Singapore Punggol River to be dammed next year to create reservoir

One feature that will make the Anchorvale CC stand out is a floating island on the Punggol River, which will be dammed up by next year to turn it into a freshwater reservoir.

Punggol River set for big change
Work starts on $7.13m project to create reservoir park with man-made island by 2010
Tania Tan, Straits Times 10 Mar 08;

WORK to transform the Punggol River into a scenic reservoir park, complete with a man-made island, got off the ground yesterday.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was at the official opening of the adjoining Anchorvale Community Club in Sengkang, symbolically released the first piece of the floating island - a clump of soil and grass - into the water.

For its design, the $7.13 million project will draw inspiration from a nearby fruit park being developed by the National Parks Board. Its pavilions will be shaped like mangosteens and its benches, like limes.

Work will be completed by 2010.

Punggol River is the first of five sites to be improved this year under the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme.

Launched by national water agency PUB in 2006, the $200 million programme is an ambitious island-wide revamp of 28 waterways.

The aim is to rejuvenate Singapore's drainage and water-supply infrastructure, including the canals and reservoirs, and turn it into a scenic network of streams, rivers and lakes where people can enjoy water activities and even commute.

Giving a preview of the projects during the Budget debate a fortnight ago, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said, for example, that the Lower Seletar Reservoir would sport a heritage bridge, featuring story panels which will tell of the area's kampung history.

Work on the pilot projects of Kolam Ayer and the Bedok and MacRitchie reservoirs is in its final phases and will be unveiled this year.

'With these projects, we hope to bring waterfront living to the heartland, improve the quality of our living environment and enhance property values,' said Dr Yaacob.

PM Lee says important to focus on long-term investments
Channel NewsAsia 9 Mar 08;

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he is worried over the thinking among some Singaporeans that since the country was rich, it could afford to give away more.

He said one dominant question in this year's Budget debate was "how much" - as people zoomed in on the giveaways. And he felt this was a dangerous way of thinking.

Mr Lee said Singapore is a country that has gotten to where it is because it has been frugal, with Singaporeans working hard and living within their means.

He said he gets worried when people talk about more and more giveaways and place much less focus on the longer-term investments in the country's future to make Singapore grow and prepare the city-state for the challenges ahead.

While the country will continue to help its people, the prime minister said it must never forget that it has to keep itself strong to be in the position to give away those surpluses in the first place.

"If you change your mindset - we used to save, now that we have money, we don't need to save anymore, then the growth will stop. Singapore will go down and we will all be in serious trouble. We must maintain our basic philosophy - work together to grow the economy, to grow the pie so that everybody gets a lager slice instead of just redistributing a smaller pie," he said at the opening of the new Anchorvale Community Club (CC) on Sunday.

The first community club to be co-located with a sports and recreation centre, the Anchorvale CC provides more facilities for residents, including four swimming pools, indoor sports hall, football field, shops and riverfront cafe.

Mr Lee mentioned that some CCs which can serve a whole new town can replicate the Anchorvale model. And the People's Association said it is studying the idea.

One feature that will make the Anchorvale CC stand out is a floating island on the Punggol River, which will be dammed up by next year to turn it into a freshwater reservoir.

When ready, the floating island, which is about half the size of a football field, will also have a wetland - a natural habitat for fishes and birds.

A footbridge and floating board walk will also connect the CC to the new Sengkang Park.

The S$7.13 million project is part of PUB's long-term initiative known as the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (or ABC Waters) programme which aims to transform bodies of water into beautiful streams, rivers and lakes.

It is expected to be completed by 2010. - CNA/ac