RECLAMATION AT PULAU AYER MERBAU

6.38 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name, as it appears in item 7 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 foreshore and seabed around Pulau Ayer Merbau, containing a total area of approximately 335 acres as shown coloured yellow on the plan marked " LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 7/74", which is deposited in the Land Office, Singapore'.

Sir, the Jurong Town Corporation proposes to reclaim, as agent of the Government, about 335 acres of the foreshore and seabed around Pulau Ayer Merbau as shown coloured yellow on the plan marked as "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 7/74" for industrial development. A copy of this plan is displayed in the Library of this House for the information of hon. Members.

Sir, the reclamation is expected to cost about $40 million. Some of the fill required will be available from materials dredged by the Port of Singapore Authority from Selat Sakra and the remaining fill required will be brought in from sources outside the island.

On completion of the reclamation, the reclaimed land will be proclaimed as State land and alienated to Jurong Town Corporation on terms and conditions to be agreed with the Commissioner of Lands. Subsequently, the whole island will probably be leased out by the Corporation to a group of companies led by Sumitomo Chiba Chemical Co. Ltd, of Japan to set up a petro-chemical complex involving an investment of more than $1,000 million.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and 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 foreshore and seabed around Pulau Ayer Merbau, containing a total area of approximately 335 acres as shown coloured yellow on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 7/74", which is deposited in the Land Office, Singapore.