Best of our wild blogs: 11 Oct 2013

Rifle Range Road - What a mess!!!!
from Mountain and Sea

We need unmanaged outdoor spaces to stave off namby-pambiness
from Otterman speaks

Weaving through Bidadari (Alkaff Gardens and Lake)
from Rojak Librarian

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Asean go-ahead for joint haze monitoring system

Collective effort to track down culprits who burn land illegally
Andrea Ong And Zakir Hussain, In Bandar Begawan Straits Times 10 Oct 13;

ASEAN leaders yesterday adopted a joint haze monitoring system (HMS) which will allow the tracking down of culprits behind the annual air pollution that affects countries in the region.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcomed the move as a "concrete example of cooperation".

"This approval of the HMS will allow us to implement the system and track down those responsible for causing the haze, and over time manage the problem," he told his counterparts at the Asean Summit.

He also said it was important for Asean's credibility that the regional grouping address the issue collectively.

The backing of all 10 Asean leaders is a signal to ministries and agencies to start sharing data needed for the HMS to be effective, PM Lee and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters.

The $100,000 monitoring system, developed by Singapore, uses high-resolution satellite images together with land use and concession maps to pinpoint culprits who burn land illegally.

It will be implemented in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand - the five members of a sub-regional committee for haze.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "The ball is in the court of the relevant ministries and we will work closely together with them to facilitate this process as quickly as possible."

The sharing of concession maps has been a sticking point in previous discussions. Singapore wants the maps to be publicly available but Malaysia and Indonesia cited legal concerns over going public.

In July, the five environment ministers reached a compromise, saying they would recommend to their leaders that the maps be shared on a case-by-case basis between governments.

Asked if the limited sharing of data will affect the HMS' efficacy, Dr Balakrishnan said its key contribution is to signal that "there are many eyes watching" the firms on the ground, both at the local and Asean level, to hold them accountable.

It thus adds another layer to local investigation and enforcement, he said.

Mr Lee also had a brief meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the haze issue. He thanked them for their cooperation on the HMS and extended Singapore's offer to collaborate on sustainable farming projects, as had been done in Indonesia's Jambi province.

When Mr Lee and Dr Yudhoyono met during their leaders' retreat in April, they agreed to renew cooperation in Jambi, which lapsed in 2011.

Yesterday, Mr Lee also suggested expanding it to other provinces in Sumatra and for all three countries to explore new areas of cooperation to "encourage sustainable practices and minimise this problem over time", thus addressing the root causes of the fires behind the haze.

"I think they generally agreed with me, so I hope that we will be able to make some progress there," Mr Lee said later.

Indonesia's presidential adviser on climate change Agus Purnomo said ahead of yesterday's summit that he supports the release of concession maps showing only the burnt areas.

"I don't see any need to keep it a secret. The Attorney-General, in his investigations, will also have to disclose such information. So secrecy is not an option," he said.

Additional reporting by Zubaidah Nazeer in Jakarta

PM Lee welcomes adoption of ASEAN haze monitoring system
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Oct 13;

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has welcomed the adoption of the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System at the Brunei summit.

He said this is a concrete example of cooperation and the approval of the haze monitoring system will allow countries to implement it and track down those responsible for causing the haze.

Mr Lee made these points during the ASEAN Summit opening session on Wednesday amongst the 10 leaders of the grouping.

He explained that it is important for ASEAN's credibility to collectively address the haze issue and he looks forward to Indonesia ratifying the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

After the main summit, Mr Lee, together with Malaysian Premier Najib Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, met and discussed the issue of the ASEAN haze monitoring system.

It is understood the meeting lasted about 10 minutes.

Mr Lee said he thanked his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts for their cooperation for the project and expressed Singapore's willingness to work with them to implement the system and take the cooperation beyond the haze monitoring system.

This includes working with farmers to encourage them to work in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way as Singapore had worked with Indonesia’s Jambi province in the past.

Singapore is willing to go beyond Jambi to other provinces too, said Mr Lee.

Speaking to the Singapore media in Brunei, Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said the environment ministers had been waiting for formal approval from the leaders.

Dr Balakrishnan said the approval has now been obtained at the ASEAN level and from the leaders of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia on implementing the ASEAN haze monitoring system.

Dr Balakrishnan also said the system and platform are ready and what is needed now is the data from the relevant ministries of the countries so that there can be accurate digitised concession maps.

He explained: "Ultimately it depends on local data, local investigations and local enforcement. Having an ASEAN monitoring system adds another area. The key point is to send the message to all the companies that there are many eyes watching them and they will be held accountable for their activities on the ground and we need everyone and to use the words of Prime Minister Najib - we will work together."

Dr Balakrishnan hopes to see the ASEAN haze monitoring system go into effect as soon as possible.

- CNA/xq


New haze monitoring system approved at ASEAN summit
PM Lee welcomes adoption of system which will allow more efficient haze monitoring, tracking of those responsible for illegal burning
Today Online, 9 Oct 13;

BRUNEI — The Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adopted a new joint haze monitoring system, it was announced at the grouping’s regional summit in Brunei today (Oct 9).

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters in Brunei this morning that the S$100,000 ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System will overlay land concession maps with high-resolution satellite images to allow authorities to identify those responsible for start forest fires to clear land illegally.

In his opening remarks at the ASEAN Summit opening session amongst the ten leaders of the grouping, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcomed the adoption of the Singapore-developed system.

He said that the approval of the system is a concrete example of cooperation among the members of the 10-nation regional bloc, adding that ASEAN’s addressing the haze issue collectively is a marker of its credibility.

Mr Lee also said that he looks forward to Indonesia ratifying the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

After the opening session, Mr Lee met with Malaysian Premier Najib Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss the ASEAN Haze Monitoring System. It is understood the meeting lasted about ten minutes.

Mr Lee said he thanked his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts for their cooperation in the project and expressed Singapore’s willingness to work with them to implement the system and take the cooperation beyond the haze monitoring system.

This includes working with farmers to encourage them to work in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way like how Singapore had worked with the Jambi province in the past, said Mr Lee, who added that Singapore was willing to go beyond Jambi to other provinces too.

Mr Lee, Dr Balakrishnan and Law Minister K Shanmugam are attending the 23rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Brunei today and tomorrow.


ASEAN to adopt haze monitoring system
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online, 9 Oct 13;

The 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are today expected to adopt the haze monitoring system for use by five countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Talks involving senior officials yesterday — ahead of the two-day 23rd ASEAN Summit that starts today — are understood to have gone well. Leaders of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, the three nations most affected by the haze this year, are likely to meet today to review efforts undertaken in recent months.

These include the push for adoption of the Singapore-developed haze monitoring system, sharing of meteorological data among the three countries, bilateral collaborations as well as encouraging Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

If the meeting takes place, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to also discuss future initiatives with his Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts to address transboundary haze.

The haze monitoring system, which will also involve Brunei and Thailand, comprises digitised land use maps and concession maps of fire-prone areas to be shared on a government-to-government basis. Environment ministers of the ASEAN member states had agreed, at the 14th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Surabaya last month, to recommend the system to ASEAN leaders for adoption.

Speaking to Singapore reporters in Bali yesterday, where he was attending the APEC meetings, Mr Lee said apart from the haze issue, leaders at the summit will also discuss progress made to realise an ASEAN Community by 2015, and “what we can do beyond 2015”. “Chances are, there will be some outstanding business but even without that, you need to set goals to take us the next step forward,” he said.

Mr Lee is accompanied at the summit by Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan and senior officials.

Making plantation firms pay for causing haze
Muzli Mohd Zin New Straits Times 11 Oct 13;

AGREEMENT: Asean leaders adopt recommendation of environs ministers for trans-boundary monitoring system

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: ASEAN leaders on Wednesday agreed to adopt a recommendation by Asean environment ministers for a transboundary haze monitoring system to make plantation companies accountable for causing haze in the region.

The 23rd Asean Summit chairman, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, said the leaders acknowledged the report of the 10th Asean Social-Cultural Community meeting, involving Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean foreign ministers in Brunei, last month, which coincided with an informal meeting of Asean environment ministers in Surabaya, Indonesia.

They have also welcomed the adoption of the recommendation of the 14th Informal Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment for an Asean Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System for a joint haze monitoring system among Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution countries to be set up.

"Leaders also took note of the outcome of the trilateral meeting on transboundary haze between Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Minister's Retreat in Hua Hin, Thailand, in August.

"We also welcome Indonesia's commitment to the ratification of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and look forward to Indonesia's ratification of the agreement as soon as possible," he said in a statement yesterday.

On Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 23rd Asean Summit, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had a meeting that lasted about 10 minutes to discuss the issue of the Asean haze monitoring system.
Lee, in welcoming the adoption of the Asean Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System, told the Singaporean media at the summit that it was a concrete example of cooperation between the countries.

The approval for the haze monitoring system, he said, would allow countries to track down those responsible for causing the haze.
It was reported that under the Singapore-developed system, governments in the region will share satellite data to pinpoint fires and identify companies, most of them palm-oil producers, that own the affected land.

