RECLAMATION AT PASIR PANJANG

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law (for the Minister for Law) (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Minister for Law, I beg to move the Motion* standing in the name of the Minister for Law 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 by Government of the foreshore and seabed at Pasir Panjang containing an area of approximately 222.6 hectares as shown coloured green on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 1/94", which is deposited at the Land Office, Singapore.

Sir, the Port of Singapore Authority is developing the new container port at Pasir Panjang in four phases. Phase I of the port development is in progress. The first five berths of Phase I are expected to be operational by early 1998. When fully completed in the year 2000, Phase I will have a total of eight container berths. Together with the present Brani, Tanjong Pagar and Keppel terminals, PSA will then have a total handling capacity of 22 million TEUs or twenty-foot equivalent units. This will be sufficient to cope with the growing volume of container traffic up to the year 2000. Additional berths will be required to meet the growth in throughput thereafter.

Sir, under Phase II, 18 berths will be developed. The first two berths of Phase II will have to come onstream in the year 2001 to meet the expected demand then. The remaining 16 berths of Phase II will be completed progressively to match the rate of growth of container throughput. Phase II is expected to be fully developed by the year 2009.

Sir, to match the development schedule, PSA intends to commence Phase II reclamation of 222.6 hectares in 1995. Phase II reclamation will take five years to complete and will cost an estimated $543 million. The area to be reclaimed is shown coloured green on the Land Office Reclamation Plan No. 1/94, a copy of which is displayed in the Library of this House for the information of Members.

Sir, I beg to move,

Question proposed.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I have two questions for the Parliamentary Secretary.

What is the total cost of this reclamation exercise? And could the Parliamentary Secretary break down this cost into cost of reclamation per square metre and other costs, such as compensation given to landowners?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, the estimated total cost of developing Phase II is $4,800 million, and that includes infrastructure, systems and equipment costs. For reclamation cost alone, the estimated cost is $543 million.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4 of the Foreshores Act (Chapter 113), approves the reclamation by Government of the foreshore and seabed at Pasir Panjang containing an area of approximately 222.6 hectares as shown coloured green on the plan marked "LAND OFFICE RECLAMATION PLAN NO. 1/94", which is deposited at the Land Office, Singapore.'