Best of our wild blogs: 17 May 12

Beautiful Lacewings
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Pollutive petrochemical plant may be relocated near our Northern shores
from wild shores of singapore

How to foster good science in Singapore?
from The Biology Refugia

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Changi Motorsports Hub contract terminated

Patwant Singh Channel NewsAsia 16 May 12;

SINGAPORE: The construction of the Changi Motorsports Hub may finally be called off, after the final termination papers were signed on Wednesday.

The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will take back possession of the land from the SG Changi consortium on Thursday.

SG Changi could not complete the Changi Motorsports Hub as the company had run into various financial difficulties.

The next step for SSC will be to see if there are any parties interested in taking up the project.

The Request for Information phase will last from August up to the end of 2012.

A decision on whether a re-tender will be called will be made in the third quarter of 2013, SSC elaborated.

SSC CEO Lim Teck Yin said there could have been more stringent criteria in place when it came to examining the financial strengths and organisational ability of the bidding consortiums.

"We could have gone further to require a level of assurance about being able to finance the entire project, maybe through the likes of a bankers guarantee for the entire project, and not just the ability to buy the land," he said.

"That could have benefitted the project, since we were also trying to achieve other national objectives, not least trying to get the hub up on time and ready."

"But those are the lessons learnt," he added.

SSC said it welcomes both local and overseas investors and is also keeping its options open to both motorsports- and non-motorsports-related concepts.

In informal sessions, it has already met five or six interested parties and will be engaging the services of a consultancy to help it with the feedback process.

- CNA/wm

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WWF and partners celebrate Coral Triangle Day on June 9

WWF 16 May 12;

WWF and its partners are celebrating the first-ever Coral Triangle Day on June 9 at several locations around the Coral Triangle region to highlight the importance of marine conservation and to raise awareness on this global center of marine biodiversity.

An interpretation of World Oceans Day in this part of the world, the Coral Triangle Day brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments from different parts of the region on one special day to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of this region and to promote the importance of oceans through varied activities including: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners; educational exhibitions; marine-themed bazaars; and beach parties.

“WWF, along with its partners are encouraging everyone to do one special thing, no matter how small, that will contribute to saving the Coral Triangle and let the world know how we care about it by sharing it on the Coral Triangle online platform www.thecoraltriangle.com/day,” says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

The Coral Triangle is a six million square-kilometer ocean expanse that contains the highest number of reef building corals on the planet. Its spectacular coral reefs systems are home to thousands of whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles.

Spanning across six countries in Asia and the Pacific including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is also a nursery ground for highly valuable tuna species and much sought-after reef fish species. It directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people who heavily depend on marine resources for food and income.

However, coastal development, destructive fishing, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, the illegal harvest and trade of endangered species, and climate change, among many others, are taking a heavy toll on this fragile marine ecosystem.

The Coral Triangle Day, envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event, hopes to empower individuals to take specific action to help protect and conserve this globally-significant marine ecoregion.

“This unprecedented event aims to build a critical mass of supporters for the Coral Triangle on different levels of society by using a fun and exciting way for people in this part of the world to learn more about the significance of oceans,” adds Pet-Soede.

Individuals, organizations, and establishments celebrating the Coral Triangle Day are encouraged to post their videos or photos on www.thecoraltriangle.com/day to show the world what they are doing for the oceans during this day and to help create a truly regional community of Coral Triangle supporters.

For more information on the Coral Triangle, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com. For more information on the Coral Triangle Day, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com/day

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Malaysia: Logging results in river pollution and displaced elephants

Garbage, waste pollute river
Sharifah Masrinah Abdullah New Straits Times 17 May 12;

NEW PROBLEM: Villagers highlight adverse effects of logging activities

KOTA BARU: LESS than 24 hours after the elephant rampage problem was reported in the New Straits Times, villagers living near Bukit Bakau forest reserve yesterday highlighted another adverse effect from logging activities.

They claimed that garbage and other waste from the logging projects had polluted a river near their villages in Machang.

A resident, who only wanted to be known as Ismail, said villagers discovered the pollution last year before raising the issue with the village's security and development committee.

Following this, Ismail said the committee members inspected the area and found rubbish and other items which they suspected had been dumped by loggers.

"We were told that several companies hold licences to log near the forest reserve over the past few years and we believe their workers have thrown the rubbish into the river," said Ismail, a 43-year-old rubber tapper from Kampung Cherang Hangus in Machang.