Susilo, in June, had to issue an apology for the haze that blanketed Singapore and Malaysia and forced Najib to declare a state of emergency in Muar and Ledang in Johor after Air Pollutant Index readings surpassed the 750 mark. Readings of 300 and above are deemed hazardous.
The haze situation reached chronic proportions, leaving the government no choice but to order schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malacca, Segamat, Johor and Kuantan in Pahang to close.
It was reported that Indonesia would ratify the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution by year-end or early next year.

Its Environment Minister Prof Dr Balthashar Kambuaya was quoted as saying that the matter would be discussed in the Indonesian Parliament for a final decision.
"From our government's side, it is ready. The Indonesian government has signed the agreement, but we have to discuss it in Parliament," he said after a three-day task force meeting to seek a solution to the haze problem in Kuala Lumpur in July.

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Updated transport master plan as more take to buses, trains

Growth fuelled by rail network expansion; the plan is for it to double to 360km by 2030 — larger than Tokyo, Hong Kong
Sumita d/o Sreeharan, Today Online, 8 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — After hitting a speed bump, the Government’s push to get more people onto buses and trains is back on course. Public transport’s share of the total number of trips made during the peak period rose to 63 per cent last year, reversing a downward trend that first began when the Household Interview Travel Survey was first conducted in 1997.

The growth was fuelled largely by the expansion of the rail network over the last four years, with the number of train trips rising by 35 per cent to 2.3 million daily trips last year.

Citing these findings yesterday, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the Government’s “major policy decision” five years ago to make public transport a choice mode has “made good progress”.

Singapore, like all other growing cities in the world, will have to do more to curb the reliance on private cars, he added. “But doing more of the same is not enough. We have to decisively push for a strategic mode shift from private to public transport,” Mr Lui said, as he launched a refreshed Land Transport Master Plan at the inaugural Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition.

The master plan was first launched in 2008 and came at a time when public transport use declined over the decade. Travel on public transport was 67 per cent of the total number of trips made in 1997. In 2004, it fell to 63 per cent and in 2008, it shrank to 59 per cent.

The new master plan laid out four priorities: More connections, better service, a liveable and inclusive society, and reducing reliance on private transport.

By 2030, Singapore’s rail network will be 360km — double what it is currently and higher than in Tokyo or Hong Kong — and its rail density will be comparable to London.

Recognising “a multiplier effect” in having a denser and more connected rail network, which makes taking trains more attractive for motorists to switch to public transport, Mr Lui yesterday announced that the first six stations of the Downtown Line will open on Dec 22.

The stations —Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer and Chinatown — will connect to existing rail lines to enhance connectivity in the city. To achieve better service, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will, among other moves, set new requirements for trains to arrive at shorter frequencies during the 30-minute time slots before and after the morning and evening peak periods. It is also studying if information on bus crowding could be provided to commuters so that they can make more informed choices for their journeys.

While all train stations and bus interchanges have been made accessible to the less mobile, the LTA will do even more, such as implementing audio-tactile systems at more traffic junctions to aid the visually-impaired.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the conference, Mr Lui said he was confident of increasing public transport modal share to 70 per cent by the end of this decade, as the rail network is expanding “significantly”. Under the master plan, eight in 10 households will live within a 10-minute walk from a train station.

Transport analysts agreed this would be an achievable target. Associate Professor Lee Der Horng, a transport researcher at the National University of Singapore, felt that the new train lines and the high cost of car ownership could push more towards public transport.

“Despite the comfort a car brings, even non-drivers and non-car owners are thinking twice and saying it’s too expensive,” he said.

According to the survey, individuals with monthly incomes higher than S$8,000 who took public transport rose to 28 per cent last year, up from 23 per cent in 2008.

Asked about the impact of surging Certificate of Entitlement premiums on shifting motorists towards public transport, Mr Lui noted that close to one in two households own a car — a situation unsustainable in the future. Roads comprised 12 per cent of total land area here, compared to 14 per cent for housing.

“Going forward, we must make sure that the possibility of people switching away from cars to public transport is there, and the way to do it is to make sure that the connectivity, the connections, the quality of service is much better than it is today,” Mr Lui said.

Transport plan needs more than just hardware
Masterplan must get to the crux of what commuters want - service quality
Christopher Tan, Straits Times, 8 Oct 13;

EVEN though most of the infrastructure plans outlined in the latest Land Transport Masterplan were announced in the run-up to the Punggol by-election in January, the document is admirable for the way it maps out methodically what Singapore needs to do to keep its population moving up to 2030.

But a masterplan requires more than just hardware. It needs to spell out more qualitative targets, rather than focus on quantitative ones such as the length of rail network and number of buses. It needs to get to the crux of what leaves commuters satisfied: service quality.

While the plan spells out issues such as service frequency and reliability, as well as walking distance to and from a train station or bus stop, the proof of the pudding goes beyond that.

There is a need to look at how crowded it can get, the quality of air-conditioning, train speed (which has been patchy of late), station dwell time, dependability of services such as lifts and escalators, and even noise level on trains.

The plan needs to deliver that lofty promise touted famously by a leading airline - "making sure you arrive in the best possible shape" - if public transport is to have any chance at all competing against the car.

Here, the goal is to make public transport a choice mode, rather than a mode of no choice.

To do that, there needs to be a slight shift away from an engineering-centric way of meeting an objective and measuring how successful we have been doing so.

But that does not mean diminishing the importance of engineering. In that respect, the quality of infrastructure needs to be nailed down, since this will eventually determine its reliability and longevity.

In light of recent rail breakdowns, it appears that there are still struggles with water leakage in tunnels - an issue faced by builders since the Central Expressway opened more than 20 years ago, despite improvements in construction material and technology.

These leaks appear to be the root cause of many MRT incidents, including at least two tunnel fires and tracks that corroded barely three years after a new line was opened.

If leaks are indeed unavoidable - as claimed by the Land Transport Authority - then it must be made sure that water is channelled safely away from all operating parts such as rails and cables.

And if such parts cannot be placed out of the path of water, then at least ensure that they are water-resistant.

There is little point stating that Singapore's infrastructure specifications meet international standards - each geographical region poses its own set of challenges.

So engineers here should specify standards that are suitable for local conditions - just as car makers "tropicalise" models meant for hot and humid markets.

It is true that it is the responsibility of operators to ensure operating assets are well-maintained and flaws are fixed quickly.

But that responsibility becomes much more onerous if an infrastructure is prone to one form of failure or another in the first place.

Singapore pays top dollar for its infrastructure. So it is reasonable to expect a high level of robustness.

Another area that needs overhauling is a transport framework that suffers from the tension arising from profit-oriented operators providing a public service.

It is now clear that publicly listed operators face opposing values of satisfying shareholders and commuters.

While it is in their commercial interest to keep operating assets in good running order, they may be tempted to delay repairs and upgrades for as long as possible. Or do the barest minimum.

"Softer" measures of service quality, such as crowdedness or efficiency of air-conditioning, matter even less.

So Singapore needs to move swiftly to a regime where the Government takes ownership of all operating and fixed assets, and, preferably, assumes revenue risk.

The operator would then be tasked with focusing solely on meeting a clearly laid out set of service standards - without worrying about the bottom line, because their profit margins would already have been fixed. An effective carrot-and-stick regulatory system will then ensure that the welfare of commuters is prioritised.

Any masterplan also needs to be stuck to.

One way to ensure this is to have longer stints for ministers and permanent secretaries.

Former transport ministers Mah Bow Tan and Yeo Cheow Tong outlined ambitious rail projects during their terms. Mr Yeo told Parliament in 2000 that Singapore would have 540km of rail lines by 2030.

But only now are some of these projects being built; and we will have only 360km of rail by 2030.

A plan in 1997 to upgrade the signalling system of the North-South and East-West MRT lines - which would have allowed trains to run at closer intervals - will be completed only in 2018.

If those original plans were adhered to, our transport infrastructure would have kept pace with the population boom.

As it is, the rail expansion programme listed in the Land Transport Masterplan 2013 may be merely playing catch-up, as Singapore continues to grow.

It does not help that some of the new lines are three- or four-car systems - unlike the six-car models in the country's older lines, and eight-car or scalable systems found in some cities.

Finally, this may be time to re-examine two even more fundamental assumptions about transport - that public transport is good and private transport is bad; and there is a need to keep increasing supply to meet demand.

To start, we can stop demonising cars, which play a crucial role in any land transport landscape.

With fast-emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles, they might even become more efficient than public transport.

With an average occupancy of 20 per cent today, a bus may not be more efficient than a car during off-peak hours. Especially when a bus consumes far more fuel and far more road space.

The second assumption of building more and more to meet demand is fallacious too.

Consider how Singapore's population has grown 110 per cent since 1981 but the number of trips (excluding cycling and walking) has spiked by more than 360 per cent to 12.5 million a day. Since people commute primarily because they have to, and not so much because they want to, this exponential growth in trips is a tad worrying.

