Dialogue with Residents over Preservation of Pasir Ris Greenbelt

Ms Faizah Jamal asked the Minister for National Development whether he can provide an update on the dialogue between URA and residents over the preservation of the Pasir Ris greenbelt.

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Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The so-called "Pasir Ris greenbelt" is a piece of land which has been zoned for residential use since Master Plan 1998. The URA has development plans for the area. It was left fallow pending development and is a secondary forest with a limited range of biodiversity. It is located adjacent to the popular Pasir Ris Park and near to the mangrove-rich Sungei Api Api.

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MND has received the petition from some residents and is currently reviewing their petition. We will give them a reply once the review is completed.

We appreciate the importance of having green and natural spaces in Singapore. However, in land scarce Singapore, we need to take a holistic approach to balance conservation and development. We have set aside 10% of the land for parks and nature reserves but it is not possible to preserve every green area.

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