Mandai makeover: Nature-themed precinct could be on the cards

Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 5 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE: With its existing wildlife attractions, the Mandai area could be redeveloped into a precinct for nature-themed attractions for education and recreation, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and National Parks Board (NParks) said. Both agencies released a joint statement on Friday (Sep 5), a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a forum on Channel NewsAsia that a "bigger and better" Mandai zoo is in the works, as part of a larger makeover of Mandai that could happen by 2020.

A joint statement from both agencies on Friday (Sep 5) said STB is still working on development plans and will share more information when ready.

RESORT ATTRACTION?

Currently, Mandai is not only home to the Singapore Zoo, but the recently opened River Safari and the Night Safari as well. Mr Lee said an old orchid farm and orchard could be used for the zoo's extension. One idea from the Association of Singapore Attractions (ASA) is to create a resort immersed in nature, and turn Mandai into a place that could boost tourism.

Said ASA chairman Kevin Cheong: "We should not look at the Mandai area as just a place to visit. It should be a must-see, must-stay, and stay overnight. People can stay, live in nature for two or three days and that can prolong the length of their stay in Singapore. That would generate repeat visitorship to other precincts in Singapore."

Mr Cheong added the redeveloped Mandai should not just cater to tourists, but Singaporeans as well. "When I say wildlife resorts, I don't mean a five-star resort, I don't mean living it up in luxury, I mean going back to nature. Could it be staying in a 'kampung'? Could it be in a longhouse? Through social media, our residents become not just visitors, but advocates for nature, advocates for our attractions, telling their friends from overseas to visit Singapore and experience their favourite parts of Singapore. That is true tourism."

"NATURAL" ESCAPE

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said various Government agencies have been studying how the area can be enhanced as an entire precinct, in ways that preserve Mandai's natural charm. “It's not just about gated attractions such as the Zoo or the Night Safari. It is also about creating public spaces, green spaces, that more Singaporeans can enjoy.There is a lot of potential for that in the area, by virtue of the fact that it is contiguous with the reservoir and the natural setting that it has."

Hospitality and tourism management lecturer Shirley Tee, who teaches at Nanyang Polytechnic, said activities involving nature are becoming popular. “Because of the stress of life that everybody has now, there is this need to escape from your daily routine, go back to nature and let your mind relax and be at peace. That is something I think a lot of tourists would look forward to - a place where you have enjoyment, but can also be relaxed," she said.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Prime Minister Lee had said the Mandai development will be green and enhance the existing nature reserve without infringing it. He also mentioned ongoing talks with nature groups that are expected to help improve and refine the plans for the area.

The Nature Society (Singapore) said it was consulted about a month ago, though it noted that the history of the project goes back a few years. "There was a large STB-organised consultation in 2012 and an earlier one in 2007. There has been a long history of engagement with stakeholders," said Nature Society president Shawn Lum. “The earlier engagement, consultation, envisioning activities that I was privileged to be part of, were mainly kind of scoping out what would an appropriate, nature-friendly, sustainable attraction be for this area, given its proximity to the zoo and so on."

While the group is concerned about the impact the development will have on the environment and wildlife, it hopes a middle ground can be found. "What we can't sugarcoat is we will lose habitat," said Dr Lum. "But in terms of the net benefits of the whole project, in terms of changing perceptions towards nature, getting kids excited about wildlife, increasing the people's sense of wonderment at nature, if these things can all be accomplished and the thing will synergise existing attractions and existing NGO efforts, it could be something quite special."

NParks said it will guide the development so that it is sustainable and sensitive to the natural environment. An Environmental Impact Assessment will also be done to avoid or mitigate any impact on the nature reserves and reservoirs.

THE "BIGGER AND BETTER" ZOO

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) - the holding company of Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo - said the planned expansion of the zoo will focus on its mission of conservation, biodiversity and maintaining the area's environmental sustainability.

Speaking to reporters at a party to celebrate the birthday of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia, WRS chairman Claire Chiang said: "Edutainment has always been our mission and I think this is one opportunity to create a Singapore with that focus. With that sort of exchange among experts and with all our biodiversity experts in the region, this is yet another new development that is going to make a mark in the global perspective on sustainability."

- CNA/xy

Mandai mega-attraction will appeal to all: WRS
Joy Fang Today Online 6 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE — An integrated conservation hub, an educational and research destination, as well as a spectacular tourist attraction that caters not just to Singaporeans but also the international crowd. It could also be home to a bird park with one of the biggest walk-in aviaries in the world.

This is the vision that Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) chairman Claire Chiang has for the new mega development planned for the Mandai area. WRS manages the three existing attractions in the area — the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari — as well as the Jurong Bird Park, which may be relocated to Mandai as part of the redevelopment plans announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday.

Ms Chiang’s vision of a top-drawer attraction that would appeal to all came as Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said yesterday the focus is on making available public spaces for Singaporeans to enjoy what Mandai has to offer.

Speaking to the media yesterday at a Panda Party at River Safari, Ms Chiang also revealed that an expansion of its three existing attractions in Mandai is necessary, given the high volume of visitors that is affecting visitor experience. For example, during Chinese New Year, daily visitorship numbers for the zoo can hit as high as 15,000, said Ms Chiang, adding that there is also greater efficiency under an integrated attraction.

On the possible relocation of the Bird Park, which was opened in 1971, Ms Chiang said the proposal had been discussed in the past few years. “Every product will need renewal and new ideas,” she said. “My wish is to see possibly one of the biggest walk-in aviaries (in the world) ... the open zoo concept is what won WRS its name.”

