SAFRA Punggol - Waterfront living catering to family lifestyle needs & recreation! - SAFRA

•  Along Sentul Crescent (view map)

This upcoming 5-storey clubhouse will boast a first of its kind indoor water playground in Singapore. The unique design is an inspiration of the flowing waters and lush greeneries around the area. Integrating into one of Singapore's upcoming estates, Punggol, the club will be an ideal sanctuary for NSmen and their families to unwind and relax at.

Embracing the water theme, Kidz Amaze will feature a "Deep Sea" themed playground. It is set to span 23,000 square feet soaring three stories high! NurtureStars on the other hand will be designed with an eco-friendly concept. The childcare centre will use natural sunlight and hydroponic plants to illuminate and enliven the learning and play areas.

Another notable feature would be the multi-purpose courtyard. This space will be used to host a variety of lifestyle activities as well as NS Unit Cohesion activities.

Click here to find out more about SAFRA Punggol club facilities and vendor offerings.

Source: SAFRA

Punggol’s Waterway Point gets an Imax theatre - The Straits Times

Shaw Theatres has opened a suburban cineplex with 11 screens in Punggol. It includes a digital Imax theatre.

Shaw Theatres officially opened its ninth, and latest cineplex, at the five-day-old Waterway Point mall yesterday. Its Imax screen is the third in Singapore, after Shaw Lido in Orchard and Shaw JCube in Jurong East.

The Imax experience is described to be more "immersive" than in the usual movie hall, as it screens brighter, clearer images with more pristine sounds.

The screen, measuring 10m tall and 18m wide, is about twice the size of a normal screen. As the screen cannot be folded, it had to be installed before builders finished constructing one side of the wall.

Mr Mark Shaw, executive vice- president of operations at Shaw Theatres, says: "We are confident that the demand for a premium movie-going experience will continue to rise in Singapore. Imax accounted for 75 per cent of our first-hour advance ticket sales for Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Upcoming titles that will be released concurrently in the regular halls as well as at Imax ones include Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Captain America: Civil War.

A regular movie ticket typically costs between $8 and $11, while an Imax ticket costs between $17 and $23 each.

The Waterway Point cineplex is found on Basement 2, making it the first cineplex in Singapore to be located below ground level. Mr Terence Heng, vice-president of innovation, content and engagement at Shaw Organisation, says: "There is a condominium above the mall, so we didn't want to build the cineplex on the top floor, otherwise the noise would travel up and disturb the residents."

The cineplex has a total of 1,450 seats for its 11 screens. Shaw declined to reveal the cost of its construction.

For Punggol residents such as graphic designer Cherilyn Yeo, 28, the opening of the Waterway Point cineplex is "the best news ever".

She says: "I used to always have to go to town or Seletar Mall, which is 10 minutes by car, to watch movies. I can finally just walk over to the cinema and watch a movie whenever I feel like it."

Shaw last opened a cineplex in December 2014 at Seletar Mall.

Currently, there are ongoing works for a cineplex at Parkway Parade mall, but it is unclear who the operator is at the moment.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 22, 2016, with the headline 'Shaw opens Punggol cineplex with 11 screens'. Print Edition | Subscribe

PUBLISHED: 

JAN 22, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT

Source: the Straits times

Waterway Point in Punggol to open on Jan 18 - Channel NewsAsia

Waterway Point confirms the mall's opening date on its Facebook page, which has about 30,000 fans.

SINGAPORE: Waterway Point in Punggol will open on Jan 18, the mall confirmed on Facebook.

Frasers Centrepoint Malls had announced in August that 90 per cent of the retail space in the mall has been tenanted. Waterway Point will have four levels of indoor shopping, leisure and alfresco dining spaces, with a view of Punggol Waterway. 

Among its key tenants are a 24-hour FairPrice Finest supermarket that will take up nearly 30,000 sq ft of space, a 1,500-seat Shaw Theatres, as well as a 7,335 sq ft Times Bookstore, which will be its largest outlet in Singapore. 

Waterway Point is part of Watertown, an integrated waterfront residential and retail development by Frasers Centrepoint, Far East Organization and Sekisui House.

