Punggol's 'vibrant' coast: Green groups concerned about impact

$13m waterfront plan to jazz up its rustic charms
Zul Othman, Today Online 19 Nov 07;

ITS idyllic beachfronts and charming nature tracks make Punggol Point one of Singapore's best-kept secrets. While some prefer to keep its quaint surroundings untouched, most residents feel a facelift is long overdue.

Yesterday, Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean announced that the 4.9km waterfront would go through a two-year, $13-million facelift from the middle of next year.

Speaking at the Pasir Ris-Punggol Kampong Family Day, Mr Teo, who is one of the Group Representation Constituency's Members of Parliament, said the upgrade could turn Punggol into a vibrant seaside town.

However, some green groups are concerned about any impact on the area's wildlife.

Mr Grant Pereira, head of Green Volunteers Network, said: "Impact studies are important. The URA should gather feedback from environmental groups."

Mr Wilson Ang, of the Environmental Challenge Organisation Singapore, added: "I think it's important that they strike a balance between development and preserving nature, but my bigger concern is how people can get to appreciate the environment, with the littering in open spaces such as Punggol Point."



"Punggol is growing very rapidly and it's becoming a very vibrant town. But there are a lot of young families here and some are very adventurous, so the redevelopment will provide exciting things for everyone," said Mr Teo.

By 2010, residents can expect a promenade stretching from Punggol Point to Sungei Serangoon, and additional features include sea sport and recreational facilities, a nature trail and a return of its once-popular dining establishments.

These plans, which were drawn up in 2002, are also timely.

Said Mr Teo: "The Housing Development Board has indicated that it is building several thousand new flats over the next few years and a very large proportion of them will be in the Paris Ris-Punggol GRC, specifically in the Punggol and Buangkok areas, so many more residents can be expected."

To those concerned about Punggol Point becoming commercialised, developer Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) promised that the rustic charms of the area will be left intact.

Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, the URA's chief executive officer, said: "The facilities will improve the accessibility and connectivity of the area … Together with the new leisure attractions, the distinct character of Punggol Point will be enhanced and the area enlivened."

Walk along coast, golf in Punggol
Marcel Lee Pereira, Straits Times 19 Nov 07

A 4.9km waterfront promenade will feature a host of attractions by 2010

THE vision of Punggol as a vibrant waterfront town was given more flesh yesterday.

A $13 million plan to redevelop a part of its surrounding coastline will put at residents' doorsteps a 4.9km walking trail that opens up access to the Punggol coast.

Activities such as horse riding, golf and fishing will also feature in the area.

These attractions were unveiled by Mr Teo Chee Hean, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

He noted that adventurous young families had already taken to walking along the coast, which is largely reclaimed land.

Mr Teo, who is also Defence Minister, told reporters that there was a bit of a track there, but not a whole lot of facilities, so the walking trail would 'enhance accessibility'.

The developments are part of the Parks and Waterbodies and Identity plans drawn up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2002.

The plan singled out five coastal areas - Changi, Pasir Ris, Coney Island, Pulau Ubin and Punggol Point - to develop as recreational destinations.

The waterfront promenade coming to Punggol will have three segments:

Punggol Point Walk: A 1.2km promenade will be added to this popular fishing and camping spot.

Nature Walk: A 2.4km stretch between Punggol Point and Sungei Serangoon will become a nature trail.

Riverside Walk: A 1.3km- long promenade will be built along Sungei Serangoon to make the riverfront more accessible.

The 4.9km promenade will link the proposed sports and recreational clusters in Punggol Point and Sungei Serangoon and the new park connectors along the Punggol and Serangoon rivers.

Construction of the promenade will begin in the middle of next year and will be completed by 2010. The work will not disrupt fishing or other activities there, said the URA.

The public will be invited to give feedback on the proposals, which went on show at a carnival in Punggol yesterday.

Many residents said they were looking forward to it.

Mr Roy Mathiew, 58, said: 'It is a good idea; it brings us closer to nature. I will definitely go there for walks.'

In August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first unveiled plans for a jazzed-up and vibrant Punggol in his National Day Rally speech.

He described a waterway winding through the town, with parks, water sports and alfresco dining on its banks.

Mr Teo said yesterday that Punggol - with more than 18,000 households now - will grow as more flats, schools, shopping centres and an improved transportation network are added.

However, littering is a problem. The Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council received more than 1,000 complaints of high-

rise littering last year. This year, there have been already more than 500 complaints by the end of last month.

Next year, the town council will launch a three-pronged campaign to promote graciousness and to rekindle the 'kampung spirit'.

Pasir Ris-Punggol MP Ahmad Magad said that with Punggol's population of young families, 'it was important to... sensitise them to what communal living and kampung living means to the entire community'.

Plans unveiled for Punggol waterfront park
Lynette Khoo, Business Times 19 Nov 07;
4.9-km promenade, lotus pond, horse riding centre, among amenities in pipeline

THE waterfront promenade coming up at Punggol Point will be a new sea sports and recreation centre with rustic seaside dining venues.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday unveiled the design proposals for the waterfront and park, which will add to the leisure amenities in the north-eastern part of Singapore.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean gave residents of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC a snapshot of the development plans for the Punggol Waterfront Promenade at the constituency's Family Day festivities yesterday.

A 4.9-kilometre promenade will be built to connect two proposed sports and recreation clusters at Punggol Point and along Sungei Serangoon. It will also be linked to new park connectors planned by the National Parks Board (NParks) along Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon.

Residents will be able to walk the entire stretch of the Punggol coastline from Sengkang Park to Punggol Park. The 4.9-km walk will comprise three thematic zones - Punggol Point Walk, Nature Walk and Riverside Walk.

Construction, estimated to cost $13 million, will begin in the middle of next year and is expected to be completed by 2010. It will be funded by URA and the project will be handed over to NParks for maintenance. URA said that it does not intend to close off the area from public use during construction.

Punggol Point was identified as one of the coastal areas with rustic charm in the URA's Parks and Waterbodies and Identity Plans that were drawn up in 2002. The Punggol coastline is currently interrupted by several drainage outlets with no continuous pathway for public access to the waterfront.

Punggol Point is currently a popular venue for activities like fishing and camping. Among new amenities coming up will be a lotus pond and a 0.6-hectare park. There will also be a horse-riding centre and food and beverage hub at Punggol Point. The site for the horse-riding centre has been awarded recently while the site for the dining development has been put on the Reserve List in the Government Land Sales Programme, up for bids by interested developers.

'More attractions will be built when the remaining land parcels are successfully tendered out,' Mr Teo, who is an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and adviser to the town council, said yesterday.

URA invites feedback from the public on the Punggol Waterfront Promenade before construction begins.