No plans to designate Tagore forest as nature reserve: Chee Hong Tat

The government has no current plans to designate Tagore forest as a nature reserve, said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat. The site, zoned for residential use, was proposed for protection by scientists in 2024.

SINGAPORE: The government currently has no plans to designate Tagore forest as a nature reserve, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said on Tuesday (Sep 8). Mr Chee was responding to questions from MPs on land planning assessment and decision-making for ecologically significant sites.

MP Kenneth Tiong (WP-Aljunied) asked about nature reserves gazetted under the Parks and Trees Act, and whether the government will consider designating Tagore forest as a nature reserve. The forest, located southeast of the intersection between Seletar Expressway and Upper Thomson Road, is currently zoned for residential use under URA’s masterplan. In 2024, over 40 scientists and conservationists proposed studying its protection as a nature park in a document called the Singapore Terrestrial Conservation Plan, noting the forest is a buffer zone surrounding the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and a refuge for rare wildlife such as the Raffles’ banded langur.

Mr Chee said in his written parliamentary answer that the government adopts a “science-based” approach to prioritising what and how they conserve. In deciding to designate an area as a nature reserve, the government considers its biodiversity and ecological value, and its importance to Singapore’s native biodiversity, weighed alongside other land-use needs. Singapore has four nature reserves: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve gazetted in 1990, and Labrador Nature Reserve and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve gazetted in 2002.

Mr Chee said URA works closely with NParks to consider ecology and biodiversity in the Long-Term Plan and Master Plan, integrating development and conservation upstream. More than 7,800ha of green spaces have been set aside, rising to 8,800ha by 2035. NParks’ island-wide Ecological Profiling Exercise helps identify key ecological corridors and critical wildlife corridors such as EcoLink@BKE.

On housing supply, Mr Chee said agencies take into account demographic and socioeconomic trends, market conditions, and resale flat supply. “It is not possible to predict future housing demand with 100 per cent accuracy … Nevertheless, we expect housing demand to remain strong in the near to medium term,” he said. MP Dennis Tan (WP-Hougang) asked about intensifying low-density residential areas including good class bungalow areas near MRT stations. Mr Chee said the government will intensify land use where feasible, including injecting high-density public housing into predominantly landed areas such as Turf City, but noted that meeting bulk supply through redevelopment of landed areas would require extensive acquisition and infrastructure upgrading.

MP Pritam Singh (WP-Aljunied) asked whether public housing supply could be met through additional SERS projects at older HDB estates with large surface car parks. Mr Chee replied that SERS can only apply to a small proportion of sites and doing SERS alone would not meet overall housing demand, citing disruption to residents. MP Nadia Ahmad Samdin (PAP-Ang Mo Kio) asked about ecological criteria for avoiding development. Mr Chee said where development proceeds on sites with potentially significant environmental impact, an EIA study will assess the impact and develop mitigation measures, with agencies consulting stakeholders and implementing monitoring plans.