SINGAPORE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS AND JURONG BIRD PARK (Special discounts on admission charges for 3-tier families)

The following Question stood in the name of Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon -

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon: To ask the Minister for Finance, in view of the Government's promotion of family values and 3-tier families, whether he will consider giving special discounts on admission charges to the Singapore Zoological Gardens and the Jurong Bird Park to 3-tier families visiting these public attractions.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Cheng San GRC): Question No. 1, Sir.

The Minister of State for Finance (RAdm Teo Chee Hean) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, both the Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore Zoological Gardens recognise the role that they can play in promoting family values. They have admission packages that encourage visitors to the Bird Park or the Zoo to come as families. For example, the Bird Park has a family package which gives free admission for up to three children for every two paying adults visiting the Bird Park. Both organisations also have subscription schemes, namely, the Friends of the Zoo and Friends of the Birds, which allow subscribers to make an unlimited number of visits to these establishments during the year. The subscriber can bring a family of two adults and three children for each visit. The subscription rate is $60 a year for the Zoo and $50 a year for the Bird Park.

I am pleased to inform the Member that these organisations have recently introduced special admission packages for three-tier families.

Grandparents of subscribers of the Friends of the Zoo scheme are now allowed to take the place of any of the five family members for their admission to the Zoo under the scheme. However, if there are already five members in the visiting family, the grandparent will be allowed a 50% discount on the admission charge. This 50% discount will also be granted to accompanying grandparents of any three-tier family visiting the Zoo.

The Jurong Bird Park has also extended its Friends of the Birds scheme to cover three-tier families. For a subscription rate of $60 a year, a three-tier family comprising two grandparents, two parents and three children is allowed unlimited admission to the Bird Park during the year. In addition, the Jurong Bird Park has introduced a special three-tier family admission package. Under the package, a three-tier family, comprising two grandparents, two adults and three children, need only pay a total of $25 for admission into the Bird Park. This is a 37% discount from the normal rate of $39.60.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Can I ask the Minister how much are the Zoo and the Bird Park charging an adult and a child nowadays?

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Mr Speaker, Sir, for the Bird Park and the Zoo, the charges are reasonable. I do not have the numbers directly in front of me here, but for four adults and three children, the total amount is $39.60 for the Bird Park.