Kampung Cherang Hangus is among 10 affected villages near the forest reserve.

Other villages include Kampung Pek, Kampung Pangkal Petai and Kampung Lepan Rambai.

NST reported yesterday that the state Wildlife and National Parks Department had said rampant logging at the forest reserve had driven elephants into the villages.

Department director Rahmat Topani had said they received about 80 reports from villagers whose rubber smallholdings and fruit orchards were damaged by elephants this year.

Kampung Cherang Hangus village security and development committee head Zulkifli Mat Nor said the villagers also suspected that widespread logging had caused soil erosions in certain areas of the jungle.

"Apart from forcing elephants to flee their habitat, we also suspect that the erosion is brought about by the logging activities.

"The river has become so shallow that four-wheel-drive vehicles can easily pass across it," said Zulkifli.

Meanwhile, state Department of Environment director Ruslan Mohamad said the department had yet to receive any report from the villagers on the matter.

"The villagers can lodge a report with us but they must support it with evidence for us to carry out our investigation properly," he said.

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Indonesia: Second Sumatran Elephant Found Poisoned

AFP Jakarta Globe 16 May 12;


A villager watches the carcass of an elephant without its head and trunk, which was believed to have been killed by poisoning in Pante Kuyun Village, Aceh Jaya, Indonesia on Wednesday. (EPA Photo/Hotli Simanjuntak) A villager watches the carcass of an elephant without its head and trunk, which was believed to have been killed by poisoning in Pante Kuyun Village, Aceh Jaya, Indonesia on Wednesday. (EPA Photo/Hotli Simanjuntak)

Banda Aceh, Indonesia. An official says a second endangered Sumatran elephant has been poisoned in western Indonesia, apparently by villagers trying to protect their crops.

Forestry Ministry official Harmidi says the carcass of the 20-year-old male elephant was discovered Wednesday near a plantation in Aceh province.

Harmidi, who uses only one name, says a group of elephants had been wandering in the area in recent days, roaring and destroying crops.

An 18-year-old female died in Aceh after being poisoned in late April.

As forests disappear, elephants stray into inhabited areas in search of food.

Fewer than 3,000 Sumatran elephants are left in the wild and environmentalists warn that they could be extinct within three decades unless steps are taken to protect them.

Associated Press

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Indonesia: Deforestation Makes East Kalimantan Third Largest Carbon Emitter

Tunggadewa Mattangkilang Jakarta Globe 16 May 12;

Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. The fast rate of deforestation in East Kalimantan over the last few years has made it the country’s third largest carbon emitting region.

According to the East Kalimantan Climate Change Council (DDPI), the province emitted 255 million tons of carbon dioxide last year, behind only Riau (358 million tons) and Central Kalimantan (324 million tons).

Daddy Ruchiyat, chairman of the DPPI, said that just five years ago the province was the bedrock of the country’s natural forests and helped minimize the impact of carbon emissions.

“Now, we are the third largest emitter because more and more forests are turned into mines and residential areas,” he said in Balikpapan on Monday.

Daddy said the province’s carbon emissions increased by 1.4 percent annually because the local administration had allowed more forest conversion in recent years in a bid to make more money.

“The biggest contributor to the province’s emissions is forest conversion; we have fewer green forests. Aside from the legal conversion into mines and residential areas, we also have rampant illegal logging across the province,” he said.

Daddy urged the provincial administration to enforce a regulation requiring companies intending to open mining sites by clearing forests to implement adequate reclamation and reforestation programs.

“So, the companies must conduct a study on how much carbon is released, and accordingly, plant trees to absorb back the same amount of carbon released. All along, the administration is reluctant to enforce the regulation while the companies just play dumb,” he said.

Niel Makimuddin, the Nature Conservancy’s program manager, agreed with Daddy, saying that forest destruction in East Kalimantan had reached an alarming level because of unregulated conversion.

“We have raised deep concerns because the destruction continues, and nothing is done to stop it,” he said.

Niel also expressed alarm about the illegal logging that he said seemed unstoppable in the province.

“The combination of legal and illegal logging has created high deforestation levels, and created more carbon emissions,” he said.

East Kalimantan only has 4 million hectares of forest cover out of the province’s total size of 14.8 million hectares. Meanwhile, Fathur Roziqin, director of East Kalimantan’s Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), said that carbon emissions had begun to create extreme weather and unpredictable changes in climate.

