defence housing - general overview

Under the terms of an agreement between the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the government of New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Support Unit (South East Asia) and the RAN Liaison Office - Singapore maintain 16 houses (ex British military) in the Sembawang residential area. Six of these houses are ‘leased’ by NZDSU (SEA), while 10 are ‘sub-let’ to the RAN. Four of the RAN’s 10 houses are designated as Married Quarters (MQ) and are permanently occupied by the three Navy members of RANLO SINGAPORE and the one ADF student on the SCSC (Singapore Command & Staff Course). The other six properties are maintained as Transit Housing primarily for the use of visiting RAN/ADF personnel on duty. Four of the RAN’s Transit Houses are British Military ‘Black and White’ Bungalows which were built in the late 1930s and two are British brick houses that were completed in 1929. All of the British Military Black and White Bungalows and the brick houses were amongst the last of their type built in Singapore. The term ‘Black and White’ is derived not from the colour of the houses but from their style of architecture. The origin of the brick houses is particularly noteworthy, as an urban myth had developed over the years that these houses had been built by the Japanese during their occupation of Singapore.

The following tables summarise the Australian and NZ Defence Housing stock:

Australian Housing	Type	New Zealand Housing	Type
202 Lagos Circle	Transit House	118 King’s Ave	MQ - CO NZDSU (SEA) and family
203 Lagos Circle	Transit House/AWEC	128 King’s Ave	MQ - NZDA and family
204 Lagos Circle	MQ - A/RANLO (LOG) and family	133 Queen’s Ave	MQ - NZDF student on SCSC and family
206 Lagos Circle	MQ - ADF student on SCSC and family	139 Queen’s Ave	Transit House
208 Lagos Circle	MQ - RANLO and family	141 Queen’s Ave	MQ - Deputy CO NZDSU (SEA) and family
210 Lagos Circle	Transit House (VIP)	143 Queen’s Ave	MQ - SSGT NZDSU (SEA) and family
212 Lagos Circle	MQ - A/RANLO (TECH) and family
258 Canada Road	Transit House
260 Canada Road	Transit House
261 Canada Road	Transit House

When British forces withdrew in 1971, ownership of the housing transferred from the British government to the Singapore government (Singapore Land Authority). In 1974, New Zealand established a battalion in Singapore (New Zealand Force South East Asia or NZFORSEA) and was granted occupancy of most of the housing previously owned by the British.

Following the withdrawal of NZ forces in 1989, most of the housing was handed back to the Singapore government, with the exception of those houses required by the small remaining NZ and AS force elements. At this time, the RAN was offered, and accepted, the 10 houses that it occupies today. In 1992, the USAF and USN arrived in Singapore en masse and settled their families in the Sembawang area, in the housing that had earlier been occupied by British and NZ forces. Most of the military Black and White and brick housing was once again in military hands, although it was now mostly occupied by U.S. military personnel. Although the housing in the Sembawang area was owned by the British until 1971, it is interesting to note that they no longer own or rent any local housing. RNLO SINGAPORE and RNSTO SINGAPORE personnel reside in accommodation provided the British High Commission in the city.

The current arrangement between NZ and Singapore is not a lease – it is an open ended agreement which allows NZ and Australia to occupy 16 houses in the Sembawang area for a small, monthly administrative fee. NZDSU (SEA) pays the fee for all 16 houses and then recovers 5/8ths of the fee from RANLO SINGAPORE each month. The fee being paid by CO NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE today is equal to 75% of the rent market value of the properties in 1971. During the 1971 Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) negotiations, the governments of Singapore, NZ, the U.K. and Australia agreed to fix the fee at 75% of the rent market value of the properties each year. The fact that the fee has never gone up since 1971 has been due not to an oversight by the Singapore government in not increasing the fee each year but due to the very good ongoing strategic relationship between Australia and Singapore and NZ and Singapore. This is a relationship that CO NZDSU (SEA), as the prime housing landlord, goes to great lengths to nurture every year – the obvious benefit being that if the relationship/understanding is maintained, Singapore will not increase the rent. NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE currently estimate that they are paying about 5 - 10% of the market rent value of the properties per month. For the time being, Singapore is content to charge NZ (and Australia) the 1971 fee for the housing, rather than their full current market rent value. Given that the 16 houses in question were built by the British and are being fully maintained by NZ and Australia, this is an understandable position. Every year, the Singapore Land Authority inspects the houses to make sure that CO NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE are maintaining them in a manner consistent with their heritage value. Under the terms of the existing FPDA agreement between Singapore and NZ, Singapore:

1. has waived its landlord responsibilities and expects NZ (and Australia) to fund the maintenance and upkeep of the housing; and
2. doesn’t care how the 16 houses are sub-divided between NZ and Australia, as Singapore regards this as an internal matter between NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE.

At present, NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE are content with the current local arrangement of occupying/managing six and 10 houses respectively. As no formal arrangement presently exists between NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE, CO NZDSU (SEA) can repossess the RANLO SINGAPORE housing if he/she wants to. Efforts are underway to document the informal understanding that presently exists between NZDSU (SEA) and RANLO SINGAPORE in order to preserve the RAN’s interest in retaining the 10 houses that it currently manages.

RANLO SINGAPORE is the landlord of the 10 RAN/ADF houses and is responsible for their maintenance and upkeep. This includes an interior and exterior painting schedule which ensures that every house is re-painted, inside and out, every five years. RANLO SINGAPORE recently implemented an arrangement with a contractor to use a mould resistant paint for all exterior surfaces. This paint has a five year guarantee.

Although the houses belong to the Singapore government, they are considered Australian Department of Defence assets as they are maintained and leased by the Defence Support Group (DSG). As the housing was originally acquired to support RAN requirements, RAN personnel will normally be afforded priority over RAAF and Australian Army personnel, as well as all other eligible guests. Personnel wishing to stay in the Transit Accommodation must meet certain eligibility criteria. These criteria are explained later in the handbook. RANLO SINGAPORE also operates a system of priorities to allocate the Transit Housing and this is also explained later in the handbook.

The housing is unique in the sense that it isn’t part of the defence housing inventory managed by Defence Housing Australia (DHA). In addition, it isn’t privately owned like the RAN Ski Club accommodation at Perisher and Thredbo, and it isn’t barracks or RAN establishment accommodation. As it is funded by the Department of Defence however, a certain proportion of the department’s expenses in providing the accommodation must be recovered. A daily levy of $40 AUD ($50 SGD) per house, per night is applied to all duty and non-duty visitors, Australian and non-Australian. RANLO SINGAPORE has the authority to vary this levy, when required and to waive it in certain exceptional circumstances, as detailed later in the handbook.