Landowners can get grant to defray cost of coastal defences, which are required under new law

SINGAPORE - All coastal landowners in Singapore will be eligible for a grant to help defray the costs of

building shields to protect their assets from rising seas

, as required under a new coastal protection law passed in Parliament on March 6.

This grant will cover the cost of flood risk studies, diversion of power and water lines, and the eventual construction of coastal protection measures, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said. She did not reveal the quantum of the grant.  

Under the Coastal Protection and Other Amendments Bill, government agencies and private companies that occupy land along Singapore’s shorelines are required to implement measures to shield their coastal areas from rising seas, or face a fine and jail term. 

The new law will likely apply to more than 100 coastal landowners.

The Government, which owns 70 per cent of coastal land, will be responsible for

protecting the majority of the coastline segments

.

The remaining 30 per cent of private land are non-residential and comprise mostly shipyards and ports, as well as businesses in the oil and gas and manufacturing sectors. Most are located on the south-west and northern coastline segments, including Jurong Island and the industrial estates of Tuas, Pioneer and Senoko.

Occupiers of coastal land will be given about 10 years’ notice to take coastal protection measures, which could include building seawalls, raising land or putting up deployable barriers at jetties. 

The first tranche of notices is expected to be sent out to affected landowners from the early 2030s. Landowners can apply for the grant once they receive a second notification, about five years later.

Ms Fu said the funds disbursed will be sized according to benchmarks while considering prevailing market rates and inflation.

The total grant amount awarded to each agency or company will be split into tranches to help landowners with their planning and cash flow, said Ms Fu, adding that the grant details will be further developed and shared when ready.

Ms Fu added that the Government will also offer technical advice and consultations to landowners as they navigate their obligations under the new law. 

She pointed out that training programmes on coastal protection are available to help raise the engineering sector’s competency to implement proper coastal protection measures for landowners.

One such training programme is the coastal protection masterclass run by the Singapore Water Association.

The grant and technical support came about after affected waterfront firms shared with the Government that they had not factored in the cost for additional coastal protection measures when the land was leased or purchased, said Ms Fu.

The Bill was passed following a two-hour debate, in which a total of eight MPs spoke. 

Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West) had asked about the potential for the continuous line of coastal defence around Singapore to be breached if landowners’ measures are not well coordinated.

A critical requirement under the new law is that landowners must ensure that one plot’s coastal protection measures are tightly connected to another’s, to ensure there is a continuous line of defence to keep out rising seas.

“Even if all (waterfront) companies or landowners have the best of intentions, they may have knowledge gaps and coordination failures,” added Ms Poh, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Sustainability and the Environment.

Ms Fu said the law will grant and facilitate access to landowners if they need access to a neighbouring property to connect their flood shields and ensure they are watertight. 

On the need for a law to allocate responsibility for coastal protection to specific landowners, Ms Fu noted that different landowners require customised coastal protection measures to suit their individual needs. 

For example, a shipyard may choose to build a seawall along the perimeter of the dry dock while leaving the seaward entrance accessible. 

“It would not be practical, nor desirable, for the Government to implement standard coastal protection measures for such a wide range of land uses, from ports, ship-building yards to petrochemical plants,” said Ms Fu. 

Ms Nadia Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Ms Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) asked for greater clarity on how the development of a coastal measure would be affected if ownership of a seaside plot were to change during the 10-year period. 

Ms Fu said outgoing landowners will need to submit relevant reports and blueprints of their coastal structures to national water agency PUB, which will then transfer the reports to new owners. 

On accounting for coastal firms that may suddenly wind up before the 10-year period, as raised by Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon GRC), Ms Fu said PUB will use its enforcement powers to ensure the continuous line of defence is not compromised due to any firm’s exit. 

For example, PUB has powers to step in and undertake maintenance and repair works and also recover the costs from the landowners, if needed. 

The government grant could also be reimbursed to landowners in tranches, so that PUB can monitor the progress of coastal works.

Several MPs, including WP’s Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang) and Non-Constituency MP Andre Low, said they hoped for nature-based solutions to be incorporated in coastal protection measures. These could include the use of coral reefs and mangroves to weaken wave energy and prevent erosion.

“Where possible, the continuous line of defence can be set behind mangroves to minimise any impact to them,” said Ms Fu.

A soon-to-be-published code of practice to equip landowners with coastal solutions could also include hybrid solutions, which combine nature and hard structures, she added.