“The changes have been felt by our farmers and fishermen. They can no longer correctly predict the season and it negatively affects their ability to cope with climate behavior and to earn a living,” he said.

Fathur said the government should enforce the law, and join forces with civil society groups and local communities to protect the forests.

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Solomon Island dolphin stock assessment report to be released

Solomon Star 16 May 12;

A report on the national assessment of dolphin stock in the country will be presented this week.

This will happen during a two days workshop which starts tomorrow in Honiara.

The workshop will bring local and international participants and will be held at the Heritage Park Hotel.

The Solomon Islands government through the ministry of environment, climate change, disaster management and meteorology and the ministry of fisheries and marine resources will be presenting this report on the national dolphin assessment and survey 2009-2011.

A statement from the ministry of environment said the workshop will lead to the development of a national management plan for dolphin (Cetaceans) based on the report and collective views of interested and important sectors which involved both local and international.

"This will be important for the future of dolphin management in the country taking into account its traditional implication, national effort to manage this species as required under relevant regional and international obligations."

Delegations from overseas have started arriving yesterday with more today for the workshop tomorrow.

A number of local and international speakers will also be making presentations at the workshop.

Objectives of the workshop are;

To report on the population status of dolphin in Solomon Islands from the national assessment 2009-2010;

Outline and draft the national management and development plan for dolphins in the country;

Provide specific recommendations for the sustainable management of dolphins through national quota and captive breeding management in the country;

To identify priority activities for the implementation of management plan, including development of work plan, timely reporting to relevant authorities, resource mobilization and identification of the ministries' needs and priorities;

Provide overview of dolphin takes history in Solomon Islands, specifically on traditional drive-hunts, live capture for export, general biology of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin; Tursiops aduncus and general threats to cetaceans important for future dolphin conservation and management.

By MOFFAT MAMU

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Common Fungicide Wreaks Havoc On Freshwater Ecosystems

ScienceDaily 16 May 12;

Chlorothalonil, one of the world's most common fungicides used pervasively on food crops and golf courses, was lethal to a wide variety of freshwater organisms in a new study, University of South Florida researchers said.

Biologists Taegan McMahon and Jason Rohr, co-authors of the study published in the journal Ecology Letters, report that chlorothalonil killed amphibians, snails, zooplankton, algae, and aquatic plants below estimated environmental concentrations previously deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The loss of these herbivores and plants freed the algae from predation and competition, which eventually resulted in algal blooms that were similar to the effects of eutrophication.

"Some species were able to recover from the chemical assault, but the ecosystem was fundamentally changed after its exposure to chlorothalonil," Rohr said.

The four-week study was conducted in a series of 300-gallon tanks used to mimic pond conditions.It follows a 2011 laboratory study conducted by McMahon and Rohr that found that ecologically-relevant concentrations of chlorothalonil killed four species of amphibians.

"Although our new study is the only reported community- and ecosystem-level experiment on chlorothalonil, our results are consistent with several direct toxicity studies conducted in the laboratory and with observations in the field," McMahon said.

Chlorothalonil kills molds and fungus by disrupting cellular respiration, an essential process for most multicellular organisms on the planet. Like the infamous DDT, chlorothalonil is a member of the organochlorine chemical family.

Fifty years after the book "Silent Spring" led to a ban on most forms of the pesticide DDT, chlorothalonil is one of a few organochlorine pesticides still registered for use in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

"In addition to reducing biodiversity and altering ecosystem functions, chlorothalonil reduced the decomposition of waste, an important service that freshwater ecosystems provide to humans," McMahon added.

"Interest in the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions stems at least partly from the concern that anthropogenically-driven declines in biodiversity will reduce or alter the benefits offered by ecosystems," Rohr said."Surprisingly, however, this is one of the first studies to actually manipulate an anthropogenic factor and link it to changes in ecosystem functions mediated by declines in biodiversity."

"This is important because many species in ecosystems might contribute little to ecosystem functions or are functionally redundant with other species, and thus declines in biodiversity do not always affect the functions and services of ecosystems," Rohr said.

McMahon and Rohr encourage further research on effects of anthropogenic factors on ecosystem functions in systems with complex food webs and the re-evaluation of the safety of chlorothalonil.