If the trend continues at the same pace, it may not be sustainable - economically or environmentally - to keep building more infrastructure to cater to demand.

We need to find a better way. And that may require urban and transport planners sitting down together to improve accessibility, and not just mobility.

The way we live, work and play on this little red dot also needs tweaking if Singapore wants to avoid the maladies of a mega- city. And that will involve more mixed-use developments, flexi- hours, tele-commuting, walking and cycling.

Experts discuss ways to reduce reliance on private transport
Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: Transport experts at a plenary session on Singapore's Land Transport Master Plan 2013 on Wednesday discussed ways to incentivise commuters to rely less on private transport.

The experts gave their take on the recently launched masterplan which maps out improvements to Singapore's transport system for the next 10 to 15 years.

They agreed that it will not be easy to reduce the desire to own a car in Singapore but it is possible for public transportation to be made an attractive alternative.

One suggestion to reduce reliance on cars is to introduce trams in the city.

Tony Dufays, director for regional offices and services at UITP (International Association of Public Transport) Singapore, said: "What we have seen in all these cities which have reintroduced tramways around the world in the last decade is that the very rich users, the car users, would enjoy using that, and that implementing a tramway has helped to revive the city centres."

Responding to media queries, LTA said it is open to considering alternative modes like trams, if feasible.

"Our Rapid Transit System (RTS) and buses will continue to form the backbone of our hub-and-spoke model. However, we are always open to considering alternative transport modes like trams for localised solutions, if feasible," said an LTA spokesperson.

Limiting the reliance on cars can also be done through car-sharing services.

The Land Transport Master Plan aims to make car-sharing services more accessible for commuters in the future.

But to ensure the success of such services, some industry players suggested eliminating COEs from the scheme.

And to reward drivers who are hardly on the road, experts proposed that the insurance they pay be based on the distance covered.

Assistant Professor Paul Barter, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said: "If you have a car and you don't drive it very (often), you pay the same insurance as someone who drives... 100km a day, day in and day out. That's not fair. What's more fair is the person who hardly drives should pay less insurance. So, distance-based insurance."

On managing car parking more efficiently, one suggestion raised was to price it as you would an ERP system.

For example, increase the price of parking when it gets crowded and when it's empty, have it free.

Analysts said this could reduce traffic congestion, as well as encourage car pooling.

But the expert panel maintained that the measures can only work if the reliability of public transport is ensured.

Gopinath Menon, Adjunct Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University, said: "Today we are in a catch-up phase, because we are really a bit behind. So by the next five years, we will probably have more lines, better buses, easier to get the last mile, first mile. If you can show that it is better than today, then there will be an improvement."

The experts also discussed using public transport information apps to make door-to-door journeys more convenient.

- CNA/xq/ir

Govt needs to convince S’poreans that public transport is convenient
Sumita d/o Sreedharan Today Online 10 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — Can the new master plan laid out by the Transport Ministry fuel the change it hopes to see in the general populace — a switch from private to public transport?

Experts yesterday weighed in on how the Land Transport Master Plan 2013 (LTMP) could achieve the goal of increasing the use of public transport over private transport: From demonstrating visibly the benefits of public over private transport, building air-conditioned bus stops, to changing the image of cars as desirable lifestyle objects.

A panel of three analysts at the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition — Dr Paul Barter from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; Mr Tony Dufays, Director of Regional Offices and Services at International Association of Public Transport (UITP); and Nanyang Technological University Adjunct Associate Professor Gopinath Menon — gave the LTMP the thumbs up, but said its success would hinge upon the Government’s ability to convince Singaporeans that taking public transport is more convenient than having a car.

Mr Dufays acknowledged that no plan could solve every transportation problem, and cautioned that Singapore’s ageing population, coupled with an increase in high-income individuals, would lead to an greater demand for better quality public transport.

Dr Barter said in order to reduce the reliance on cars, the Government would have to use the carrot-and-stick approach and provide a “bigger, juicer carrot” to attract people in the other direction. “An heroic effort is needed, and it needs to be more ambitious, he said.

Taking issue with advertisements that paint cars as desirable lifestyle items was Prof Menon, who felt that such advertising should be curtailed.

When asked for his views on the LTMP, transport analyst Professor Lee Der-Horng said he was initially shocked and disappointed by it.

“They covered broad areas, which is good, but the action plans were missing and the information very general and simplistic,” he said.

What was also missing, said Prof Lee, was the Transport Ministry’s future policy on taxis, a point that was also brought up by Mr Dufays, who said the taxi sector should not be underestimated as an alternative tool for those who use public transport.

Another missed opportunity, Prof Lee said, was the LTMP’s failure to address the pressing need for engineering and maintenance experts in the future to maintain the new rail lines that would open. “No tertiary institute at the moment has such expertise, and the authorities now have time to train individuals to prevent a shortage in the future,” he added.

More major roads may be subject to ERP
Transport Minister warns of ‘major consequences’ of a transport model that is overly reliant on cars
Sumita d/o Sreeharan, Today Online, 8 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — Major thoroughfares such as Alexandra Road and Holland Road may be subject to Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) if traffic speeds fall below the optimal range of 20 and 30km/h, according to the refreshed Land Transport Master Plan that was released yesterday.

Other than the two roads, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is also keeping an eye on Jalan Bukit Merah, Commonwealth Avenue, Telok Blangah Road and Depot Road.

These roads are currently within the optimal speed range, but the LTA added, “should these roads become congested, we will implement ERP there as well”.

These roads are near the Ayer-Rajah Expressway, where traffic congestion around the Clementi area has been deteriorating. From the middle of next year, motorists will have to pay ERP as three gantries will be installed to help improve the flow of eastbound traffic towards the city during the morning and evening peak hours.

As he launched the new master plan, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew yesterday cautioned about the “major consequences” of a transport model that is overly reliant on cars.

First, the environmental impact would be “significant”. While measures to reduce such impact can only mitigate, they will fundamentally not solve the problem, Mr Lui said. “Fuel efficiency and technology alone will not be sufficient to bring down transport emissions, without a reduction in demand,” he added.

Second, building a new road or widening an existing one in land scarce Singapore may mean that roads are built closer to homes and the living environment becomes noisier and less comfortable, Mr Lui said.

Despite strict policies on car ownership, Singapore’s car population grew 11 per cent between 2008 and last year, while resident population only grew 5 per cent in the same period.

“The car is not a basic necessity in Singapore given our easy access to public transport,” the new master plan said. “Going forward, we will build new roads primarily to serve new residential centres and economic activities. Expansion and improvements to existing roads will mainly be to support the movement of buses so as to bring about a better public transport experience.”

The LTA is currently studying how an underground road system could serve the new waterfront city area that will extend from Marina Bay to Pasir Panjang, via Telok Blangah. The underground road system was first mooted in the 1980s as two concentric rings of underground tunnels, each about 15 kilometres long, which would encircle the city area.

Mindset shift needed for cars not to remain preferred ride: NUS researchers
‘All you need is access to a car, you don’t have to own a car’: NUS researcher
Woo Sian Boon, Today Online, 8 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — While having a train station within a 10-minute walk from their homes encourages more commuters to use the MRT as a primary mode of transport, having access to a car reduces this usage by 15.6 per cent.

On the other hand, having accessible bus stops did not lead commuters to adopt buses as their main mode of transportation, with only 16.1 per cent of non-daily public transport users preferring to travel by bus.

These were some of the six key findings from a year-long study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science, which was presented yesterday during a panel about transport mobility in cities at the Singapore International Transport Congress. The findings reinforce observers’ belief that the rail network will continue to be the preferred public transport mode among commuters here. The study, which is supported by the Land Transport Authority, aimed to discover how commuters make travel decisions and the factors which influences that influences their choices, such as convenience, time and cost. It also examined how commuters perceive public transport, and how this shapes usage patterns.

It was conducted from July last year and ended in August, using data gathered from field observations, interviews with transport operators, 1,500 survey responses and 47 focus-group participants.

Its principle investigator Dr Pallab Saha said that 37 per cent of commuters aged between 16 to 24 years old preferred cars as their transportation mode during peak hours, noting that owning a car has become “an aspirational symbol” associated with wealth. This is compared to 26 per cent of commuters in the age group of 35 to 54, and 18 per cent aged 55 and above, who indicated they preferred private transportation. The younger group also exhibited less eco-friendly attitudes as they would not be willing to cut back on car use to reduce their carbon footprint.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the panel, he said that more awareness and education is necessary a for mindset shift to “decouple car ownership and car access”, adding that a study is being planned to look into car-ownership behaviour.

“We have to address the mindset so that cars no longer remain as the preferred mode ... All you need is access to a car, you don’t have to own a car,” he said.

As such, he felt that “there is scope for improvements” in providing alternatives such as car sharing and car pooling, but acknowledged that it would take time to instil a change.

“It’s not going to happen in the next one to two years, because this is not dealing with the physical infrastructure or hardware, this is dealing with the mental models,” he said.