- CNA/hs

• Posted 23 Dec 2015 18:44

New bus routes coming to Eunos, Marine Parade and Yishun by March - Channel NewsAsia

A total of 760 buses have been added to the public transport network as of Dec 31 under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme, said LTA, SBS Transit and SMRT in a joint release.

SINGAPORE: New bus routes will be coming to Eunos, Marine Parade and Yishun by March as part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SBS Transit and SMRT announced in a joint statement on Thursday (Jan 7).

Another new route, SBS Transit's 382, which serves the housing developments in Punggol West, was launched on Jan 3. More new routes will be announced later, the statement said.

A total of 760 buses have been added to the public transport network as of Dec 31 under the BSEP, out of 1,000 expected to be rolled out by 2017, it said.

MORE PEAK HOUR TRIPS ADDED

LTA, SMRT and SBS Transit said that seven additional buses were deployed to improve five bus services during the morning and evening peak hours in the fourth quarter of last year. In all, 80 weekly peak-hour bus trips were added in this period. 

SBS Transit and SMRT added that they have improved 132 bus services by deploying higher capacity buses and/or adding more bus trips along sectors that experience heavy ridership.

"In total, the operators have added 90 weekly trips during peak hours for these services in the fourth quarter of 2015," said the statement. "This is in addition to the 80 additional weekly peak-hour bus trips added by the Government under the BSEP during the same period."

NEW BUS SERVICES INTRODUCED 

It was also noted that between October and December 2015, seven new bus services were introduced: SBS Transit's 47, 117, 118 and 258; and SMRT's 979 and City Direct Services (CDS) 664 and 665.

Two existing bus services – SBS Transit Service 49 and SMRT Service 983 – were also extended, bringing the total number of new or extended bus services under the BSEP to 54.

- CNA/av

• Posted 07 Jan 2016 13:15

2-car trains on Sengkang-Punggol LRT begin service - Channel NewsAsia

There are eight trains in all, with each two-car train carrying 204 passengers - double the 102-person capacity of a single-car train. 

SINGAPORE: There will be more room for commuters riding the Sengkang-Punggol LRT service following the launch of two-car trains on Tuesday (Jan 5).

There are eight trains in all, with each two-car train carrying 204 passengers - double the 102-person capacity of the single-car trains which plied the route before Tuesday. The new two-car trains run on the Sengkang Loop at a frequency of about three to four minutes during the morning and evening peak hours.

"In the past we have received many feedback from our residents, especially in Sengkang West, that waiting times for the LRT trains are quite long," said Sengkang West MP Lam Pin Min. "I think with the implementation of the dual carriage, this will increase the capacity by double and, hopefully, the waiting times will decreased significantly."

According to transport authorities, more than 61,000 commuters ride the Sengkang LRT route every day.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Ng Chee Meng, who launched the new trains Tuesday morning, said he was "very happy" with the upgrade, and he hoped it would bring more comfort to residents in the area.

"As you know, we live a relatively hectic life: Coming in the morning with the kids, going to school, going to work," he said. "That availability to board the first train is a major convenience to the residents." 

The initiative was first announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2012, and authorities say another 16 new trains will be added to the Sengkang-Punggol LRT fleet by the middle of this year.

According to an LTA news announcement in 2012, the addition of the 16 trains will increase the total fleet size to 57 trains, up 40 per cent.

The Punggol Loop will also be upgraded to a similar two-car system by 2017, it added.

- CNA/kk

• By Kenneth Lim
• Posted 05 Jan 2016 07:59
 
• Updated 05 Jan 2016 22:33

HDB to explore use of smart planning tools for more towns and estates - Channel NewsAsia

Modelling tools help the Housing and Development Board to simulate environmental conditions such as wind flow, sun and shade for better estate planning.

SINGAPORE: Modelling tools to visualise heat, shade and wind flow were used to plan and design new precincts and building forms within Singapore's first "eco-precinct" Punggol town. These resulted in smart Housing and Development Board (HDB) homes in districts such as the waterfront Punggol Northshore.

On Sunday (Dec 27), the HDB announced in a news release that it will explore applying such smart planning tools beyond Punggol and to existing and upcoming towns and estates.

