ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPMENT

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether environmental impact assessment studies were done before permission was granted for 2 large-scale condominiums to be built at the edge of the nature reserve in Bukit Timah and, if so, what were the results of these studies; and (b) what were the reasons if no such studies were made

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: To protect the flora and fauna of our nature reserve, a 50-m buffer zone is observed along the boundary of the reserve. No developments are allowed within this buffer zone. Just outside this zone, only low-rise and landed residential developments are allowed.

The Springdale and Southhaven condominiums, which are medium-rise developments, are allowed as they are well separated from the nature reserve at about 100m away. The two condominium sites were, in fact, formerly factories. They are redeveloped into housing as part of the Phasing out of Pollutive Industries programme in the Bukit Timah area which was launched in February 1993.

As the redevelopment would improve the physical environment in the locality, a separate study is unnecessary. Table 1 - MAJOR LAND PARCELS (Cols. 127 - 128)