Having access to a car reduces use of trains by 15.6%: Study
Woo Sian Boon, Today Online, 8 Oct 13;

While having a train station within a 10-minute walk from their homes encourages more commuters to use the MRT as a primary mode of transport, having access to a car reduces the use of trains by 15.6 per cent.

On the other hand, having accessible bus stops did not lead commuters to adopt buses as their main mode of transportation, with only 16.1 per cent of non-daily public transport users preferring to travel by bus.

These were some of the six key findings from a year-long study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science, which was presented yesterday during a panel discussion about transport mobility in cities at the Singapore International Transport Congress.

The study, which is supported by the Land Transport Authority, aimed to discover how commuters make travel decisions and the factors that influence their choices, such as convenience, time and cost.

It was conducted from July last year and ended in August, using data gathered from field observations, interviews with transport operators, 1,500 survey responses and 47 focus-group participants.

Its principal investigator, Dr Pallab Saha, said that 37 per cent of commuters between 16 and 24 years old preferred cars as their transportation mode during peak hours, noting that owning a car has become “an aspirational symbol” associated with wealth.

This is compared to 26 per cent of commuters in the age group of 35 to 54, and 18 per cent aged 55 and above, who indicated they preferred private transportation.

Speaking to reporters, he said that more awareness and education is necessary for a mindset shift to “decouple car ownership and car access”. “We have to address the mindset so that cars no longer remain as the preferred mode ... All you need is access to a car, you don’t have to own a car,” Dr Saha said.

As such, he felt that “there is scope for improvements” in providing alternatives such as car sharing and car pooling, but acknowledged that it would take time for change. “It’s not going to happen in the next one to two years, because this is not dealing with the physical infrastructure or hardware, this is dealing with the mental models,” he said. Woo Sian Boon

More than 700km of cycling paths by 2030
All HDB towns will have a network of dedicated paths to ride to MRT stations
Royston Sim, Straits Times, AsiaOne 8 Oct 13;

BY 2030, cyclists could possibly ride from their homes in the suburbs to work in the city via a comprehensive, islandwide cycling-path network that stretches more than 700km.

The Government revealed its plans to further expand off-road cycling paths and support cycling as an alternative mode of transport in the newly launched Land Transport Masterplan 2013 yesterday.

The aim is to provide "a seamless cycling experience," said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew when he unveiled the masterplan, which maps out Singapore's future land transport landscape. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will connect cycling paths between adjacent towns "where there is sufficient demand" over the next 15 years.

It will also work with other agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board to explore providing inter-town cycling routes for cyclists to commute to the Central Business District (CBD).

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck, a long-time champion of cycling, said this masterplan reflects a change in the Government's mindset from one of viewing cycling as a means to connect commuters to transport nodes, to recognising it as a mode of commuting.

Calling it "real progress", he noted that cycling is a sustainable and convenient mode of transport that brings health benefits and could also ease congestion on the roads.

The off-road cycling path network now spans about 12.1km within towns such as Tampines, Sembawang and Yishun.

This will go up to about 190km by 2020. Eventually, all 26 Housing Board towns will have a network of dedicated cycling paths for residents to ride to MRT stations and neighbourhood centres.

The LTA will also integrate these intra-town paths with park connectors to form a 700km network by 2030. The current park connector network spans about 250km and will be extended.

More bicycle racks will also be built at MRT stations, HDB blocks, amenities, schools and other places when there is demand. The LTA will also look into enhancing security for bicycles, through better design of parking facilities and public education campaigns.

Mr Francis Chu, 53, co-founder of cycling group LoveCyclingSg, noted that if more people could cycle to the city, that could help relieve congestion on the road and overcrowding in public transport.

But there is also a need to make the CBD safe for cyclists, he said. "There's heavy traffic, and no provision of space for cyclists. That makes it intimidating for a regular commuter."

Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng said it is "refreshing" that the LTA is now open to providing links for commuters to cycle to the city.

However, she expressed disappointment that the focus is still solely on off-road cycling. While a safer option for cyclists, she noted that such paths cannot be built everywhere due to space constraints.

Cyclists will still have to ride on footpaths and roads at some point in their journey, so the challenge is in creating a seamless cycling network, she said.

"Does LTA recognise that cyclists have a right to be on the road? If it does, how to make it safer for them to ride on roads? How to reduce the dangers of heavy vehicles? This is absent in the master- plan," she said.

Ms Ng also highlighted the issue of cyclists riding on footpaths. It is illegal to do so now in all towns except Tampines.

"Improving cycling infrastructure is important, but this has to be accompanied by a regulatory framework for cycling as a mode of transport."

First stage of Downtown Line rail network to open on Dec 22
The first stage of the Downtown Line rail network will open on December 22 this year. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the first stage will see six stations open for service linking three other lines.
Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 7 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: The first stage of the Downtown Line rail network will open on December 22 this year.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew made the announcement at the opening of the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition on Monday morning.

During the congress, Mr Lui also announced a new Land Transport Master Plan 2013 that maps out initiatives to take Singapore's land transport forward for the next 10 to 15 years.

It refreshes the previous plan which was rolled out in 2008.

Among the key elements of the plan is the opening of six stations of the Downtown Line.

Mr Lui said the first stage will see six stations open for service, linking with three other MRT lines -- the Circle Line, North East Line and East-West Line.

The six stations are Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer and Chinatown.

This will improve the rail network density and connectivity in the city area.

When fully opened in 2017, the 42-kilometre Downtown Line will be the longest fully underground driverless train system in Singapore.

It will also improve connectivity for residents from the east and west to the city and also help bring some relief to some of the crowded stretches of the existing rail network.

With the fifth major rail line in place, Mr Lui hopes more people will consider switching to public transport over the next few years with more enhancements due to be carried out.

Mr Lui said: "We will also improve "first and last mile" by putting in more resources. The feeder bus network is being expanded to reduce crowding and waiting times. We will expand the intra-town cycling networks.

"For commuters who walk to the train station or bus interchange, we will build more sheltered walkways to protect them from the elements. To make bus-rail transfers more convenient for everyone, we will build more integrated transport hubs."

Based on the latest Household Interview Travel Survey, more people have opted for public transport instead of private vehicles for their daily commute over the past four years. Peak hour trips have also increased to 63 per cent last year, as compared to 59 per cent in 2008.

The travel survey also revealed that there has been a 13 per cent increase in daily journeys.

In 2012, there were 12.5 million daily journeys as compared with 11 million journeys in 2008.

A total of 10,000 households participated in the survey.

Mr Lui said the travel survey also showed that more higher-income commuters appear to be choosing public transport.

"Going forward, we must do more to strengthen this modal shift from private to public transport. It is our goal to increase this to 70 per cent by the end of this decade," said Mr Lui.

There is also good progress in building cycling path networks in public housing towns and the target is for every single town to eventually have such a network.

More details of the cycling plan will be shared later this year.

- CNA/xq/fa


Downtown MRT line to open on Dec 22
First stage of newest train line to open on schedule as LTA reveals daily public transport journeys on the rise since 2008
Sumita Sreedharan, Today Online, 7 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — The new Downtown Line (DTL) is due to open on Dec 22, Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew announced today (Oct 7).

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has handed over the trains to SBS Transit, the operator of the line, for trial runs that could take about two months, for the testing and commissioning of station equipment, trains and all control systems.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced in his National Day message that Downtown Line 1 (DTL 1) would open on schedule in December.

DTL 1 will be 4.3km-long. The entire line, slated for completion in 2017, and will stretch out over 42km.

Mr Lui’s announcement today came as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that more people have been opting for public transport over private transport, with a 13 per cent increase in daily journeys, from 11 million rides to 12.5 million rides, between 2008 and last year.

The LTA’s latest Household Interview Travel Survey also found that commuters were more likely to use public transport if they lived nearer to a MRT station, and that car ownership was lower among households located closer to train stations.

The survey, covering 10,000 households, is conducted every four to five years.

First stage of Downtown Line to open on Dec 22
Lui Tuck Yew spells out three strategies to improve public transport
Royston Sim, Straits Times, 8 Oct 13;

THE first part of the 34-station Downtown Line will open on Dec 22 this year, marking one step towards a plan that will have eight in 10 households within a 10-minute walk from an MRT station by 2030.

Test runs are under way at the six stations - Chinatown, Telok Ayer, Downtown, Bayfront, Promenade and Bugis. Operator SBS Transit has hired 400 new staff for the first stage of this new line.

"We are intensifying our efforts and significantly investing more resources to improve the quality of public transport in Singapore," said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew when he launched the Land Transport Masterplan 2013 yesterday.

The 55-page blueprint maps out Singapore's plans to enhance the public transport system from now till 2030.

It acknowledges that commuters have had to deal with overcrowding on trains and buses with the population boom.

Mr Lui yesterday promised to improve the public transport system, and spelt out three key strategies to do so.

* First, commuters will have more transport connections, especially when the rail network doubles to 360km in the next 17 years.

This will include the 42km Downtown Line, and future lines such as the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line.

