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| Part of the 1000 new cluster houses at the Kg Lugu National Housing Scheme that are still under construction with a complete model house (R) for public viewing |
Julius Hong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
WITH only five per cent of Brunei’s land area available for development and 57 per cent of Brunei’s land area protected under the Heart of Borneo conservation initiative, The Ministry of Development has said that it will no longer be feasible to dedicate large swathes of land.
Hence, the government’s housing scheme has to rise above the land issue as there is a need for greater agricultural and industrial development.
According to the Housing Development Department, there are more than 10,000 housing applicants seeking properties in Brunei-Muara and some of these applications were received more than 15 years ago.
Vertical housing project
The Ministry of Development is currently developing a $55 million high-rise apartment at Lambak Kanan/Salambigar which is slated to be completed by May 2016.
In the first phase of the vertical housing project, there will be 10 apartment blocks complete with a multi-storey car park as well as recreational and sports facilities.
Each apartment unit is equipped with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, a dining room with a kitchen and a laundry room as well as a storage room.
The apartment blocks will also be built with the “green building concept”, with features that allow tenants to save water and energy.
The decision to move from single housing to high-rise apartment was made to address the growing Bruneian population and the limited amount of land available in Brunei.
A survey was distributed to the public during roadshows to obtain feedback regarding the designs of the vertical housing project with 75 per cent of the respondents saying they liked the designs.
In 2010, a survey for the second BSB Development Master Plan found that 95 per cent of poll respondents were in favour of the vertical housing with amenities and walkable neighbourhoods.
“We want to make sure people like the idea, and if it is well-received, we may build more of these units in the future,” said the previous Minister of Development Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman.
Currently, 2,500 units have been marked for Lumapas while 420 units have been designated in Lambak Kanan and recently Kampung Lugu was identified as a possible new site for the vertical housings.
Improvements to be made on lack of accessibility
Public facilities such as schools, mosques, grocery stores, health clinics and police stations should be constructed to protect the welfare and safety of the residents in the neighbourhood.
These were raised by residents from several of the NHS as they have to go out of their way to utilise these facilities.
Residents from the Tanah Jambu NHS have expressed a lack of accessibility as they are only able to access the neighbourhood through two entry point in Jalan Bukit Kabun and Tutong-Muara highway.
Housing design
Several concerns were voiced by homeowners and recipients under the National Housing Scheme (NHS) and Landless Indigenous Citizens’ Housing Scheme this year regarding the quality of their houses.
On March 18, YB Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi addressed a number of complaints have been raised by residents in NHS regarding the issue of water leaks and gaping holes in the roofs and ceiling in their houses.
“Looking back, we have learned our lesson from this episode. The house design, and the type or designs of roofing adopted were incompatible with the climate here,” he said.
Many have also complained about the interior design of the houses such as having the kitchen face the toilet, lack of space in the kitchen to fit a dining table are a few of the problem which are considered not ideal in the context of Bruneian culture.
“Bruneians like to invite their family members over during the weekend. But if the dining area is too small, how do you expect Bruneians to maintain the culture of visiting one another,” said 43-year-old Pg Mustafa Pg Amat, a resident from Kg Panchor Mengkubau.
Another resident has also raised issues about the quality of the facilities citing faulty fans and lightings, cracked floors and a flood prone garage as a few examples.
Kampong Ayer scheme
A member of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Maharaja Kerna Dato Paduka Seri Hj Yaakub Pehin Orang Kaya Maharaja Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Zainal suggested that more national housing schemes should be built in Kampong Ayer.
He said that this suggestion would preserve the population and cultural heritage of one of Brunei’s iconic landmarks as well as solve the problem of insufficient land for housing schemes, said YB Pehin Dato Hj Yaakub.
“This suggestion, I believe, is in line with the BSB Development master plan for enlivening the infrastructure to accommodate the tourism industry,” he added.
He said that there is a trend of migration of Kg Ayer residents to land via the NHS causing a slow depletion of the water village and that the scheme should emphasise the necessity of keeping in line with the traditional homes on the river in terms of design and functionality
In the 1980s, the water village population was estimated at 40,000 but according to the 2012 national census, it has dwindled to 13,162.
Currently, there are two national housing schemes located in the water village – Kg Bolkiah ‘A’ and Kg Bolkiah ‘B’ – as well as the 64 eco-friendly houses that are part of the Upgrading Kampong Ayer Pilot Project.
In response, the Minister of Home Affairs said the recommendation to extend the NHS to Kampong Ayer still needs further review.
“Under the circumstances, I am doubtful as to whether it is advisable for the government to extend the NHS to the Kampung Ayer area,” said the minister.
Future schemes
Several villages in Tutong were studied by the Town and Country Planning Department for potential economic and residential development. Mukim Kiudang and several of its villages are some areas that have been identified as possible areas for development.
“The housing scheme will be able to accommodate workers for the expanding agricultural businesses within that area,” she said.
According to Town and Country Planning Officer Mawarni Hj Ahmad, the Tutong District plan has determined that Kg Pengkalan and Kg Kebia are able to accommodate over 3,000 new residents in some 700 dwellings.
The Tutong district plan is a strategic document that guides the planning and development of Tutong till the year 2025.
Sumber - The Brunei Times
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