LAND FOR NON-POLLUTIVE FARMING IN PUNGGOL (Particulars)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development what acreage of land has been successfully tendered out for non-pollutive farming activities in Punggol due to the phasing out of small pig farms; how much land is still available; and when these parcels of land will be tendered out.

The Minister of State for National Development (Dr Lee Boon Yang) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister.

Sir, a total of some 22 hectares of land have been vacated by small pig farmers in Punggol. Of this, 9 hectares are earmarked for HDB's development. Out of the remaining 13 hectares of land, 3 hectares have been tendered out for non-pollutive farming on a three-year tenancy agreement. The rest of the land will be tendered out over the next six months.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, could the Minister of State for National Development indicate as to how the rest of the land will be tendered out for non-pollutive farming, taking into consideration that much land has already been acquired and is now lying idle?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, in my answer I touched on lands that were affected by the phasing out of small pig farmers in Punggol. The total land that is available in Punggol is much more than what is given in my answer. Our exercise on the use of these vacant land takes in land that were vacated prior to the phasing out of pig farming, and also land that were used for non-pig farming activities. We have included these land in various exercises for tenders on short-term leases to non-pollutive farmers. As a whole, we have tendered out about 25 hectares of other land which are available for non-pollutive pig farming. Various types of farming are being encouraged for these land and they include vegetable and food crop cultivation, orchid and ornamental flower cultivation, aquarium fish breeding, dog breeding and dog training, and turf production.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: In that case, Sir, could the Hon. Minister of State indicate how his Ministry will expedite and probably increase the tenure of lease so as to encourage the optimal use of such lands?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the land are being tendered out on short-term leases, three year-leases. I would agree with the Member for Punggol that if we could, we should extend the lease to make it more attractive. However, the pace of development in Singapore is such that it is very difficult at this point of time to envisage longer leases. In fact, out of the land that has been vacated by the small pig farmers, 9 hectares have already been set aside for early development by HDB and only 3 hectares have been taken up by farmers. It would be very difficult at this point of time to give a commitment that there will be longer leases for such land as development of this land is expected to take place shortly. At the present point of time we can only envisage a three-year lease.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Supplementary question.

Mr Speaker: Are you speaking on behalf of Punggol? The question raised is on Punggol.

Mr Chiam See Tong: No. Supplementary question, please, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: All right.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I want to ask the Minister of State a question in regard to pieces of land that are about to be tendered out and have been tendered out, and if I could stretch the question on Punggol to other parts of Singapore. These pieces of land were in the first place acquired from existing farmers. Existing farmers were driven out, Government acquired the land and then they were parcelled and then tendered out. Is that the correct position?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, some of the land which are presently being tendered out for use on short-term leases are indeed lands that were previously used for farming. But these were farms which had caused pollution, for example, pig farms, and they could not be allowed to continue because of the pollution problem. As such, the farmers had to give up farming on these land and the land were reverted to the State. Since there is no immediate use for these land in terms of other developments, my Ministry has decided that we should, in the interim, allow those who are interested to use these lands for non-pollutive farming.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Is the Minister of State saying that all the pieces of land that were acquired and subsequently parcelled out for tenders for farming again were all pollutive in nature and that was why they were acquired?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, the lands that were acquired in Punggol were all lands which were used for pig farming before. There were also other lands which, as I have mentioned, were already vacant; they were not being used and these were acquired by the Government.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Perhaps the Minister of State does not understand the thrust of my question. My question is basically this. These pieces of land that have been tendered out and about to be tendered out, were they originally taken compulsorily from existing farmers? Is that the position? The farmers were already there; you take their land and then you tender out at a higher price. Is that the position?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have to repeat my answer. Not all the land were acquired from existing farmers. Some of the land were. As for those land which were already occupied by farmers, these were the farmers who were practising pollutive farming, for instance, pig farming, and therefore the Government had to acquire these farmlands and put it to other uses which would not cause problems of pollution.

Mr Chiam See Tong: One more question. In regard to Punggol, if I am not wrong, the Government has, in fact, already asked those pig farmers in Punggol to install expensive devices to make pig farming non-pollutive. Is that not the position? The farmers have put in as much as a million dollars in capital to install them. And he says that they are pollutive.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the question of pig farming has been debated in this House in 1984/1985. The decision to phase out pig farming in Punggol was taken in 1984.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Just answer the question. You say that they were pollutive.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Some of the pig farmers in Punggol have installed pollution treatment equipment. But these are necessary so long as they want to continue to farm, and those that have installed such expensive treatment equipment are still there at the present moment.

Mr Chiam See Tong: But they were asked to leave, were they not?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: None of them has been asked as of now to leave now. They are still there, farming. They know that the prospect of pig farming in Singapore is limited and that in the future they will have to be phased out.

Dr S. Vasoo (Bo Wen): Question 2, Sir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: May I ask the Minister that if that is the position ---?

Mr Speaker: Question No. 2 has been asked.