About 40 new bus routes will be added under the $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), while 200km of sheltered walkways will be built by 2018 to encourage walking.

* Second, commuters will get better service, with more trains and an upgraded signalling system on the way, to reduce waiting times and overcrowding on the MRT.

There will also be stricter standards to ensure that more taxis are on the road through the day.

* Third, cyclists and the elderly will also be taken care of. Apart from supporting alternative transport modes like cycling, there will be more lifts built at pedestrian overhead bridges to cater to a rapidly ageing population.

The latest Household Interview Travel Survey showed that more people are turning to public transport, although they are also spending more time travelling.

Last year, 63 per cent of trips during the peak periods were made on public transport, up from 59 per cent in 2008.

Overall, trips made on public transport rose by 14 per cent in the last five years.

But the survey also found that the number of public transport journeys within 20km that are completed within an hour fell from 79 per cent to 76 per cent.

The Land Transport Authority attributed this to slower bus speeds, while Mr Lui noted that the first and last mile take up a "disproportionately large amount of time for the entire journey".

To tackle this, buses will be given more priority on the roads and the cycling network expanded, he said.

The authorities will also continue to improve the reliability of the MRT, which has suffered major disruptions in recent years.

Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chair Cedric Foo said public transport must be made more attractive relative to private transport.

For this to happen, new rail lines must be implemented without delays. More can also be done to stagger the flow of commuters during peak periods and reduce crowding, he said.

"This requires staggered work hours and differentiated pricing to spread out the loads."

Six stations of Downtown Line to open on Dec 22
Samuel Ee, Business Times Singapore, 8 Oct 13;

Households near MRT stations less likely to own cars: survey

THE first stage of the Downtown Line will open on Dec 22 and, it seems, not a moment too soon in the effort to make public transport a choice mode, as a survey reveals that car ownership for households near MRT stations is lower than for those further away.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew unveiled this yesterday when he launched the Land Transport Master Plan 2013 at the opening of the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition.

The 42-kilometre Downtown Line is being built in three stages and will be Singapore's longest, fully underground driverless train system when it opens completely in 2017. The first stage comprises six stations - Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer and Chinatown.

As a medium-capacity rapid transit system, it allows direct access from the central business district and new developments in the Marina Bay area to north-western and eastern Singapore.

This Master Plan is an update of the one announced in 2008 and retains the central aim of making public transport a choice mode.

For 2013, Mr Lui said that efforts have been intensified and significantly more resources invested to improve the quality of public transport along three thrusts - by creating "More Connections", by providing "Better Service", and by supporting a "Liveable and Inclusive Community".

Regarding the first thrust, More Connections, the minister reiterated that the rail network will double to 360 km by 2020, with four in five homes expected to be within a 10-minute walk of a train station.

"For households within 800 metres of a train station, public transport usage is about 12 percentage points higher than those living two km and farther," said Mr Lui, adding that there is a multiplier effect in having a denser and more connected rail network, "with every addition to the network increasing the overall attractiveness of taking the train, and increasing the likelihood of switching people from cars to public transport".

"We saw evidence of this with the opening of the Circle Line," he said.

Mr Lui said that Singapore has made good progress on the Master Plan in the past five years.

"Our peak-hour public transport mode share has since increased to 63 per cent in 2012," he said, citing the Household Interview Travel Survey 2012.

The figure was 59 per cent in 2008 and reverses a downward trend since the survey was first conducted in 1997.

"Interestingly, more higher-income commuters appear to be choosing public transport."

Based on the survey, individuals with monthly incomes above $8,000 taking peak period public transport rose to 28 per cent from 23 per cent in 2008.

Other key findings from the survey, in which 10,000 households took part, include the 14 per cent increase in trips made on public transport as a whole, with train trips growing from 1.7 million daily in 2008 to 2.3 million in 2012, a 35 per cent jump.

Daily bus trips also grew, from 3.1 million trips in 2008 to 3.2 million in 2012.

As for changes in private car ownership patterns, the survey revealed that the growth in private vehicle trips slowed significantly to 9 per cent from 2008 to 2012, compared to 29 per cent from 2004 to 2008. This was partly a result of a slower increase in the car population.

During this period, the car population was still growing faster than the resident population, resulting in more households owning cars now than before.

In 2012, 46 per cent of households owned cars, up from 40 per cent in 2008 and 38 per cent in 2004.

But car ownership for households near MRT stations is seen to be lower. For households within 400 metres of an MRT station, only 39 per cent own cars, compared with 55 per cent for households that are more than 1.8 km from a station.

Land Transport Authority chief executive Chew Hock Yong said: "The findings of the latest survey reaffirm that our policies under the inaugural Land Transport Master Plan in 2008 are on the right track."

Read more!

Car-free residential area to be piloted in Kampong Bugis

Sumita D/O Sreedharan Today Online 11 Oct 13;

Singapore — A car-free residential area is set to be piloted in Kampong Bugis, near the Kallang River, as the land-transport network gets redesigned to be more pedestrian-friendly.

The project, revealed in the updated Land Transport Master Plan that was released on Monday, is aimed at making public spaces flourish and the city area more vibrant.

This will mean more space along the sidewalks and streets for pedestrians and various activities.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on the project, although no timeline has been offered.

Kampong Bugis is a 500m road that is located behind the former Kallang Gasworks, which vacated the area in 1998. It is a 10-minute walk from Kallang Road that ends at the Kallang River. Currently, there are few developments in the area, which is dominated by greenery.

The entire Kallang Riverside has been earmarked in the URA Master Plan 2008 as a growth area. Under the plan, the area will add about 300,000 sq m of new office space, 700 housing units incorporated into mixed-use developments and 3,000 hotel rooms.

When contacted, the LTA referred queries to the URA, which declined comment.

There are now two car-free zones — Club Street and Haji Lane — which are within selected commercial and historical areas, where traffic is closed for two to three evenings every week to provide more space for walking.

There are also areas such as Albert Mall, where roads were made fully accessible to pedestrians only by 1998.

The current Upper Aljunied Road will also be pedestrianised when it is replaced by a new road which will be built within the upcoming Bidadari estate.

Tenants at TURE — one of four buildings near the Kampong Bugis area — said they were unaware of the authorities’ plans. However, they hoped the current laid-back and serene atmosphere could be maintained even after redevelopment.

Due to the area’s inaccessibility, some tenants suggested that the authorities look into building covered or underground walkways in the area, or providing bicycle-rental facilities at the nearby Kallang and Lavender MRT stations.

Currently, those going to Kampong Bugis tend to drive there.

“If they (the authorities) want to try it out, they could start during weekends or public holidays, and have visible booths where staff (can) collect feedback before it (the pilot project) is extended fully,” said tenant Wendy Tee, who operates a playschool at TURE.

Analysts told TODAY the waterfront location already makes the Kampong Bugis area attractive, and making it car-free could cause it to be even more distinct.

Mr Colin Tan, Director and Head of Consultancy and Research at Suntec Real Estate Consultants, said the scenic river setting could complement the development of the Sports Hub, making it a potential new tourist attraction.

He also suggested linking the area to the hub to enhance its accessibility.

Mr Chris Koh from property firm Chris International cautioned that the area could lose some of its charm if there was too much development.

“The authorities should strive to preserve its laid-back kampong style,” he said.

Read more!

AVA food fund gets $10m to improve local farm operations

Melissa Lin Straits Times 11 Oct 13;

THE Government has added another $10 million into a fund to help improve the operations of local farms, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan announced yesterday.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) Food Fund, launched in 2009, is aimed at reducing Singapore's reliance on food imports. The latest sum, the third tranche, comes after two previous tranches involving funding of $10 million each.

The strategy aims to either encourage companies to develop their capabilities to increase production here, or help them import more from other countries.

So far, the fund has benefited 71 companies and 141 projects, and increased local farm production by 550 tonnes of fish and 360 tonnes of leafy vegetables.

"For the new tranche, eligible farmers can look forward to greater funding for quality seeds and fish fry. We will also simplify the application process," said Mr Khaw, who was speaking at AVA's inaugural food industry convention.

Going forward, Singapore is prepared to invest in overseas food sources, he said.

He cited Temasek Holdings subsidiary Singbridge's investment in the Jilin Food Zone in China as an example.

AVA will also focus on increasing the productivity of local farms. "(The farms) must invest in technology and adopt efficient farming methods so that they can grow more with less land and fewer workers," Mr Khaw said.

Heavily reliant on food imports, Singapore guards against food shortages by diversifying its sources. It imports more than 90 per cent of its food from 160 countries.

Consumers too, can do their part by making changes to their lifestyle choices, said Minister of State for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman who spoke to the media at the event.

Following a 2008 campaign by AVA to get consumers to eat more frozen meat, sales of such meat have gone up, he added. Its aim is to reduce Singapore's dependence on the chilled varieties.

Next, he shared that AVA is trying to get consumers to switch from using shelled eggs to powdered or liquid eggs.


