Study on Viability and Feasibility of Converting Vacant State Land to Nature Parks for Nearby Residents

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for National Development whether a study can be undertaken on the viability and feasibility of whether vacant small plots of state land, especially those adjacent to residential estates, can be converted to nature parks for residents living nearby.

As part of our greening efforts, we have safeguarded approximately 7,800 hectares of nature reserves, parks, and park connectors in Singapore. In the next 10 to 15 years, we will add another 1,000 hectares of green spaces. Of these, more than 200 hectares will be set aside for new nature parks, which serve as important buffers to protect our core biodiversity sites. Some of these nature parks are located near residential estates, such as Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park and Khatib Bongsu Nature Park. Besides extending our network of nature parks, we also plan to bring more green spaces into our neighbourhoods. By 2030, every household will be within a 10-minute walk from a park.

In planning for our green spaces and identifying suitable plots of land that can be converted into parks, we take into account other land-use needs such as community facilities, public amenities, and infrastructure, and seek to balance the demand for green spaces with these needs. We also consider factors such as ecological significance and connectivity, as part of our science-based approach towards nature conservation.

In line with this approach, NParks launched the island-wide Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE) in February 2021, to map the ecological profile of green spaces in Singapore, in consultation with the nature community and experts. Findings from the exercise will guide our long-term land-use plans in identifying key biodiversity sites for conservation and support our greening efforts.