GOLF COURSES IN FOREST RESERVES

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Dr Tan Cheng Bock asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has any intention of building golf courses in our forest reserves.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member is probably referring to the Public Utilities Board's (PUB) proposal to develop a golf course at the Lower Peirce Reservoir. This is still at a very preliminary stage as PUB has not submitted it to the Chief Planner for planning approval. The PUB has commissioned an "environmental impact study" to determine the impact of the project on the ecology of the area. If the study shows that the golf course will cause extensive damage to the nature reserves, it is unlikely that the Chief Planner will approve it.

I would like to assure the House that my Ministry is as aware as anybody else of the need to protect our nature reserves. Despite our limited land resource, we have set aside some 2,000 hectares of land in the Central Catchment and Bukit Timah areas as gazetted Nature Reserves.

Currently, the National Parks Board is conducting a physical and biological survey of the nature reserves. This survey will provide National Parks Board with a comprehensive data base on the reserves' physical features and animal and plant life. The survey findings will be used to identify and preserve core areas with the richest concentration of animal and plant life. Through proper planning, National Parks Board can tap the full potential of our nature reserves for educational and recreational use with minimal impact on areas of greatest ecological value.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, which organisation has been commissioned to undertake the "environmental impact study" and what are their credentials?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot recollect the name of the person who has been engaged by the PUB. There are two studies going on. One is the PUB study on the impact of the proposed golf course and, I mentioned the other study that is being done by the National Parks Board. I cannot tell the Member the name but obviously before they were selected we went through their qualifications. If the Member wants, I can supply him the name later.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, if this project is still in the proposal stage, why is it that an announcement has been made and this has created so much anxiety among certain Singaporeans?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps the word "proposal" that I used is not quite the right word. It is an idea that the PUB is looking into. I do not know who made the announcement and how it came out in the press. Certainly no announcement was made by my Ministry or by the Planning Department. But somehow the subject emerged in the media and, of course, nature lovers jumped on it and blew it up into a big matter. But as I mentioned just now, no planning application has been made yet and when it is made, it will be considered in the usual way.