Local farms get S$10m upgrade boost
Eligibility criteria also simplified for AVA’s Food Fund, which will co-fund R&D, upgrading of local farms
Siau Ming En, Today Online, 10 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — An extra S$10 million is being invested in local farms through the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority’s (AVA) Food Fund, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan announced at the first Food Industry Convention 2013 this morning (Oct 10).

The Food Fund co-funds research and development in local farming technology, helping local farms upgrade their production capability and food source diversification.

Besides pumping in more money, the third phase of Food Fund will include changes such as a simplified eligibility criteria for farm capability upgrading.

Applicants for the Basic Farm Capability Upgrading and Technical Boosters categories no longer need to submit their income statement nor productivity improvement plan. The only supporting document required is the updated ACRA records of the company.

The evaluation criteria will also be more comprehensive, to include farm productivity and past application performance.

On top of that, expansion plans for the third phase of the food fund will include a longer pre-approved list of farm equipment under the Basic Farm Capability Upgrading.

Likewise, AVA will now co-fund up to 50 per cent of the costs incurred in the Technical Boosters category, up from the 30 per cent previously. Farmers can also purchase more items, such as vaccines, feeds, fertilisers and pesticides to boost capability and productivity.

Speaking to the audience, Mr Khaw encouraged them to “make good use of the Food Fund” to make farms “more productive, innovative, and competitive”.

He also shared that nearly S$20 million has been spent from the AVA Food Fund that was set up in 2009. The money has since benefitted 71 companies and 141 projects.


AVA Food Fund gets S$10m boost
Eileen Poh, Channel NewsAsia, 10 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) Food Fund has received another tranche of S$10 million.

This was announced by the Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan at the inaugural AVA Food Convention on Thursday.

For the new tranche, eligible farmers can look forward to more funding to buy quality seeds and fish fry.

Farmers can also buy vaccines, feeds, fertilisers and pesticides to boost capability and productivity.

The pre-approved list of farm equipment has also been expanded to include new equipment like a water treatment system for fish and seed sowing machine for vegetables.

Mr Khaw added that AVA will also simplify the application process for farmers to tap on the AVA Food Fund so that they can make their farms more productive, innovative and competitive.

The AVA Food Fund was launched in 2009 to help farmers diversify their food production, invest in technology and adopt efficient farming methods so that they can grow more with less land and fewer workers.

Nearly S$20 million has been spent and 71 companies have benefited so far.

The companies' projects have increased local farm production by 550 tonnes of fish and 360 tonnes of leafy vegetables.

- CNA/fa

Read more!

Bukit Brown put on world watch list

Partial redevelopment of site a loss to society, says New York-based group
Grace Chua Straits Times 10 Oct 13;

THE historic Bukit Brown cemetery has been put on the 2014 World Monuments Watch (WMW), an international list of cultural heritage sites which are being threatened by nature or development.

The cemetery, which has been the final resting place of pioneering Chinese immigrants to Singapore since the mid-19th century, is one of 67 sites in 41 countries and territories on the biennial listing.

Work is scheduled to start early next year on a controversial eight-lane road through the cemetery, meant to ease congestion. And the 233ha site, closed to burials since 1973, is also slated for future residential use.

All Things Bukit Brown, an interest group which is keen to preserve the site's heritage and habitat, nominated it to the New York-based World Monuments Fund watch list. It was picked from 248 nominations - making it the first time that a Singapore site has made it to the list.

The WMW citation said of the road and redevelopment of the site: "In destroying the cultural landscape of Bukit Brown, it is a loss to all of society."

The non-profit World Monuments Fund has issued its watch list since the 1990s to raise awareness about threatened cultural sites. It has helped to helped restore sites in more than 90 countries, including the historic enclave of Georgetown in Penang .

Nominations are assessed by fund staff and heritage experts, based on the significance of the site, how urgent the conditions are and the viability of a feasible plan of action. Other sites on the list include Hong Kong's Pok Fu Lam Village, the churches of St Merri and Notre-Dame de Lorette in Paris and cultural heritage sites in Syria.

Referring to the decision by the World Monuments Fund to include the cemetery on its watch list, Ms Claire Leow, 46, one of the organisers of All Things Bukit Brown, said: "I hope it motivates communities to do more to take ownership."

While listed sites are eligible for grants from the fund, she said her group was not applying for any as none was needed. The group, which hosts weekly guided tours at the site, is also sticking to a call it made last year for a moratorium on plans for Bukit Brown and for more public engagement with the Government, she added.

Nanyang Technological University cultural studies researcher Liew Kai Khiun said the listing provides another independent validation of Bukit Brown's heritage value.

"It recognises the cultural significance of the place rather than being confined to a local debate about whose ancestors are buried there," he said, noting that the Bukit Brown issue has made it to international publications such as The Economist.

Dr Gillian Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, added: "All Things Bukit Brown, I suppose, would like the international spotlight and pressure to be put on this issue.

"To be fair, while the Government's not said it would never touch Bukit Brown further, it did reduce the number of graves and amount of land that would make way for the road. So it's not as if the Government's been intransigent about the issue."

A spokesman for the National Heritage Board said the listing supported the board's assessment that Bukit Brown is a heritage site rich in resources and memories.

She said the board was working with the public sector and community to document and promote the cemetery's heritage and explore how this could be "preserved, retold and/or integrated with future developments for the area, while recognising the need to balance Singapore's land use and housing needs with heritage preservation".

Interest group's hopes after Bukit Brown placed under World Monuments Watch
Kimberly Spykerman Channel NewsAsia 10 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: With Singapore's Bukit Brown Cemetery now on the 2014 World Monuments Watch, an interest group hopes this will spur greater community interest and engagement in the site.

The interest group, called All Things Bukit Brown, is keen to preserve the site's heritage and habitat.

The group also hopes that the cemetery being put on the Watch will encourage more discussions on a sustainable strategy for development.

The World Monuments Watch compiles cultural heritage sites threatened around the world, and All Things Bukit Brown had nominated the cemetery for the biennial listing.

The cemetery houses the graves of pioneering Chinese immigrants, but part of it will soon make way for a dual four-lane road meant to ease congestion.

Claire Leow, co-founder of All Things Bukit Brown, said: “It goes beyond what we’ve done for Bukit Brown; it’s more like what we can do for Singapore.

“We're very proud of this. We really hope that we're all pulling in the same direction, that with this listing we can also -- by shining international attention on Singapore -- help the bid for Botanic Gardens to get UNESCO listing, and of course eventually Bukit Brown as well, and hopefully other sites in Singapore as well."

She added: "I hope it shows that we are serious, that we want a seat at the table, just so we can present what we have heard from the community, what we have heard from the people who have encouraged us, and we can share their voices too.

“And hopefully that yes, you want development, but let’s have a discussion perhaps -- if we could contribute just a little part of that discussion, perhaps we can all have a more sustainable strategy for development."

- CNA/nd

Bukit Brown Cemetery placed on 2014 World Monuments Watch
Kimberly Spykerman, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Bukit Brown Cemetery has been placed on the 2014 World Monuments Watch, which compiles cultural heritage sites threatened around the world.

The cemetery - which houses the graves of pioneering Chinese immigrants - is one of 67 sites from 41 countries and territories.

Part of the cemetery will make way for the construction of a new dual four-lane road that connects the MacRitchie Viaduct to the Adam Flyover.

Responding to queries, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said the inclusion of the cemetery on the list supports its assessment that it is a heritage site rich in resources and memories.

A spokesman added: "NHB is working with stakeholders in the public sector and the community to document and promote the cemetery's heritage. NHB will also explore how Bukit Brown Cemetery's heritage can be preserved, retold and/or integrated with future developments for the area, while recognising the need to balance Singapore's land use and housing needs with heritage preservation."

A spokesperson for the Urban Redevelopment Authority said the government is aware of the heritage value at Bukit Brown Cemetery and has commissioned the documentation of graves affected by the construction of the new road.

However, Bukit Brown is needed to meet Singapore's longer term housing needs.

She emphasised that the development of the remaining area of the cemetery will not take place so soon.

The spokesperson added: "Singapore has been consciously conserving both built and natural heritage in our urban planning... Elsewhere, we have also been actively conserving buildings, structures and streetscapes that are familiar and endearing to Singaporeans. However, planning for the long term in land-scarce Singapore does require us to make difficult trade-off decisions.

"We will have to continue to ensure that sufficient land is safeguarded island-wide, and find ways to make good use of our limited land in order to meet future demand for uses such as housing, industry and infrastructure."

Other sites on the list include the Karo villages near Indonesia's Lake Toba and Yangon's historic city centre in Myanmar.

- CNA/ms

Read more!

Meet Mr Nature

Nature Society president Shawn Lum is no militant activist. He tells Susan Long he is trying to push his conservationist agenda through meticulous studies, collaboration with the authorities, engaging citizens to do scientific research and the power of wonder.
Straits Times 11 Oct 13;

DR SHAWN Lum came to South-east Asia to trace the roots of a tree. He ended up staying in Singapore for 25 years, spreading his own roots and saving forests here.

