PRESERVATION OF FORT TANJONG KATONG

PRESERVATION OF FORT TANJONG KATONG

18.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts whether the Preservation of Monuments Board will consider preserving Fort Tanjong Katong as a national monument.

RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: The Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB), now part of National Heritage Board (NHB), does not plan to gazette Fort Tanjong Katong (Fort) for the time being.

Excavation works were conducted in 2005 to ascertain the full extent of the underground Fort. The studies have since shown that part of the old Fort is located outside the Katong Park boundary and extends into State Land that is currently zoned for Residential Use. In 2008, then PMB recommended to keep the archaeological remains of the Fort buried, in-line with conservation practice, to protect it from damage by further weathering or human interference. It was also established that there was no immediate threat to the Fort since there were no plans to develop the neighbouring residential site. In addition, National Parks (NParks) left the southeast Caponier, which is the most significant feature of the Fort, on display. Storyboards and signage were installed to explain the findings.

As there are considerable costs involved in undertaking full excavations to expose the structures and long term maintenance of such excavated structures, NParks will keep the Fort buried for the time being. The public can be assured that the PMB will continue to work closely with the agencies involved to address the long term future of the Fort, and

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ensure that its historical significance is appropriately recognised. Should there be any new developments affecting the site, NParks and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) would alert PMB, which would then decide on the direction for future archaeological investigations and preservation strategy to be adopted. I understand that the then PMB had also met with Member Lim Biow Chuan and members of the Mountbatten Citizen’s Consultative Committee to convey their decision to maintain the status quo for the Fort.