Sungei Buloh & Labrador :
Two new nature reserves

TWO areas of outstanding natural beauty have been gazetted as nature reserves, and nature lovers welcome the move.

Sungei Buloh Nature Park and Labrador Nature Area in Labrador Park are now protected from development by law.

It is something nature lovers in Singapore have been seeking for years.

'This is an important milestone in Singapore history because our natural heritage is an essential part of our national identity,' said Dr Geh Min, president of the Nature Society of Singapore.

'More and more Singaporeans are enjoying nature. They tell me that, even if they don't visit the parks, they like the fact that the natural beauty is being safeguarded. We have always hoped that these two places would become nature reserves.'

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan made public the new additions on Saturday before he toured Sungei Buloh to see the results of a $1.9-million upgrade of the park's facilities.

They include an 18-m-high lookout tower and a newly-renovated mangrove boardwalk. A Young Naturalists Programme, which aims to nurture an interest in nature among children, was also launched.

There are 19 identified nature areas in Singapore and the growing appreciation of nature here was brought to light during consultations held to firm up the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Concept Plan 2001 - which details how land should be used over the next 10 years.

The URA had solicited the views of more than 5,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life before unveiling the final plan in July.

'They all felt there was a need to protect nature areas and Sungei Buloh was mentioned at the time,' said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of parks management with the National Parks Board.

The Government heeded the call to protect nature areas and a priority list of nature areas was drawn up, he added.

It was felt that Sungei Buloh and Labrador were important sites because they represent key ecosystems in Singapore, said Mr Wong.

Sungei Buloh was gazetted because it is a mangrove swamp with migratory birds and coastal swamp vegetation, while Labrador was selected for its rocky coastal shores and coastal vegetation.

Together with Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which features lowland forest and freshwater swamps, the three areas display the complete range of ecosystems in Singapore, said Mr Wong.