RECLAMATION (PULAU PESEK)

7.34 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name as it appears in item 15 on the Order Paper.

• The motion reads as follows:

`That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4 of the Foreshores Act (Chapter 270), approves the reclamation by Government of those portions of the foreshores at Pulau Pesek containing a total area of approximately 184 acres as shown coloured green on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 5/71" which is deposited in the Land Office, Singapore.'

Sir, Pulau Pesek, which is situated south of the Jurong Industrial Estate, has a total area of 227 acres, comprising 43 acres of highland and 184 acres of foreshores. North of Pulau Pesek is Mobil's refinery at Jurong Industrial Estate, and on its west is Esso's refinery at Pulau Ayer Chawan and the Singapore Petroleum Company's proposed refinery at Pulau Ayer Merlimau.

A number of applications for the alienation of Pulau Pesek have been received by the Jurong Town Corporation from the oil companies for the expansion of their existing oil refineries in the locality. The Government has agreed in principle to allocate half of the island to Mobil for the construction of its storage tank with a total capacity of 2.5 million barrels of oil, estimated to cost $15 million. The other half of the island is reserved for allocation to other oil companies. In order to enable the island to be developed, it is proposed to reclaim the 184 acres of the fore-shores as shown coloured green on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE REXCLAMATION PLAN NO. 5/71", a copy of which is displayed in the Library of this Parliament for the information of Members.

The reclamation will be carried out by the Jurong Town Corporation, as agent of the Government, at an estimated cost of $2 million and is expected to be completed in a year's time. The necessary fill for the initial reclamation will be obtained from the highland at Pulau Pesek itself. At a later stage, additional fill will be transported from the mainland.

The whole island, including the reclaimed foreshores, will subsequently be alienated to the Jurong Town Corporation on terms and conditions to be agreed with the Land Office to enable the Corporation in turn to sub-lease the island to Mobil and other oil companies.

Sir,I beg to move.

Question put, an agreed to.

Resolved,

`That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4 of the Foreshores Act (Chapter 270), approves the reclamation by Government of those portions of the foreshores at Pulau Pesek containing a total area of approximately 184 acres as shown coloured green on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 5/71" which is deposited in the Land Office, Singapore.'