THE POTENTIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Environmental issues have increasingly become a great concern in Singapore, because of its small size and lack of natural resources. Our limited land space reduces the amount of waste that can be disposed of in our dumping grounds. Offshore islands are being used as landfills to save precious mainland space in Singapore. It costs over $1.5 billion to build the offshore Semakau landfill and the Tuas South Incineration Plant (The Straits Times, 7 Nov 1999). Even more will have to be spent if nothing is done to curb the wasteful use of resources. 56% of the public housing respondents and 44% of the private housing respondent rated their environmental awareness as only average. 51% of the public housing respondents and 62% of the private housing respondents added that they do not participate much in environmental activities because of the lack of time and/or they did not even know these activities existed. The environmental infrastructure that has been provided is not sufficient to encourage environmental awareness. 78% of the public housing respondents and 75% of the private housing respondents did not have recycling bins within their estates. Without environmental infrastructure, the residents are unable to recycle even if they wanted to. Of the property managers surveyed, 77% of the management firms' property managers responded that they do not have environmental programmes implemented within their estate. This study assesses the potential for implementation of environmental legislation in property management, examine the attitudes of property managers and residents regarding it, and compares environmental legislation, policies and management of other countries in relation to Singapore. Therefore, survey results suggest that some form of environmental guidelines or code of practice, that would educate the property managers and residents on environmentalism, should be implemented.