Funding for the project was provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Journal Reference:

Taegan A. McMahon, Neal T. Halstead, Steven Johnson, Thomas R. Raffel, John M. Romansic, Patrick W. Crumrine, Jason R. Rohr. Fungicide-induced declines of freshwater biodiversity modify ecosystem functions and services. Ecology Letters, 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01790.x

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Best of our wild blogs: 16 May 12

Loving Chek Jawa to death?
from wild shores of singapore

26-27 May: Celebrate Singapore's Marine Biodiversity!
from wild shores of singapore

Mon 21 May 2012: 4.00pm @ SBG – “Let’s Talk Bats” by Joann Christine L. (FRIM)
from Otterman speaks

First fieldwork session at muddy Pasir Ris!
from My Gap Year

Random Gallery - The Rustic
from Butterflies of Singapore

Pink-necked Green-pigeon building nest
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Rejected Taiwan Kuokuang petrochemical transferred to Pengerang, Johor

New tipping point
Opinion by Lim Sue Goan
Translated by Soong Phui Jee
Sin Chew Daily 15 May 12;

The rejected Kuokuang petrochemical investment project will be transferred to Pengerang, Johor. It is another controversial project after the Lynas rare-earth refinery plant project in Kuantan. It is believed to become an election issue, too.

Malaysia is an oil-producing country and oil has been listed as one of the national key economic sector. Therefore, it is a logical move to enter the refining and petrochemical industry, which is believed to bring huge economic benefits.

However, does it mean that the people must pay the costs of health and environment to develop petrochemical industry and gain economic wealth? Do all countries in the middle-income trap have to make sacrifices and bring in high-pollution industries?

Like the Lynas rare-earth refinery plant, people are having the same doubts over the RM36 billion petrochemical investment project. Why are we treasuring something that has been rejected by others?

The Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co proposed a huge petrochemical investment project in Taiwan in 2005, to build petrochemical plants in Yunlin. However, the location changed to the coast of central Zhanghua County in 2008 after failing the environment assessment. On April 22 2011, President Ma Ying-jeou announced his withdrawal of support for the project.

The Kuokuang petrochemical investment was accused of high water consumption, consuming about 400,000 tons per day, which would dry the largest wetlands of Taiwan and threaten food safety. In addition, it was estimated that 339 to 565 people would die of cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer, while patients of respiratory diseases would also increase due to the PM2.5 pollutants released into the air.

The project could create 20,000 job opportunities, but it was estimated to cost more than NT$100 billion of social cost yearly.

Eventually, political leaders listened to the public opinion and shelved the project under the strong opposition from the people, as well as environmental and ecological protection organisations.

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir has expressed interest in the project since April last year after the project was shelved in Taiwan. Taiwan Economic Minister Shi Yanxiang also confirmed that the Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co does have contact with Malaysia.

It is believed that the two parties have negotiated details of the investment project since then, but the government did not consult the people and local experts. Like the Lynas rare-earth refinery plant, it lacks transparency. It could lead to a strong rebound from the civil society when the people are informed only after what is done cannot be undone.

The project had consulted public opinion and in-depth study were conducted for six years in Taiwan. As for us, isn't it too hasty to accept it without any prior studies is conducted and even before the release of the environmental assessment report?

We feel baffled if it is true that Malaysia is offering 10 years of tax-free concession as reported by Taiwan media. Why should we treat such a high-risk investment so well? The Lynas rare-earth plant enjoys 12 years of tax-free concession while the Kuokuang petrochemical plants enjoy 10 years of tax-free concession. It will not worth the candle if the country has to spend huge sums of money to repair the environment in the future.

The authorities do not seem to have learned a lesson from the Lynas rare-earth refinery plant controversy. The anti-petrochemical plant issue is expected to continue fermenting and once the forces opposing the rare-earth and petrochemical plants combine, it would be a trouble for the BN.

From a positive point of view, however, the rare-earth plant and petrochemical plant issues would raise civil awareness, which might help accelerate the country's political transformation.

Shelved Kuokuang petrochemical project may be revived in Malaysia
Focus Taiwan 14 May 12;

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang confirmed Monday that a controversial petrochemical investment project that was scrapped in Taiwan may be revived in Malaysia.

According to local media reports, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced Sunday that his country will work with a Taiwanese petrochemical company to launch a US$120 billion investment project for oil refining, naphtha cracking and petrochemical production.

Fielding questions at a legislative committee meeting, Shih said the company Razak referred to was Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co., in which Taiwan's state-owned oil refiner CPC Corp. has a large stake.

Kuokuang had planned to build a naphtha cracking and petrochemical complex in coastal wetlands in central Taiwan's Changhua County.

