Ensuring Projects in Southern Islands are Phased Out to Minimise Harm to Biodiversity

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) how does the Government ensure that the initiatives and projects relating to the Southern Islands by various Government agencies are harmonised and staged over the years to minimise harm to the biodiversity and ecology systems; (b) whether the Government can bring together all relevant agencies across Ministries into a coordinated workgroup with clear short, medium and long-term goals for the Southern Islands; and (c) whether the Government has clear environmental impact assessment requirements before the implementation of such projects.

Agencies take a whole-of-Government approach to coordinate our land use plans, including for the Southern Islands. Upstream in the planning process, such as under the Long-Term Plan Review and Master Plan Review, the Urban Redevelopment Authority works closely with agencies and integrate ecological considerations into plans for Southern Islands, to better balance marine conservation with development. These plans are guided by the National Parks Board's (NParks) studies on the biodiversity of the Southern Islands, including the Ecological Profiling Exercise, Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey and the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey.

Subsequently, when studying the feasibility of developments, developing agencies will undergo an in-depth consultation process with technical agencies, for example, NParks, National Environment Agency, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Singapore Food Agency, to consider the environmental impact of developments in and around the Southern Islands.

If the impact could be significant, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be conducted to study the impact in detail. Appropriate mitigating measures will be put in place and closely monitored during implementation. Where relevant, cumulative impact across multiple developments will be taken into consideration under EIA and assessed comprehensively by agencies. We will continue to work closely with agencies and engage nature groups and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Southern Islands are developed sustainably.