Five years ago, he became president of the island's oldest, largest and most vocal environmental non-profit, the Nature Society (Singapore). Since then, the American botanist and National Institute of Education (NIE) lecturer, a long-time Singapore permanent resident, has shunned vociferous protests. Instead, he has been quietly nudging more people outdoors to appreciate nature.

The Nature Society used to make waves for its watchdog advocacy work. These included successfully staving off plans to develop part of Peirce Reservoir forest into a golf course in 1992, persuading the Government to set aside Sungei Buloh as a mangrove and bird sanctuary in 1993, and agitating for the preservation of Chek Jawa, a unique marine habitat on Pulau Ubin in 2001.

But Dr Lum has since returned the organisation to its original role as a hobby - rather than lobby - group, propagating the pleasures of looking at birds, plants and butterflies. He has increased the frequency of guided nature walks, conducted more conservation surveys than ever before and linked up with schools, statutory boards and companies to promote nature appreciation.

The 50-year-old is like a placid lake in the tempestuous world of global environmental activism, often led by strident lobbyists. But still waters run deep. His goals, it emerges, are no less lofty. And he is steadily advancing towards them with gentlemanly charm in his signature Hawaiian shirts.

It's just his approach that is different. He works single-mindedly, churning out exhaustive studies and cultivating international links. He works collaboratively with others, be they shrill-voiced members, other non-profit organisations with competing agendas, or policymakers in a hurry.

For example, he recently accepted the Land Transport Authority's invitation to help craft the terms of an environmental impact assessment tender for the proposed Cross-Island MRT Line, which is likely to cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. In July, the Nature Society released a position paper arguing the new line would compromise the sustainability of the reserve.

Doesn't he fear being co-opted, rubber-stamping official policies?

He admits frankly that his organisation grappled with the possibility that working with the public agency would compromise its "ability to take an independent stand". Ultimately, he says they concluded: "We still disagree. But rather than a face-off, it's a positive development that we can sit down together in a convivial atmosphere at the inception, where there's a chance that the outcome might be better."

Rescue and research

UNDER his charge, the society, which now has some 1,500 members, up from its nadir of 1,200 when he took over in 2008 and down from its peak of 2,000 in the late 1980s, is also looking outwards.

One of his early projects was the Horseshoe Crab Rescue And Research Programme which started six years ago when society members found the crabs trapped in abandoned fishing nets at the Mandai mangrove area.

Rescue efforts soon grew into full-scale research when they found out that the supply of horseshoe crabs in North America was fast being depleted by pharmaceutical companies for use in laboratory work. The Asian horseshoe crab was the next target. In 2009, the members embarked on a population census of the horseshoe crabs at the Mandai mudflats, training hundreds of students and volunteers to measure, identify, mark and release them back into the mangroves. They even monitored the crabs' movements in the Strait of Johor using radio transmitters. Their conclusion: The horseshoe crab population was dwindling due to coastal development, pollution and over-harvesting.

Under his leadership, the Nature Society went on to publish four scientific papers and submit its first recommendation to the influential International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which assesses the conservation status of species. The resolution came into effect last year, serving notice that the Asian horseshoe crab was under pressure, helping to prevent its extinction.

Going forward, he wants to carry out more of such "citizen science" by getting the public to participate in similar research. He is working with Queensway Secondary School to design a data sheet which students can fill up on plants and wildlife spied along the ABC Waters at Sungei Ulu Pandan.

He is also looking into a phone app that will allow people to fill in observations on their daily bus or MRT commutes through verdant nature areas. "When you're riding on a double-decker bus, you can see flowers, birds and butterflies up in the trees every time the bus comes to a stop. First of all, we will have this wonderful database on what's out there, with many more pairs of eyes out there looking. It will also give people a greater stake in their own environment and hopefully hasten the growth of nature-watching as a general, not just specialist, hobby," he says.

"When people say springtime is coming three weeks earlier now than in the past, where's the data coming from? In Japan and England, people have a habit of noting in their diaries which day the cherry blossoms open or which bird was the first spring visitor to their garden. These casual, unscientific records, say a list of butterflies you saw at Pasir Ris Park, can be analysed over time. One way to assess the impact of climate change in Singapore is just by monitoring when trees start to flower here."

His hope is to influence public policy and legislation from the drawing board stage, rather than react to issues when the tractors roll in.

For his next campaign, he's taking a leaf from the book of a Canadian non-profit organisation called Flap (Fatal Light Awareness Program), which found that between one million and nine million birds die each year in Toronto from hitting skyscrapers, due to mistaking reflective windows for open sky or being drawn to lights at night. It spent 20 years studying the issue of bird collisions, advocating bird-friendly building features such as window film, decals and external shutters, and working with municipal authorities to enact legislation to prosecute owners of buildings found to be killing birds.

He is now studying the extent of the problem here, especially during the bird migratory season.

"The majority of birds that hit windows, even if they fly away, are basically goners. If they don't die instantly, chances are they have severe internal bleeding, which later kills them," he says. Members of the public often give the Nature Society a wide variety of dead birds they have picked up, including rare migrant breeds.

Next, he plans to push for the implementation of nature-friendly building codes. "We have green certifications here. To be environmentally friendly is defined as not wasting water or energy, but one criterion should also be being wildlife friendly," he says.

Zero work-life balance

THE seeds were sown early for his outdoorsy orientation and botany career.

He was born in Tokyo to a father of Chinese-Polynesian-Irish descent who worked in the United States Air Force, and a Japanese mother who was a school cafeteria cook. When he was two, his father took the family back to his native Hawaii.

The middle of three children, Dr Lum spent his days beachcombing, bodysurfing, working in a plant nursery and rearing a menagerie of pets - dogs, fish, parakeets, lizards and rabbits. It came as no surprise when he chose to study biology at Harvard University, washing dishes to pay his way. He went on to the University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained a PhD in botany.

In 1989, he arrived here as a visiting student at the National University of Singapore's botany department. He came ostensibly in search of the origins of the gelam tree, but really "seeking out my own origins too", as Hawaii's flora and fauna hark from this region.

He signed up with the Nature Society, where he found kindred souls and eventually met his wife too. What was meant to be a two-year stint stretched to over two decades.

After NIE started a school of science in 1993 and hired him as its first resident botanist, he devoted himself to teaching plant diversity and ecology to future science teachers and passing on his boundless love of nature, which he hopes will rub off on their students.

Ms Tan Beng Chiak, 51, a biology teacher and long-time Nature Society member, says: "He is always top of the list whenever a school wants to invite a biologist to speak. He is eloquent, charismatic and insightful, and brings all sorts of resources, like fresh fish and fruits, to a classroom to excite the students."

He spent all his spare time at the Nature Society, where he started a division looking at plants. He also served as vice-president under former president and eye surgeon Geh Min for eight years until she stepped down in 2008. Then he found himself voted in as president, with no contest. It was "scary", taking over from somebody so formidable, he recounts. "She's got a huge network. I'm just a biology lecturer," he says in his usual self-effacing way.

But society members like Mr Vinayagan Dharmarajah, 41, who works as a legal counsel, credit Mr Lum's courteous, self-deprecating manner and ability to bring disparate groups together for the society's "collegial atmosphere" today. "He leads by example and by inspiring trust rather than by seeking to dominate the stage," says Mr Vinayagan.

Dr Lum's paid work, volunteer work and hobbies all converge into one. He has zero work-life balance. "I don't know where the one ends and the other begins really. I'm lucky or it's a curse, but the volunteer work feeds back into my professional work. They help me both as a biologist and a teacher as well as a nature enthusiast and conservationist."

Weekends find him either at society outings, or hiking at MacRitchie Trails or Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. He is often at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, where he began a long-term forest dynamics study 20 years ago and has since identified and tagged 30,000 trees. He also likes to grow fruit trees at the Woodleigh Park Estate semi-detached house he shares with his Singaporean wife of five years, Ngee Ann Polytechnic lecturer Evelyn Ng.

Once again, it's for "work-related" reasons. "I can identify the grown tree in the forest. But when I see the little plants on the forest floor, I may not know what they are," he says in earnest.

Even his belief system is based on Hawaiian and Japanese animist traditions, where everything is deemed to have a spiritual quality and be interconnected. "In modern life, we have made a lot of progress but we have lost so much too, in terms of our spiritual connection with the environment.

"I'm not saying we should become animists," he hastens to add. "But if we can regain our reverence for animals and plants, it will make for a more meaningful and enjoyable life. Any culture that holds dear other living things and nature also respects culture, heritage and a diversity of views."

suelong@sph.com.sg

BACKGROUND STORY

Dr Shawn Lum on...

On the ultimate waste

"People from all over the world flock to South-east Asia to see the uniqueness of our wildlife, which cannot be studied anywhere else in the world. Yet, here we are, surrounded by it. To live an entire life in the midst of all this wondrous nature without knowing it seems a waste. Imagine your next-door neighbour was the world's greatest living poet, and you never had a chance to have a chat with him. In fact, you don't even have to seek out nature in the same way as seeking out a person. It's just flying in front of you or you run right past it every day."

