HarbourFront condo construction worker dumps waste into sea, disciplinary action taken against him

Christie Chiu
The Straits Times
Dec 12, 2023

A worker at the construction site of a condominium in HarbourFront has been punished for dumping construction waste into a water channel.

In a video posted to the Complaint Singapore Unrestricted Facebook page on Dec 8, a worker at The Reef at King’s Dock worksite is seen discarding construction debris and rubbish into the waters.

Among the items jettisoned are multiple sandbags and what appear to be tiles. He is also seen using his feet to sweep sand into the waters.

The Reef is a luxury condominium project by Harbourfront Three, a joint venture between developers Mapletree and Keppel Land. It is due for completion in 2025, according to several local property websites.

In 2020, The Reef was certified with the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore Green Mark GoldPLUS standard, which is awarded to buildings with sustainable designs.

The complex will boast green features such as energy-efficient air-conditioning systems, rainwater harvesting technology and dedicated recycling chutes at every block.

When contacted, a Harbourfront Three spokesperson said the developer knew of the video, which has since garnered 1,700 views, on Dec 8 and has taken disciplinary action against the worker involved, without elaborating.

The worker is employed by one of the project’s subcontractors and had deviated from his assigned tasks, the spokesperson said.

“We are working with the main contractor to deploy divers to inspect the seabed and retrieve the debris and rubbish from the waters,” the spokesperson added. 

There will be better supervision of work done on site to prevent such incidents from happening again, according to the developer.

In response to The Straits Times’ queries, the National Environment Agency said it is aware of the incident and investigations are ongoing.