Land Planning Assessment and Decision-making for Ecologically Significant Sites

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether, when balancing housing needs against the development of ecologically or historically significant land, the Government will consider intensifying existing or planned low-density residential areas, including Good Class Bungalow Areas and developments near MRT stations, such as Holland Plain and Turf City; and (b) what planning principles govern their retention.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) how does the Government monitor over time whether retained forests and ecological corridors remain ecologically functional following development, including in terms of habitat quality, ecological connectivity, urban cooling and stormwater attenuation; and (b) how do these findings inform further planning decisions.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what ecological criteria, indicators and thresholds determine whether a site should be avoided for development; (b) how are important habitats, plants, animals and ecological connections scientifically assessed alongside ecosystem services; and (c) how do these support Singapore's long-term City in Nature vision.

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many nature reserves are gazetted under the Parks and Trees Act, and when each was gazetted; (b) what criteria govern such designation and whether Tagore forest has been assessed against them; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider designating Tagore forest as a nature reserve.

Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for National Development (a) how the current approximately 7,800 hectares of green spaces are differentiated according to ecological significance; (b) whether Ecological Profiling Exercise findings inform this classification; and (c) whether secondary forests identified as ecological corridors will be accorded a distinct planning status from managed parkland.

My response will also cover the questions from Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Andre Low, Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong and Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat for subsequent Sittings.

In land-scarce Singapore, we have to provide for our natural environment and green spaces, and also for the needs of current and future generations, such as housing, industry, climate resilience, national security and more. We meet these needs through careful planning while ensuring that nature remains an integral part of Singapore. We adopt a science-based approach to prioritising what to conserve, and how we conserve, while strengthening our ecological system over time.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) works closely with the National Parks Board (NParks) to consider ecology and biodiversity in the Long-Term Plan and Master Plan. We integrate development and conservation upstream in our land use planning processes.

Today, we have set aside more than 7,800 hectares of green spaces in Singapore. This will increase to 8,800 hectares by 2035. We make these decisions taking into account our land constraints and development needs.

The areas set aside include our four Nature Reserves. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve were gazetted in 1990, while Labrador Nature Reserve and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve were gazetted in 2002. These are assessed to be the most biodiverse areas in Singapore and are representative of Singapore's native landscapes. They also safeguard a range of habitats and serve as strongholds for various endemic and threatened species. When deciding to designate an area as a Nature Reserve, we consider its biodiversity and ecological value, and its importance to Singapore's native biodiversity. We weigh these considerations alongside Singapore's other land-use needs. In response to Mr Kenneth Tiong's question, there are currently no plans to designate Tagore forest as a Nature Reserve.

We have also designated Nature Areas and Nature Parks as buffers to Nature Reserves, and set aside parks and other green spaces that serve both ecological and recreational functions. NParks' islandwide Ecological Profiling Exercise helps agencies identify key ecological corridors which support connectivity between our core habitats, and locate critical wildlife corridors which require monitoring, such as EcoLink@BKE. This enables us to integrate nature into our urban environment and everyday lives.

Our agencies take a comprehensive approach in planning new housing supply. We take into account demographic and socio-economic trends, prevailing market conditions and the supply of resale flats on the open market, to meet Singaporeans' needs across different locations and time periods. This includes providing housing near existing estates as many Singaporeans, including young families, seniors and singles, want to continue living near their families for mutual care and support. It is not possible to predict future housing demand with 100% accuracy as the key demand drivers have varying degrees of uncertainty. Nevertheless, we expect housing demand to remain strong in the near to medium term, due to strong household formation rates and decreasing household sizes.

To meet the housing needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, we will continue to optimise our existing land to keep up a robust supply of public and private housing. Where feasible, we intensify land usage, co-locate facilities and make better use of under-utilised spaces. We will utilise suitable brownfield sites in the area as far as possible, if they are available within the required timeframe, before activating sites with greenery or heritage.

This includes intensifying low-density residential areas where we can, by injecting high-density public housing into predominantly landed areas, such as Turf City. However, it is not practical to assume that we can meet the bulk of public housing supply through redevelopment of landed residential areas as this will require extensive acquisition of existing landed properties, as well as significant upgrading of transport and other essential infrastructure to support higher housing densities.

Mr Pritam Singh also filed a question on whether public housing supply could be met through Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). We had explained previously that SERS can only apply to a small proportion of sites in certain parts of Singapore. We also need to be mindful of the disruption to residents who have to relocate when their flats undergo SERS. Hence, doing SERS alone will not be enough to meet our overall housing demand.

Where development does proceed on sites where there is potentially significant environmental impact, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study will be conducted to assess in greater detail the nature and magnitude of the impact, and develop mitigation measures.

During the EIA process, agencies carefully consider the potential impact and adequacy of the proposed mitigation measures, in consultation with nature and community stakeholders to minimise impacts as much as possible, retain areas of higher ecological value, strengthen ecological connectivity and integrate greenery into the built environment. Environmental management and monitoring plans will also be implemented to monitor the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

Today, Singapore is both a thriving global city and one of the greenest cities in the world. We got here by planning for development and nature together. The Government will continue to integrate development and conservation holistically within our broader planning framework, underpinned by science, so that our people and the environment can thrive together in our City in Nature.