The concept of Town Councils was first discussed in 1984. By then, high-rise public housing living had become familiar to Singaporeans. The Government felt that the time was right to give HDB residents a greater say in the running of their towns, and eventually introduced the Town Councils Bill in 1988. Today, residents, among others, are appointed as Town Council members. They play an active part in the management of their living environment.

The PAP Town Councils have lived up to the highest of expectations. . They have consistently provided a high standard of service. . They have also introduced numerous initiatives, like a more cost-effective way of repairing rooftops; a pneumatic mobile refuse handling system; and a computerised system for faster response to residents' requests and feedback.

Through government grants, the Town Councils have been able to keep their service and conservancy (S&C) charges low. HDB households pay a minimal sum to enjoy a quality living environment. Over the last 10 years, the Government has given out a total of $888 million in operating grants for S&C charges. The monthly subsidy ranges from $9 for a 4-room flat to $34 for a 1-room flat.

From building physical community facilities to building a community portal in cyberspace, the Town Councils have earned the confidence of the people in the maintenance of their housing estates. I congratulate the Town Councils for their achievements.

The operating environment for Town Councils in the future will be very different. The biggest challenges are the changing demographics and lifestyle of Singaporeans.

First, by the year 2030, 19 percent almost one in five Singaporeans of our population will be above 65 years old. . The Town Councils have to respond to this new resident profile, as the housing needs of the elderly are unique. They have to ensure that the living environment is able to cope with and support the needs of the elderly.

Secondly, the population is increasingly knowledgeable, well-travelled, and sophisticated and demanding. Their expectations of their living environment will be higher than before. This will require Town Councils to be even more creative and innovative.

Thirdly, Singaporeans today have a hard time juggling family and work commitments. Many are double-income households. They often have to take care of the children as well as their elderly parents. Our Town Councils can help them to fulfil their many responsibilities by offering value-added services. I will elaborate on this later.

Fourthly, as housing density and commercial and industrial activities increase, Town Councils will face environmental issues in the maintenance of the estates. . Effective programmes to minimise waste, manage pollution and conserve resources will become central to ensuring a clean and healthy environment for residents. I am pleased that many Town Councils have already integrated environmental concerns into their municipal operations.

It is not my intention to debate discuss how you should meet these challenges. I am confident that you will be able to come up with many innovative solutions in the course of the Conference. I will simply highlight some broad areas you should look into.

For example, information technology, automation and mechanisation will go a long way in helping Town Councils shoulder the challenges. In this regard, I am pleased to see that our Town Councils are undertaking research and development projects to improve their services and facilities.

Our Town Councils will also have to look for new ways to involve residents in determining the form and substance of their living environment. . Leading busier lives, Singaporeans are more apt to shut their doors after a tiring day and leave the business of initiating improvements to someone else. This means the loss of useful ideas to enhance the living environment, from the people whom such ideas for new and improved facilities and services are supposed to benefit. The Town Councils must find new ways to engage residents in improving their living environment.

One such way is to use the Internet to reach out to increasingly e-savvy residents. Our Town Councils have taken that first step with the recent launch of a community portal. Most of our Town Councils also have their own websites that allow constituents to engage in various online transactions and services. . Through the websites, residents can find out when and where the next Meet-the-People session will be; book communal facilities; provide feedback; and even make online payment of S&C charges. Going forward, Town Councils should entrench the Internet as a pervasive and everyday means for residents to proactively give suggestions to improve their living environment.

Town Councils can also better meet the more demanding aspirations of residents through partnership with other organisations.

In particular, Community Development Councils (CDCs) complement the Town Councils by focusing on the softer aspects of community building. They organise activities to enhance interaction and understanding among residents. They reach out to the young, the old and the not-so-old to promote social cohesion. They play a significant role in getting the community to help the less fortunate. Take for example the Tanjong Pagar CDC's "Safe Home" Programme. Through its network, the Tanjong Pagar CDC was able to mobilise teachers and students from the Balestier Institute of Technical Education and Queenstown Vocational Training Centre to help provide elderly-friendly features in the homes of needy senior citizens.

The expertise and focus of the Town Councils have been on "hardware". But your residents would also need "software" to help them manage their lives. Town Councils should therefore consider getting together get together with CDCs to explore how they can combine resources and expertise to provide an integrated array of services. This could include meal delivery for the elderly, house-cleaning, and even baby-sitting services. I understand that estate managers in Hong Kong are already providing such services to their residents.

Community bonding is a second area where Town Councils and CDCs can work together. For example, they can jointly encourage more residents to participate in GRC or CDC-level activities such as Family Days and Sports Carnivals. The synergy between Town Councils and CDCs will allow us to bring "hardware", "software" and "heartware" together to build the best home for Singaporeans. You can stay in a five-star hotel and enjoy all the top amenities, but it may not be a five-star home. A top hotel cannot provide the same sense of warmth and family which a caring, concerned and neighbourly community can. The fact that many Singaporeans who can afford to upgrade have chosen to stay in the older estates, illustrates this point.

The challenges are many but our Town Councils will not be alone in tackling them. . CDCs, HDB, other government agencies, grassroots organisations, civic bodies and non-governmental voluntary organisations will be roped in as partners. The process of building a quality living environment that Singaporeans desire and can be proud of, will have to be a community effort.

Today’s Conference will take our Town Councils into the future. I am confident that it will provide new perspectives on how tomorrow's challenges can be met.

It is now my pleasure to launch the PAP Town Councils 21 Conference. I wish everyone a fruitful day of learning and sharing for the benefit of our residents.