Government trims industrial land supply in first half of 2018 to 12.56 ha

THE government on Wednesday said that it is launching six sites in the Confirmed List and seven sites in the Reserve List, with a total site area of 12.56 hectares (ha) for the first half of 2018.

This is a slight dip from eight Confirmed List sites and six Reserve List sites, with a total site area of 13.9 ha, for the second half of 2017.

In the first half of 2017, the Ministry of Trade and Industry had released six sites on the Confirmed List and five sites on the Reserve List, spanning 11.25 ha in all.

Confirmed List sites are launched according to schedule, regardless of demand, while Reserve List sites are put up for tender when a developer makes an offer of a minimum purchase price that is acceptable to the government.

In the latest launch, all the sites on the Confirmed List are zoned "B2" for heavier industrial use. Three of the six sites are located in Tuas South, with the other three in Tampines, Woodlands Industrial Park and Tanjong Penjuru.

Two of the six plots were previously in the Reserve List in the second half of 2017. Half the Confirmed List sites are still smallish - under 0.5 ha - as the government continues to push out land that meet the needs of industrialists in terms of size and price quantum.

The sites in the Reserve List are larger in comparison, with the biggest at 2.4 ha for a particular site in Tuas South.

The MTI said that it will "continue to release sufficient land through the Industrial Government Land Sales programme to ensure an adequate supply of industrial space in Singapore".