THE Government is not only committed to ensuring that every Singaporean has a home, but also to improving amenities and conditions in housing estates, especially older ones, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last night.

Each estate has its own unique identity, landmarks and charm, and all are places where friendships and memories are developed, he said.

'Each estate will not just be a set of blocks of flats or precincts, but a home for Singaporeans, a community for residents, a place where friendships are made and memories are formed,' he said when opening the 4.2km-long Punggol Waterway, whose development reflects the kind of enhancements and amenities residents can look forward to.

Built at a cost of $225 million, the waterway runs through Punggol estate. Yesterday, some 10,000 residents turned up to take part in waterfront activities such as cycling and kayaking.

Others took their evening stroll on the boardwalk, flew kites in the adjacent green open spaces, or admired the cascading water curtains along a 280m-long Heartwave Wall that features murals on the area's rich history.

Punggol resident Dorrynn Ong, 40, is pleased to have the waterfront where her two sons, aged seven and two, can go cycling.

'At least we now have our own park. I don't need to go to Pasir Ris any more,' said the housewife, who has lived in a five-room flat there for 10 years.

IT manager Alan Ng, 39, was impressed by the waterway and the town's development. 'Upgrading is good for the people. And if there is a theme to an estate, the resale value will go up.

'Punggol is now young and vibrant, interesting and new, with water sports and a link to Coney Island. It used to be that you could find towns near the sea only in East Coast and West Coast,' he said.

At the opening, PM Lee said the Government is investing $10 billion over the next 10 years to improve amenities and living conditions in older estates such as Yishun, East Coast and Ang Mo Kio. Plans were first announced in February, and he said the Government will partner residents and the community in these efforts.

It has been a long journey to complete the Punggol Waterway project, he said.

Punggol used to be a fishing village and farming area, and a relative backwater. PM Lee recalled going to Punggol Point to eat at its famous seafood restaurants, and to the area for an orienteering exercise when he attended the Outward Bound School.

'We had to navigate from point to point with a map but without a compass. It was quite possible in those days to be lost in Punggol because there were no roads, no signs; some attap houses and tracks, and you had to find your way around. But we got lost,' he said.

In 1996, the Government announced plans to develop the area, with private and public housing, MRT and light rail lines and water sports facilities, marinas and a waterfront park. But the project, Punggol 21, was halted in its tracks by the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

After the economy recovered, the Government revisited its plans for Punggol, and in 2007, PM Lee unveiled Punggol 21-Plus, which includes the waterway as the rejuvenated estate's centrepiece.

He said yesterday that some have called the waterway the 'Venice of Punggol', and promised more developments to come. By the end of the year, 23,000 families will be living in Punggol, and by 2015, there will be a new commercial hub and town plaza by the Punggol MRT station.

Punggol will be almost as big as Ang Mo Kio. 'Not at all an ulu (Malay for remote) town as it was many years ago,' he said.

PM Lee expressed his hope that Singaporeans would support 'the overall direction and thrust' in the Government's upgrading efforts, and that residents would keep the waterway clean so that others can enjoy facilities such as the promenades and greenery, and 'the Singapore that we have built together'.

- end of ST article. Reprinted with permission.