Debated in Parliament on 6 Oct 2020.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development whether a second environmental impact assessment on the Bukit Batok Hillside Park Development Project will be done to account for the feedback from environmental groups.
An environmental impact assessment was conducted for the Bukit Batok Hillside Park area to guide the planning and development of the site. Members of the nature community were engaged in August 2019, and their feedback and suggestions were instrumental in shaping the findings and recommendations of the study. For instance, the study recommended retaining a natural stream that runs through the site as well as its catchment area, which nature groups supported. As a result, HDB will retain both the stream and its catchment area in future park development. To reflect this, the area has been rezoned from Residential use to Park use in the Master Plan. Significant plant species and mature trees will also be retained and incorporated into the future residential development.
The environmental study report was published for public feedback from 19 June to 16 July 2020. HDB, along with the environmental consultants and Technical Agencies, are currently studying the feedback received from members of the public and nature community before finalising the report. Rather than conducting a second environmental impact assessment, the finalised report will incorporate feedback from the public and nature groups. This report will be published on HDB’s website when ready, and will guide the plans and development of the site.
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