The project was scrapped, however, after some local residents andenvironmental impact assessment teams raised concerns that it would consume too much water and generate high levels of pollution in the ecologically sensitive area.

"Kuokuang has since been seeking a suitable overseas destination for its investment project, and Malaysia is a possible option," Shih said.

Asked about the possible impact of such a move on Taiwan's petrochemical industry, Shih said industry executives have agreed to focus on producing high-quality petrochemicals at home and other petrochemical intermediaries abroad.

He admitted that Kuokuang's decision to launch its new investment project abroad will definitely have an adverse impact on Taiwan's petrochemical production value.

"But since our people have made a choice against the Kuokuang project, the Ministry of Economic Affairs must uphold this policy line," Shih said.

He promised that the ministry will step up efforts to help upgrade technology in the domestic petrochemical industry so as to minimize any negative impact of overseas investment projects.

(By Lin Meng-ju and Sofia Wu)

Kuokuang project may be revived in Malaysia
SHARING:The shelved petrochemical project, formerly planned for Changhua County, would share amenities and infrastructure with a state oil and gas company
Staff Writer, with CNA Taipei Times 15 May 12;

Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) confirmed yesterday that a controversial petrochemical investment project that was scrapped in Taiwan may be revived in Malaysia.

According to local media reports, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on Sunday that his country would work with a Taiwanese petrochemical company to launch a multibillion-dollar investment project for oil refining, naphtha cracking and petrochemical production.

Fielding questions at a legislative committee meeting, Shih said the company Najib referred to was Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co (國光石化), in which Taiwan’s state-owned oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油), has a large stake.

CPC media liaison officer Jessica Tang (唐苑莉) said Kuokuang may build a refinery, naphtha cracker and other plants.

“We are evaluating the feasibility of the proposed investment” and the company may make a decision by the middle of next year, depending on government approval, she said.

Kuokuang may invest between US$10 billion and US$12 billion in the project, if the Taiwan government approves the investment, Tang said.

The project may share amenities and infrastructure with a US$20 billion refinery and petrochemicals complex planned by Malaysian state oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional BHD, according to Najib. It would be located in Pengerang, which is in the Southeast Asian nation’s southernmost state of Johor, which Malaysia wants to transform into an oil hub to compete with Singapore.

Kuokuang was incorporated in January 2006, with major investors also including Ho Tung Chemical Corp (和桐化學), Oriental Union Chemical Corp (東聯化學) and China Man-Made Fiber Corp (中國人纖), according to the ministry. It had planned to build a naphtha cracking and petrochemical complex on coastal wetlands in Changhua County.

The project was scrapped, however, after local residents and environmental impact assessment teams raised concerns that the complex would consume too much water and generate high levels of pollution in the ecologically sensitive area.

“Kuokuang has since been seeking a suitable overseas destination for its investment project, and Malaysia is a possible option,” Shih said.

Asked about the possible impact of such a move on Taiwan’s petrochemical industry, Shih said industry executives had agreed to focus on producing higher-quality petrochemicals at home and other petrochemical intermediaries abroad.

He said that Kuokuang’s decision to launch its new investment project abroad would definitely have an adverse impact on Taiwan’s petrochemical production value.

“However, since our people have made a choice against the Kuokuang project, the Ministry of Economic Affairs must uphold this policy line,” Shih said.

Separately, Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團, FPG), which faces investment obstacles in Taiwan and is seeking a breakthrough in a large ethylene plant it operates in China, said it had invested a further US$2 billion in production expansion at its Texas plant after FPG chairman William Wong (王文淵) visited it earlier this month.

However, the industrial conglomerate said its new investment in the US was simply recapitalization of its US subsidiary and was not an indication that the company is pulling out of Taiwan.

On Monday, FPG confirmed that Wong met with Texas Governor Rick Perry during his visit and that the investment was mentioned in that meeting. New ethylene and propylene plants will be built in Texas, where energy costs are low thanks to abundant shale oil resources, it added.

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Singapore's environmental conservation efforts on show in South Korea

Lim Yun Suk Channel News Asia 15 May 12;

YEOSU, South Korea: Singapore's environmental conservation efforts are on show at the Yeosu Expo 2012 in South Korea.

Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan officially opened the Singapore Pavilion on Tuesday.

With the theme Paradox-ity -- City of Contrast, the pavilion shows how the city-state deals with the challenges of sustainable urbanisation.

