RECLAMATION (PULAU BRANI)

The Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion* standing in my name as it appears on the Order Paper.

*The Motion reads as follows:

That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4 of the Foreshores Act (Chapter 113), approves the reclamation of the foreshore and seabed at Pulau Brani containing an area of approximately 34 hectares as shown coloured yellow and pink on the plan marked "Land Office Reclamation Plan No. 1/89" which is deposited at the Land Office, Singapore.

Sir, at its sitting on 21 March 1972 this House approved the reclamation of approximately 46.94 hectares of the foreshore and seabed at Pulau Brani and Brani Shoal by the Port of Singapore Authority, as agent of the Government, for several redevelopment purposes. However, only 34.8 hectares at Pulau Brani were reclaimed. PSA did not proceed with the reclamation of the remaining 12.14 hectares as it was subsequently found not economical to reclaim the narrow strip at Brani Shoal.

Sir, since 1980 PSA has achieved a 17% compound annual growth in container traffic. This growth is expected to continue, although at a slower average annual rate of 9% to 11% into the next decade. Singapore would require five main and five feeder container berths to handle the expected throughput of 9.26 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) by the year 1999. To achieve this, PSA proposes to construct a new container terminal at Pulau Brani.

Construction of this new terminal requires the reclamation of approximately 34 hectares of foreshore and seabed at Pulau Brani as shown coloured yellow and pink on the Land Office Reclamation Plan No. 1/89, a copy of which is displayed in the Library of this House for the information of Members.

The proposed reclamation will be carried out in two phases. Phase I, involving approximately 25.6 hectares of the foreshore and seabed as shown coloured yellow on the plan, is estimated to cost $103 million. Two smaller areas (coloured yellow), although adjoining the Phase II area, are also included in Phase I to facilitate the construction of the proposed road. The reclamation is scheduled to commence in 1989 and will take about four years to complete.

Phase II reclamation of approximately 8.4 hectares of foreshore and seabed as shown coloured pink on the Land Office Reclamation Plan No. 1/89 will be undertaken by the year 1991 and will take about two years to complete.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4 of the Foreshores Act (Chapter 113), approves the reclamation of the foreshore and seabed at Pulau Brani containing an area of approximately 34 hectares as shown coloured yellow and pink on the plan marked "Land Office Reclamation Plan No 1/89" which is deposited at the Land Office, Singapore.

2.45 pm