SMART PLANNING TOOLS FOR NEW GENERATION HOUSING

There are two types of smart planning tools used to improve the planning and design of HDB towns under the Smart HDB Town Framework, the housing board said. 

The first, Urban Environmental Modelling (UEM) simulates environmental conditions such as wind flow and solar irradiance, which is the amount of energy generated by the sun per unit area.

This was put to use at the Treelodge @ Punggol precinct, where simulations allowed town planners to orient blocks to maximise wind flow, thereby optimising natural ventilation and minimising the need for electrical cooling, HDB said. UEM also helps planners identify areas within the town that would receive large amounts of heat from the sun throughout the day, so they can introduce more greenery in such areas to reduce heat build-up. 

The modelling tool highlights shaded areas within the town as well, enabling planners to site community facilities like playgrounds and childcare centres in places which get more shade.

"This allows us to identify better placement of facilities, such as children's playgrounds," explained Mr Leroy Tan, senior engineer at HDB's Building Research Institute.

"Because normally we know children usually come out during the evenings or late afternoons to spend their time in the playgrounds, so this is one example where we can use it to identify placement of facilities so we can encourage the community to come out and have activities at these places." 

The Urban Environmental Modelling tool helps planners identify shaded areas to site community facilities like playgrounds and childcare centres (Image: HDB)

The second, Complex Systems Modelling (CSM), is a decision-making tool that simulates the impact of green initiatives. 

This helps town planners, architects and engineers more accurately assess the trade-offs involved when introducing new sustainable features in HDB towns and choose the most effective combination of solutions to achieve the desired sustainability targets, HDB stated. For instance, the tool can be used to study the most effective way to place rooftop solar panels, which in turn could influence the orientation and design of buildings.

"This is particularly useful for our town planners because they cannot afford experimentation with actual developments in land-scarce Singapore," HDB said. 

CSM has been tested in the Yuhua precinct in Jurong. Planners for the neighbourhood used it to weigh the energy savings of "smart lighting", which adjusts the intensity of lighting based on the footfall throughout the day, against the higher cost of installing such lighting compared to LED lights for corridors. 

After Yuhua, CSM was also used in the urban planning for Punggol Northshore. In future, the tool could also be applied to existing towns to help assess the feasibility of rolling out the HDB Greenprint programme, the housing board said.

A simulation model of Yuhua neighbourhood created by the prototype of the Complex System Modelling Tool (Image: HDB)

HDB added that it will progressively leverage such modelling tools to complement town planning efforts to provide well-designed homes in green, sustainable and self-sufficient towns. 

Under the Smart HDB Town Framework introduced in Sep 2014, data collected by a network of sensors will help build more accurate simulations for planning and can offer real-time feedback on an estate to optimise maintenance cycles and to pre-empt problems.

- CNA/mz

• Posted 27 Dec 2015 13:00
 
• Updated 27 Dec 2015 22:38

3 Things To Do In Punggol: Your Singapore-Style Oasis - Fraser Centrepoint

SHOUT OUT

3 THINGS TO DO IN PUNGGOL: YOUR SINGAPORE-STYLE OASIS

Looking for a picture-perfect escape the whole family can enjoy? Punggol has it all with beautiful waterways, walking tracks, cycling, alfresco dining, fields of green and so much more.
(Image source: https://goo.gl/AAWydM)

From picturesque sunrises to romantic sunsets across the waterways, Punggol has a lot of something for everyone. If you’re longing for a tranquil, spacious and green getaway respite from the hustle & bustle of the hot urban centres -- Punggol is definitely the place to visit.

Photo credit: Jimmy Tan. Click on image to view source.

With so many shaded green spaces and glistening cool waterways, you certainly won’t be short of things to do or see, and the selfie opportunities are endless. Your friends will also be green, but possibly with envy -- so best to take them along with you.

There’s plenty to explore with photo ops galore -- scenic walks, strolls along the waterways, Punggol beach, running, cycling, water park fun for the kids an outside gym for a spot of extra fitness and of course delicious eateries and dining delicacies on offer. This is just a snapshot of the many things you’ll enjoy and love in this dynamic breath-of-fresh-air destination. 

Photo credit: tee_eric. Click on image to view source.