As visitors enter, they will see how Singapore has turned one of the world's largest offshore landfills into a home for animals and plants as well.

"When we think of garbage disposals in South Korea, I think of how dirty it is. But it's amazing how Singapore can have clean landfills," said Kim Jung Won, a South Korea student.

Another highlight is the 40-metre wall made from recycled items.

Every item on the walls was thrown away by Singaporeans in Singapore. They have been brought to South Korea to show how discarded things can be recollected and reused.

Mr Balakrishnan said: "What I am most proud about this exhibition is the fact that so many of the exhibits there have been constructed by volunteers and by students in primary school and secondary school. All the guides are volunteers and the undergraduate students gave the guidance in both English and Korean. This is really an all-out Singapore effort."

Singapore is among over 100 countries participating in the expo.

The Yeosu Expo 2012 runs till August 12.

- CNA/fa

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Clementi residents to get community farm in their backyard

Lip Kwok Wai, Karen Ng Channel NewsAsia 15 May 12;

SINGAPORE: Clementi residents will soon have a community farm in their backyard.

The Singapore Land Authority said it's processing an application from the Bukit Timah Citizens Consultative Committee for a three-year Temporary Occupation Licence for a plot of State land at Clementi Avenue 4 for the farm.

The 1,250 square metre plot, previously occupied by illegal farmers, is where the community farm will be.

The land will be divided into 30 plots.

Eighteen individuals who had been working on the land had come forward to SLA before the April 3 deadline, and will now get a 32-square metre plot on which to grow their produce.

Priority for the other plots will be given to residents living in the area.

Users of the community farm will pay an annual maintenance fee of S$60 to defray costs.

Farmers will also get water supply and a temporary footpath will be constructed.

MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Sim Ann, who is also MP for the area, said: "Arising from feedback from the residents, we feel that this project can be integrated with a temporary footpath that links Block 305 all the way to the Ulu Pandan Park Connector, which is where many of our residents go for jogging and for walks. And I think this footpath, because it's integrated with the community garden, will also allow residents to access and to admire, the plants and the crops that the farmers are cultivating."

- CNA/fa

Clementi gardeners get to stay
Under compromise, they will get smaller plot of land and pay $60 a year
Grace Chua Straits Times 16 May 12;

A COMPROMISE has been reached between the Government and the people farming illegally in Clementi.

All 18 who had been tending to crops near Sungei Ulu Pandan will get to stay, but on a smaller plot of land. They will also pay $60 a year to continue farming there.

Member of Parliament Sim Ann said yesterday that when the farmers' activity came to light in March this year, the Government's task was to give them 'a legitimate outlet for their passion for planting'. 'The legal position is clear - whatever the background reason, encroachment on state land is illegal,' said Ms Sim, who had been leading the talks between the gardeners and the various government agencies involved.

The land is mostly in the Bukit Timah ward of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, where Ms Sim is the MP.

'But... we also recognised that these are just individuals and families who happen to love planting vegetables and crops. We knew that they meant no harm,' she added.

Ms Sim, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Law, said that other people who want to join in may do so.

The new community garden is located near Block 301 in Clementi Avenue 4. It will be run by the Bukit Timah Citizens' Consultative Committee, with support from Northwest Community Development Council and the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council.

The committee is applying for a temporary occupation licence from the Singapore Land Authority, renewable each year, and expects to be able to use the land for at least three years.

Covering an area about 50m by 25m, the community garden will be divided into 30 or so strips, each 8m by 4m. Each gardener gets just one strip.

For decades, several people - mostly the elderly - have been gardening and growing herbs, fruit and vegetables at the 1,800 sq m strip of state land sandwiched between the Sungei Ulu Pandan canal, the former Malayan Railway (KTM) track, Clementi Avenue 4 and Clementi Avenue 6.

In March, they faced eviction after residents complained about burning leaves and mosquitoes, and Ms Sim had helped secure a three-month respite and June 20 move-out date.

Kindergarten teacher Ng Ang Mui, 48, who had made some initial complaints about smoke from burning leaves, said of the new deal: 'They need to have a proper way of handling the leaves, rubbish and the mosquitoes... If there's a proper way to handle these, I think there should be no problem.'

Laboratory manager Lester Yeung, 35, whose father tends to a plot just past the Clementi Avenue 6 flyover, said there has been no more burning of leaves since March. Even if the new garden is not as large, he said, 'at least the objective of having folks be able to continue with what they do is met'.

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