Informal group to discuss railway land use

It includes people from nature and heritage groups, architects and university academics, as Govt seeks to take in different views
Amelia Tan Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

An informal workgroup that includes people with varied perspectives has been formed to chart the future of the former KTM railway land. It includes representatives from nature and heritage groups, architects and university dons.

Already, its first meeting is scheduled in one to two weeks' time, said Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, who is leading the railway development project.

Meetings will be held once every one or two months, he told reporters at Bukit Timah Railway Station yesterday.

Brigadier-General (NS) Tan was leading a group of about 30 people from interest groups, such as nature and heritage groups, as well as individuals on a 23km trek along the railway tracks from Silat Estate in Tanjong Pagar to Kranji.

He said he wanted to take on board different views and perspectives, while adding that the reality is that Singapore is land-scarce and development of the land has to be done in a 'way that makes sense'.

He said: 'There are those who are quite concerned about the birds and all that. Could you keep a continuous stretch of vegetation? Those are planning considerations we can always weave into any development areas and it is a very long stretch.'

BG Tan felt it would take one to two years to gather perspectives and flesh out ideas.

An Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesman said the aim is to get the draft development plans for the former railway land up in time to be exhibited together with the authority's Draft Master Plan in 2013 - which guides Singapore's development over the next 10 to 15 years.

The KTM land reverted to Singapore on July 1.

Yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on his blog that he sees a 'green opportunity' in the development of the former railway land.

He said he would have wanted to lead the former railway land development project, but housing issues are taking up most of his time now.

Mr Khaw said: 'Fortunately, I have a green-minded MOS (Minister of State) Tan Chuan-Jin with me. He readily volunteered to work on this project and saw several useful angles - the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation that is so characteristic of our city.'

The Nature Society (Singapore) had proposed that the 173.7ha strip of land on which the railway tracks now run be turned into a 'green corridor' for cycling, gardens and nature walks.

Its vice-president, Mr Leong Kwok Peng, who joined in the trek with BG Tan, said the society was hopeful about the plans for the green corridor.

He added that it had found through research that particular areas in the green corridor, such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Mandai mangroves, are rich in bio-diversity, and the society will share its research findings in the meetings with BG Tan.

A group of residents from Holland-Bukit Timah and Bukit Panjang also enjoyed a brisk walk along the railway track yesterday morning. They were joined by MPs such as Ms Sim Ann and Mr Christopher de Souza, and Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Several people were at the Bukit Timah Railway Station to take pictures.

Logistics executive Joey Wee, 36, said: 'I hope the Government will look at preserving this land. It is a link to the country's history for many of us.'

Old KTM tracks to become "green spine"
Hoe Yeen Nie Channel NewsAsia 9 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE: The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog on Saturday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself, but with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovation land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And on Saturday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society.

The Nature Society is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

Its vice-president, Leong Kwok Peng, is hopeful something good will be in store for nature lovers.

"Ultimately, this can form a nice nature corridor where birds and animals from the north can actually move all the way down to the southern ridge. I have seen pairs of hornbills flying across this railway track and it's beautiful," he said.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

He added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at, how do we develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.


- CNA/cc/ir

Govt studying ways to keep KTM tracks as green spine
Hoe Yeen Nie Today Online 10 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE - The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself but, with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: The green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And yesterday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society, which is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

BG Tan added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at how to develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.