Loh Chuan Junn Channel NewsAsia 19 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: Plots of land spanning more than 100 hectares will be set aside for landscape nurseries use in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced on Saturday (Aug 19).
For a start, about 40 hectares of land comprising more than 30 plots, will be progressively released for tender in tranches from November this year. They will be tendered on a mix of 1 hectare and 2 hectare plots.
NParks said around half of the 30 plots of land will be released in four tranches till end 2018. The land plots will be available in two forms of tenancy: A nine years model with renewal every three years, and a 10+10 year leases model for bigger land parcels.
Under this model, nursery operators pay an upfront amount of 10 years' land lease, with a renewal option for another decade after the first 10 years.
The land parcels will also come with basic infrastructure built up to the front gate, it added. This means that things like drainage systems and electrical connections will be available for nurseries to "quickly move in, kick-start operations, and defray upfront capital investments", NParks said.
This is also the first time that land has been allocated for landscape nurseries, as part of efforts to boost plant supply-chain security and to support Singapore's garden city vision.
"Currently, we don't have land specifically earmarked for nurseries. Our nurseries are now on land that had been tendered out for agriculture generally, and they have had to compete with other farming businesses," said Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
To qualify for the land tender, bidders must be on the Nursery Accreditation Scheme. NParks said it would conduct tender proposal workshops prior to the start of the tender period.
Source: CNA/rw
More than 100ha of land to be set aside for landscape nurseries in a first
Linette Lai Straits Times 19 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - More than 100 hectares of land in northwest Singapore will be set aside for landscape nurseries, with the first plots open for tender starting November this year.
It is the first time that land has been specifically set aside for these businesses, said Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee on Saturday (Aug 19) morning.
"Currently, we don't have land specifically earmarked for nurseries," Mr Lee said. "Our nurseries are now on land that had been tendered out for agriculture generally, and they have had to compete with other farming businesses."
He was speaking at the National Parks Board's (NParks) Landscape Industry Fair, held at HortPark.
The news comes two days after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) announced that 12 plots of Lim Chu Kang farmland are being put up for tender.
The new land parcels will be located in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, and will come with basic infrastructure in place so that nurseries can move in quickly.
For a start, about 40 hectares - comprising around 30 one and two-hectare plots - will be released. Half of these plots will be put up for tender between November and the end of next year.
The move is part of the Landscape Productivity Roadmap to develop the industry, which has been progressively rolled out since 2012.
The smaller plots will have a nine-year tenure period, with monthly payments and renewal every three years so that operators can avoid paying large sums upfront.
The larger plots will be leased out for 20 years, with businesses required to pay an upfront amount of 10 years' worth of land lease fees.
Tender proposals will be evaluated based on both price and quality.