On Thursday, Mr Lee had announced during a live television forum that the Mandai area would be redeveloped into an all-encompassing wildlife attraction. Adding that the nature reserves would not be infringed upon, Mr Lee said the Government was mulling over the use of available space around the nature reserves, such as an unused orchid plantation and an old fruit orchard. The developments would create something bigger and better, Mr Lee said.

In a joint statement yesterday, the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Parks Board (NParks) reiterated that the Mandai area has the potential to be developed into a precinct of nature-themed attractions for education and recreation, and green public spaces for Singaporeans to enjoy and appreciate nature. “The STB is still working out development plans for Mandai and will share more information when ready,” it added. NParks will guide the development so it is sustainable for and sensitive to the natural environment, the statement said.

Ms Chiang said WRS is looking at using the development as a research platform to boost exchanges among experts, who can look at issues such as rainforest sustainability and biodiversity. “This is yet another new development that is going to make a mark in the global perspective,” she said. “Surely we are going to take every care to study seriously the host of factors related to safeguarding biodiversity and sustainability.”

The Jurong Bird Park was built at a cost of S$3.5 million more than four decades ago, excluding the price of the land.

Speaking to TODAY, Mr Bernard Harrison — former chief executive of WRS who has been credited for helping transform the zoo into being one of the most successful in Asia — said it would be extravagant and unnecessary to relocate the Bird Park. While the attraction could do with an upgrade, a relocation is much more costly, said Mr Harrison, who runs zoo design company Bernard Harrison and Friends. He said: “A bird park is a bird park. People find birds boring, that’s the problem ... How are you going to make the birds more exciting than they are already?”

Responding to Mr Harrison’s comments, Ms Chiang said it was important to innovate and find new ways to attract visitors.

She pointed out that there were also naysayers — citing the high costs — when WRS began creating River Safari. But the attraction has proven to be a success, she said.

Citing hefty entry fees to the zoo, Mr Harrison felt the new development must be geared towards catering for Singaporeans. Public transport to the Mandai area should also be improved, he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a West Coast community event, Mr Iswaran said yesterday the Government must make sure the new development has a strong attraction for Singaporeans to visit. And then it has to look into augmenting the development to also appeal to tourists.

“I don’t think it’s mutually exclusive. But, as the Prime Minister mentioned, the focus is on the public spaces and what can be available in terms of open areas for Singaporeans to enjoy,” he said, adding that it is not only about gated attractions.

Stressing that plans are at a preliminary stage, Mr Iswaran described Mandai as a very special area consisting of existing attractions, the nature reserves and a reservoir. “It has the potential to be enhanced as a nature-themed, eco-friendly kind of precinct that all of us — Singaporean families — can enjoy,” he reiterated. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LAURA PHILOMIN

New plans for Mandai will be 'sensitive to area'
Melissa Lin And Samantha Boh The Straits Times AsiaOne 8 Sep 14;

The new developments at the Mandai area will be sustainable and sensitive to the surrounding area, with an Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken to address any impact on the nature reserves and reservoirs.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National Parks Board (NParks) said in a joint statement yesterday that the development "should not encroach on the nature reserves and reservoirs".

"Through sensitive design and management, the development could potentially strengthen and enhance the nature reserves," it said. NParks added that views from nature groups will be sought to ensure the sustainable development of the area.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during a live television forum on Thursday that leafy Mandai will be transformed with a "bigger, better zoo", and the Jurong Bird Park could be moved to the area, home to the Singapore Zoo, River Safari and Night Safari.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said last night that the green groups here are important stakeholders in the development of Mandai. "They will be engaged; (we) already have spoken to some. As the idea develops, there will be more engagement to ensure that some of the key concerns that already have been outlined can be addressed in a fair manner," he said.

In the joint statement, STB said it is "still working out" the development plans for Mandai. It noted the area's potential "to be developed into a precinct of nature-themed attractions for education and recreation, and green public spaces for Singaporeans to enjoy and appreciate nature".

Moving the Bird Park to Mandai would be a win-win situation for the attraction and its neighbours, as such a cluster would be more marketable to tourists, said industry players and experts. A new Bird Park would also create a buzz among Singaporeans for the 43-year-old attraction.

But a cluster could also result in saturation of attractions and increased competition among them, said Dr Guan Chong, marketing lecturer at SIM University's School of Business.

Dr Michael Chiam, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's senior lecturer in tourism, said the problem with the Bird Park is its "isolated location, with no other attractions around to support it". A crocodile farm next door closed in 2006.

A move would allow Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which runs the four parks, to hold joint promotions and events to draw crowds back to the ailing attraction, said Dr Chiam.

Last year, the Bird Park attracted nearly 800,000 visitors - nearly 14 per cent less than in 2012 and the lowest in at least seven years, according to Singapore Department of Statistics data.

Dynasty Travel "usually omits" the Bird Park from its itinerary in Mandai as it takes 20 to 30 minutes by coach to reach the park from there, said director of marketing communications Alicia Seah. If the Bird Park moves to Mandai, it could be added to the current package under a special price, she added.

Attractions overseas have already found success with this concept. The Darling Harbour area in Sydney has a zoo, aquarium, wax museum and observation tower.

The expansion of the wildlife parks is necessary, said WRS chairman Claire Chiang yesterday. The zoo saw a peak of 15,000 people a day during Chinese New Year. "That kind of crowdedness is not giving us the guest experience," Ms Chiang added.