Wanted: Ideas for Jurong Lake Gardens

Eileen Poh Channel NewsAsia 8 Feb 15;

SINGAPORE: The first phase of Jurong Lake Gardens West is expected to be completed by 2017, and the National Parks Board is seeking ideas from the public on what they hope to see at one of Singapore's largest gardens.

The public can submit their suggestions at several roving exhibitions organised by NParks. The first exhibition will be held at Jurong Point in early April.

The NParks has established some key design principles for the 70-hectare Gardens.

This includes setting aside spaces for what it calls "show gardens”, which will be created and maintained by volunteers together with the agency's landscape designers and industry partners.

NParks also wants to see the integration of science and technology with horticulture and nature restored to the living environment.

A veteran volunteer with one of NParks' community gardening programme, the Community in Bloom initiative, said the gardens can be more than just a gardening space. "People can play mahjong in the evening and at the end of the mahjong session, maybe we can have a candlelight dinner or a garden dinner,” said Mr Tony Yau. “We get some caterers and we can run events."

Mr Yau, who has been a Community in Bloom Ambassador a year after the programme started in 2008, believes more financial support should be given to the community gardens. He said the gardeners currently buy their own equipment and tools.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, who chairs the Jurong Lake District Steering Committee, said the team had already received several suggestions on the Gardens prior to the public consultation. Mr Wong, who is also the MP for Jurong GRC, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a community event at HortPark on Sunday (Feb 8) morning.

"The initial feedback, a lot of suggestions and feedback we had from people were that they wanted to maintain the rustic charm, the tranquility, the natural habitats within the gardens," said Mr Wong.

"At the same time, there was also feedback that people wanted more spaces, more programming, more activities for families and communities to make it (the gardens) more vibrant. NParks is trying very hard to integrate the feedback together and get the balance right."

- CNA/ec

Have a say in shaping new Jurong gardens
Joanna Seow The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Feb 15;

The public will get an opportunity to shape Singapore's newest national gardens.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said yesterday a roving exhibition to gather ideas for the masterplan for Jurong Lake Gardens will be launched in April.

"You don't get this very often because we don't have very many national gardens in Singapore," said Mr Wong, who chairs the Jurong Lake District Steering Committee.

"This is perhaps a chance of a lifetime to get something done right and done beautifully for the western region."

He was speaking after touring a quarterly event for gardening enthusiasts at Hort Park in Alexandra with Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee.

Designs for five new community gardens in the park were unveiled as part of Singapore's golden jubilee celebrations by the National Parks Board (NParks).