JUL 22, 2002

SINGAPORE, the Garden City, will in 15 years become the City in the Garden under an ambitious plan to bring nature into almost every corner of Singapore.

If the plan takes off, scenic drives, new hiking trails and rainforest stays in eco-lodges will be just a stone's throw away from the city; new parks with waterfront views will be developed and existing parks will be connected to make it easier for people to cycle or walk from park to park.

The draft of the so-called Parks and Waterbodies Plan was drawn up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the National Parks Board.

	OPEN-AIR CONCERTS HERE?: It may be that not many Singaporeans know their way to the Dairy Farm Quarry (above) today. But that will be a will be a thing of the past if the Urban Redevelopment Authority's ambitious proposal to open the area to public usage gets off the ground, and activities like open-air concerts are held at the quarry. The URA also has plans to turn other state land parcels - at Chestnut, Windsor and Old Upper Thomson Road - into interim recreation grounds for Singaporeans, as these plots are not required immediately for development. -- ENRIQUE SORIANO

The chief executive officer of the URA, Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Yong Soon, said: 'We are seeking to provide access to various parts of Singapore to a greater segment of the people.'

One of the key proposals calls for the opening up of more areas of natural beauty.

One example: The large parcels of land around the Central Catchment area, which is made up of the MacRitchie, Upper Pierce and Upper Seletar reservoirs and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

These state land parcels - at Chestnut, Dairy Farm, Windsor and Old Upper Thomson Road - are not required for immediate development and can be turned into interim recreation grounds.

The Dairy Farm Quarry could be the site of open air concerts and the Chestnut area could have adventure camps and eco-lodges.

Within the Catchment areas, there will also be more nature trails, new lookout points for scenic spots and a boardwalk linking Upper Pierce Reservoir to MacRitchie Reservoir.

Two nature parks will spring up next to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

The green planners also want Singaporeans to get more enjoyment out of existing waterbodies.

The Tampines Quarry next to the Bedok Reservoir will be turned into a park and the public will be encouraged to go fishing and canoeing in Lower Seletar Reservoir and Coney Island, off Punggol.

Taking a leaf from the success of parks in HDB towns, such as Bishan Park, five new parks will be built to bring nature to the doorstep of residents in Sengkang, Woodlands, Bidadari, Tampines and Jurong West.

The popular East Coast Park - estimated to be more than 206 hectares - will be extended by 11 ha to join Marina East. Singapore now has 34 parks, including neighbourhood parks and nature reserves.

More walking and cycling paths - known as park connectors - will be built so that you could cycle coast to coast from Pasir Ris Park through Tampines Town and Bedok Reservoir to East Coast Park.

The public can view these plans in a three-month-long exhibition which opens tomorrow.

Dr Geh Min, chairman of the Nature Society of Singapore, praised the plan, saying it makes a 'concerted' instead of a 'piecemeal' effort to conserve nature.

Urging the public to give their feedback, BG Tan said: 'We do not claim to know the areas best. We want to engage the people, so that it becomes relevant to those who live, work and play there.'

Copyright © 2002 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.