number of construction projects, said the NEA. Enforcement action taken has also risen.

“Construction companies have shared with us their challenges in managing construction noise level and complying with noise regulations — namely, more developments taking place in highly-built-up areas and rising expectations for a quieter environment among members of the public,” said NEA CEO Ronnie Tay at the launch of the fund.

The Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL) expects work on construction projects worth between S$31 and S$38 billion to be carried out this year and more construction sites can be expected to be set up near densely built-up residential areas.

Mr Tay said: “There are several challenges to overcome before we can achieve our vision of widespread adoption of quieter construction equipment and methods. One of them is the high cost of investments in such technology or noise-mitigating measures.

“The QCF will help construction firms defray the cost of investing in quieter construction machines, noise-control equipment and other innovative solutions.”

Under the fund, companies will be reimbursed up to 50 per cent of the cost of buying or leasing of noise-control equipment, such as a perimeter noise barriers, or quieter machines such as jack-in piling machines, which generate less noise than bore piling machines.

All Singapore-registered firms involved in the construction industry can apply for the fund from April 1 to March 31, 2016.

Mr Fong Peng Keong, NEA Director of Pollution Control Department, hopes the fund can be used for about 100 to 300 construction projects.

Mr Dominic Choy, 46, Director of Projects for Hexacon Construction, said the QCF would come in handy for smaller construction companies.

He noted that many construction firms were already investing in noise-control equipment, such as noise screens. “With the fund, we can probably consider more expensive screens, which are more effective. For smaller companies, it will certainly help them as they may not have these screens.”

SCAL President, Dr Ho Nyok Yong, welcomed the launch of the fund, but said: “While the NEA pushes towards more widespread adoption of quieter construction, it should be mindful of other equally important factors faced by the construction industry, such as a labour crunch, increase in operation costs and the push to achieve higher productivity.”