Punggol has a fascinating history to discover, and its progress in the last few decades has been amazing. It shows no signs of slowing down and will soon be home to the new Waterway Point mall -- a four storey retail and lifestyle hub located in the heart of the new Punggol Town -- giving you even more things to look forward to. This up-and-coming neighbourhood has more than enough to support a relaxed yet dynamic and diverse lifestyle not only for those who are lucky enough to call it home but also for those who choose to explore for a bit of Singapore oasis style R&R. 

Chill out and makan at Punggol Settlement

The newly-opened Punggol Settlement has definitely helped the area spring to life, with a great variety of restaurants, cafes and bars. You can enjoy a wide selection of cuisine from East -- Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Peranakan to West --European, French.

Music lover? Perfect! Get your happy-fix at Georges By the Bay, or if you’re feeling competitive, try your luck with a round of Drunk Darts at Für Kicks.

You can also check out the nearby Punggol East restaurants where you can get Whisk & Paddle’s hearty all-day breakfast, or just sit back and enjoy the views with a lazy pint of beer at Frenzie Bar & Bistro -- Ahhh! 

Experience Coney Island

Activity buff with a love of nature? The newly-opened Coney Island Park in Punggol is just the place for you to explore. The 50-hectare park is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, including resident male Baya Weaver birds who lovingly weave intricate nests atop Acacia trees -- often hanging over open water. Pretty impressive!

Are you an avid cyclist or have you recently picked it up as a new hobby? Just imagine the freedom of riding beneath a canopy of towering foliage. And with the park connected to the mainland, it’s super easy to access whether you’re driving, cycling, or on foot. 

Ride the Punggol Park Connector

Scenery a bit dull on your usual marathon training route? Never fear, discover a new path right along Punggol Reservoir and the Straights of Johor. The 6.1km Punggol park connector joins Punggol Waterway Park -- entry to the 26km North Eastern Riverine Loop (NERL).

The NERL also links three other parks aside from Punggol Waterway Park, including Punggol Park, Punggol Point Park and Sengkang Riverside Park. It will also take you to the rustic landscapes of Punggol Beach and Lorong Halus Wetland – and after your training, you’ll surely come out singing ‘We are the Champions!' 

Source: Fraser Centrepoint

Website: 3 Things To Do In Punggol: Your Singapore-Style Oasis 

Flash Estimate of 4th quarter 2015 Resale Price Index - HDB

HDB’s flash estimate of the 4th Quarter 2015 Resale Price Index (RPI) is 134.9, an increase of 0.2% over the 3rd Quarter 2015 RPI (seeAnnexes A1 and A2). Based on the flash estimate, the decline in resale flat prices for the whole of 2015 is 1.5%.

2     The RPI provides information on the general price movements in the resale public housing market. The transacted prices of individual flats (by block and flat type) can be found on HDB’s InfoWEB (online enquiry).

3     The RPI for the full quarter and more detailed public housing data for 4th Quarter 2015 will be released on 22 January 2016.

Upcoming Sales Launches

4     In 2016, HDB plans to launch about 18,000 flats, an increase of about 3,000 units from the 15,100 units in 2015.  This is to meet the expected demand due to recent policy changes.  The first Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise will be held in February where about 4,150 flats in Bidadari, Bukit Batok and Sengkang will be offered.  More information on the flats to be offered under the February 2016 BTO exercise is available on the HDB InfoWEB.

Published Date: 04 Jan 2016

Source: HDB

HDB resale prices flat in December; volume down 4.3% - AsiaOne

SINGAPORE - HDB resale prices remained unchanged in December, while resale volume fell 4.3 per cent from the month before, SRX Property said in a report on Thursday.

While resale prices of HDB 3- and HDB 4- room flats increased by 0.3 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively, the resale prices of 5- room and executive flats both fell by 0.4 per cent. 

Resale prices in mature estates increased by 0.2 per cent but decreased by by 0.2 per cent in non-mature estates.

Year-on-year, prices registered a drop of 1.3 per cent from December 2014.

According to SRX Property, a total of 1,404 HDB resale flats were sold in December. This is a 4.3 per cent drop from 1,467 transacted units in November.

Year-on-year, resale volume increased by 8.4 per cent.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Thursday, Jan 07, 2016

AsiaOne