NATIONAL PARKS BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Objective

The proposed National Parks Bill 1996 seeks to merge the National Parks Board and the Parks and Recreation Department into a single statutory board.

Background

In 1990, the National Parks Board was formed through the merger of the Nature Reserves Board and the Botanic Gardens Division of the Parks and Recreation Department . The rationale then was to give management focus to our heritage parks, namely, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Fort Canning Park and the Nature Reserves. Their potential for recreation, conservation, research and education would therefore be better realised.

Rationale

Sir, this goal has been achieved. The National Parks Board has successfully integrated the heritage parks and nature reserves to complement one another as conservation and recreation resources for Singaporeans and tourists. In the process, it has also developed specialist expertise in park management and has established active education and public outreach programmes.

It is therefore now opportune to integrate the work of the National Parks Board with that of the Parks and Recreation Department to capitalise on their accumulated expertise. As a single statutory board, their combined expertise in park development, horticulture and amenity management, will allow the new Board to serve the public better. There will be synergy and greater cost effectiveness in the use of resources as the core businesses of the Parks and Recreation Department and the National Parks Board are complementary.

Mission and roles of the New National Parks Board

The mission of the new Board will be to improve the quality of life for Singaporeans by enhancing and managing the parks and greenery of our Garden City. The new Board will continue to carry out the functions presently undertaken by both the Parks and Recreation Department and the present National Parks Board. However, the new Board will now place greater efforts in improving its park management systems. It will also seek to be more creative and enterprising. It will explore new ways to improve park features and amenities.

Legislation

Sir, I will now elaborate on the Bill. The Bills seeks to reconstitute the National Parks Board. Although it is based on the existing National Parks Act, it repeals the present Act and replaces it as there is extensive rearrangement of the individual clauses.

Part II of the Bill provides for the reconstitution of the National Parks Board. Specifically, clause 3 provides for the continued existence of the present Board. Present assets and liabilities of the Board therefore remain with it. This will also allow the present Board to continue when the Bill comes into force.

The functions and powers of the Board are contained in Part III and are drawn from the functions of the current National Parks Board and the Parks and Recreation Department.

Part IV and Part V of the Bill relate to staff and financial matters. They are based on existing provisions that the current Board has to comply with.

Part VI of the Bill provides for the transfer of movable property, assets, liabilities, and employees from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Board.

Part VII provides for the establishment of national parks and nature reserves. It also defines the activities that are prohibited in national parks, nature reserves or green areas.

Part VIII contains miscellaneous provisions. These define the powers of the Board to carry out its duties as well as provide for consequential amendments to the Parks and Trees Act.

Conclusion

Sir, the parks, gardens and greenery of Singapore are a source of pride for Singaporeans. They enhance Singapore's reputation as a tropical city of excellence and as one that takes the management of its natural environment seriously. By bringing together the wealth of experience of the Parks and Recreation Department and the technical and managerial expertise of the National Parks Board, we will be able to build upon the achievements of the past 30 years and continue to develop Singapore as a Garden City.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): The proposal by the Minister is a good measure administratively. However, I have one concern. Basically it is a merger of two organisations with very different cultures. If you look at the National Parks Board's organisation, I think its mandate and mission is to leave nature as it is, ie, as little interference as possible, and perhaps do not do anything and let nature take its own course within a park, whereas the Parks and Recreation Department is a completely different organisation. It is concerned with horticulture, and basically as much human interference as possible, like landscaping, planting trees, and so on. I am a bit concerned about the type of approach the merged organisation will adopt, and I hope the Minister can address my concern.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Ministry in part shares his concern and that is why we are doing this merger in two steps. As Members will remember, we merged the Nature Reserves Board with the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 1990. At that time, if we were to merge the Nature Reserves Board with the Parks and Recreation Department, I think it would have been a very major step and the Nature Reserves Board, being such a small board, would be overwhelmed by the Parks and Recreation Department, and its expertise and direction could well be overwhelmed by the day-to-day maintenance function of the Parks and Recreation Department. That is why we did it in two steps. We combined the Nature Reserves Board with Singapore Botanic Gardens which has the same focus as the Nature Reserves Board -- conservation of our green heritage. That has been successfully done and we are now confident that the organisational culture of the two organisations is now closer together and we are confident that with this merger, the focus of the National Parks Board will not be overwhelmed by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -- [Mr Lim Hng Kiang].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.