His challenge

"So many of us have lost the strong connection our ancestors had to the land. We've turned land into this commodity, something we buy and sell, or extract some direct economic value out of, like crops or eco-tourism. We have to show that nature in its wild state is just as valuable, if not more so, than nature that is cleared and converted. If we find difficulty in justifying the existence of wild places, we're in trouble. If the Louvre museum in Paris starts running a deficit during hard times, does that mean we sell off its treasures or close the museum? I think we will never let that happen. It's too valuable a legacy, not just for the people of Paris but for the whole world. It's not about how much those paintings are worth but what it represents about us. Similarly, the environment is part of us, where we come from, who we are. It is what sustains us."

His target audience?

"Anybody who buys stocks and shares. How many people ask, how nature-friendly is this company, and what's their track record on the environment? Will they think twice about investing if they find out the company is linked to illegal logging or animal smuggling? There are way more people who invest in stocks and shares, than who go out with a pair of binoculars to look at birds each weekend. That's a potentially huge and powerful group of people."

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Singapore to sign UN pact to curb mercury use

Feng Zengkun Straits Times 10 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE is expected to be among the first countries today to sign a new United Nations agreement on curbing mercury poisoning and pollution.

Called the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the document will be opened for countries to sign in Kumamoto, Japan, as part of a diplomatic conference that began yesterday there to adopt it.

Countries who sign the agreement will pledge to ban or reduce the import, export, use and manufacturing of products with mercury, among other measures to protect people and the environment from the risk of mercury exposure.

Mercury is a heavy metal that can be released into the air and water through activities such as small-scale gold mining and waste incineration. It is also found in some products such as some thermometers, batteries and skin-lightening creams.

Exposure to mercury can cause damage to the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and nervous and immune systems.

However, the agreement will only take effect when at least 50 countries sign it and ratify it domestically. More than a hundred countries, including Singapore, have attended sessions to negotiate its terms in the past three years.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan will be in Kumamoto today and tomorrow and is expected to sign the document on behalf of Singapore.

The Republic already meets several of the agreement's terms. Cosmetics with mercury and its compounds have been banned here since 2008.

Only products to be applied around the eyes are exempted, but they cannot contain more than 0.007 per cent of mercury to be used as a preservative.

The National Environment Agency said it has limited the use of mercury in products over the years, for example, by restricting it in batteries, clinical thermometers and fluorescent lamps.

The Ministry of Health and Health Sciences Authority said in a joint statement that some eye and ear products and nasal sprays here may have mercury in small amounts as a preservative, but these are safe.

Singapore committed to pact on curbing mercury pollution and use: Balakrishnan
Channel NewsAsia 11 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said that Singapore is committed to ensuring that all mercury that is shipped through its ports will strictly comply with the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is aimed at curbing mercury pollution and mercury use in products worldwide.

Speaking at a diplomatic conference on the Minamata Convention in Kumamoto, Japan on Friday, he said that is a commitment that Singapore is making as a major transhipment hub.

Dr Balakrishnan also said Singapore has put in place multiple controls to restrict the use of mercury in Singapore.

For instance, industries in Singapore do not use mercury.

Batteries and clinical thermometers containing mercury are also no longer allowed for import into Singapore.

Dr Balakrishnan said as a dense city state with no natural hinterland but having one of the most compact living conditions in the world, Singapore is acutely sensitive to environmental threats.

Referring to some of the worst cases of mercury poisoning in Minamata in the 1950s, he said the disaster served as a stark reminder that governments need to be vigilant and transparent.

They need to work with non-government organisations and the media to ensure vigilance.

They also need to ensure that companies conduct their businesses responsibly.

In addition, an effective international collaboration is necessary.

Dr Balakrishnan said it is in that spirit that the Minamata Convention has been formulated and signed by so many countries.

- CNA/ms

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Another way to reduce use of plastic bags

Chlorin Chew Pei Wah, Today Online Voices, 10 Oct 13;

I refer to the debate in Voices on plastic-bag usage.

I feel there is no need to charge for plastic bags. Instead, supermarkets should simply not give out these bags on certain days, such as weekends.

For example, supermarkets in Malaysia do not give out plastic bags on Saturdays.

I understand that many working families get their groceries during weekends and, like most families, I reuse plastic bags to store my rubbish.

However, I find that I usually have an abundance of these bags from my supermarket trips.

One need not get plastic bags only from supermarkets.

We can get them from convenience shops and coffee shops, and I have seen people throwing away perfectly reusable bags right after their purchase.

A nationwide campaign to reduce their usage will indeed be timely.


Give incentives to those who use own bags
Joseph Lee Kim Huat, Today Online Voices, 9 Oct 13;

I have constantly observed that the recommended solution for reducing the use of plastic bags is for supermarkets to impose a charge.

But it is better to give incentives, like a 10-cent discount, to those who use their own bags, perhaps with a minimum purchase of S$5 a bag.

This could lower the burden on the lower-income group and, with less use of plastic bags, reduce costs for supermarkets too.

Why charging for plastic bags is a zero-sum game
Today Online 12 Oct 13;

Having read the Voices letters on plastic bags, I wish to share why retailers in Singapore should not impose a charge.

I am stationed in central China, in a tier-two city where supermarkets and major modern retailers charge between 0.3 (S$0.06) and 1 yuan per plastic bag. At first, this seemed to reduce consumption.

I have noticed, though, that many shoppers continue to buy supermarket plastic bags, on a need basis, even though they bring their own bag, simply because of the bulk of certain grocery items, planned or unplanned.

Small shops and vendors continue to give plastic bags for free. Waste disposal bags are well-stocked in supermarkets and some consumers buy these black bags to supplement the plastic bags they collect from retailers.

This, to me, is a zero-sum game.

Some consumers prefer not to spend money on any bags and throw their waste loosely in disposal bins, which have become unsightly and smelly in the community area where I reside.

Such public health problems are social costs, which no one would care to measure. Households would then be the ones picking up the tab.

Lifestyle changes needed to curb plastic bag usage
Today Online 11 Oct 13;

The Singapore Environment Council is right to seek a reduction of “wastage arising from taking small bags with low potential for secondary use”, but its recommendations appear to be inadequate. (“Only take what you need for rubbish disposal”; Oct 9)

Most discussions on this issue draw attention to the astronomical number of plastic bags used by Singaporeans, with usage at supermarkets as the whipping boy. Are we barking up the wrong tree, however, given the evidence that most of these bags are reused for rubbish disposal?

Instead, there is some room to reduce the consumption of plastic bags for food items. For example, a major bakery chain wraps bread individually in plastic bags at the checkout counter. These are thrown away after the bread is eaten, as they have no alternative uses.

We should request that paper boxes be used. Most sales of food items involve the use of plastic bags, partly for hygiene reasons and partly to cater to our way of life. If we want a meaningful reduction in plastic bag usage, we must accept some changes to our way of life.

Many have pointed out that other developed countries have controlled the use of plastic bags. However, there are two important differences between Singapore and these countries. First, our warm climate promotes the proliferation of rodents and pests.

Second, food waste from Asian cuisines is generally messier (leftover bones and gravy).

Without enough plastic bags to manage the waste, public health issues might be costlier to address. Are we prepared to change our diet so that plastic bags are not critical to food waste disposal?

As for using biodegradable bags, I feel that they are sometimes a greater waste of resources.

A major IT retail chain here gives out reusable bags for purchases, but ironically, I have little subsequent use for these compared to the supermarkets’ plastic bags.

Singapore should indeed curb wastage of plastic bags. However, we should target scenarios where the usage is non-essential, particularly for non-food items.

Perhaps all retailers should make the effort to first ask consumers if they require a bag. Given a chance to reflect on this, a sizeable number may not take the bags.

Changes to how we use plastic bags can be easily incorporated into daily life
Today Online 12 Oct 13;

I have read all the Voices letters on the subject of disposable plastic bags and, like some of the writers, I have been taking plastic bags for groceries sparingly for years and using reusable bags.

I bring a cooler bag with me for frozen and chilled products, which makes sense in many ways, for example, to keep food from spoiling on the way home. I take only a few minutes to wash it afterwards, if necessary.

As mentioned in “Lifestyle changes needed to curb plastic bag usage” (Oct 11), more retailers could ask customers if they need a bag. Pharmacies and those selling dry goods come to mind. Several already do and some customers put the goods in their own bags if they are reminded.

One furniture and household giant here does not supply free plastic bags, which customers have learnt to accept.

Perhaps what is needed is a mindset change and more effort to use recycling bins/collections rather than throwing everything down the convenient rubbish chute. Then we may not need so many bags.

Other small changes could easily be made, such as draining liquid or semi-liquid refuse to reduce volume and mess before disposal. It may take a little more time, but some convenience can be sacrificed for our fragile planet and our future generations.

Plastic bag reduction and recycling may sound like a small contribution, but it is something the ordinary person could easily incorporate into daily life.

Read more!