18/08/2014
First phase of Jurong Lake Gardens to be ready by 2017: Khaw
The Jurong Lake Gardens will retain the heritage elements of the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden, but these will be refreshed as part of the overall development, says National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Residents in the city-state, particularly in Jurong, can look forward to enjoying the 70-hectare Jurong Lake Gardens "as early as 2017", said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a blogpost on Monday (Aug 18).
He wrote that heritage elements at the Chinese and Japanese Gardens will be retained, but refreshed as part of Jurong Lake Gardens. The Gardens will be developed in phases, with Jurong Lake Park being the first to be completed in 2017, and implementation plans will dovetail with the greater plans for Jurong Lake District.
Mr Khaw also called on the public to share their ideas with NParks on how it can develop the area. NParks will invite ideas from planning and landscape design professionals and the local community next year for the development of the Gardens, he said.
"JEWEL OF JURONG"
He also reiterated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech, which highlighted the new Science Centre as the "jewel" in Jurong when completed around 2020. The new Centre will be located at the eastern bank of Jurong Lake, next to the Chinese Garden MRT station.
"We will make it fun, educational and spectacular, in keeping with changing times and our achievements over the decades. Its location will enable NParks to integrate the future Science Centre with the new Gardens, combining themes such as science, technology and horticulture in a uniquely Singaporean way," Mr Khaw wrote.
NEW HOUSING POSSIBILITIES
The Ministry of National Development (MND) also provided more details on developing the Jurong Gateway, as indicated by Mr Lee.
One idea being considered is to realign the stretch of the AYE from Yuan Ching Road to Jurong Town Hall Road to free up land south of Jurong Lake for residential development, and to integrate the Pandan Reservoir area with the district to form a larger and more cohesive development area, it said.
"Environmental improvements can be made to the surrounding parks and water bodies such as Jurong River, Pandan River, Pandan Reservoir and Teban Gardens to create an attractive waterfront residential district with good quality living environment amidst lush greenery, similar to those found in Punggol and around Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park," MND said.
MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO TRANSPORT NETWORKS
Mr Khaw added in his blogpost that there are many other "exciting plans" in store for Jurong, including major improvements to the transportation networks. "All these will take years to realise. We shall stage the implementation," the minister said.
For instance, as part of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Land Transport Master Plan 2013, the current East-West and North-South MRT lines serving the region are currently being upgraded. Two new lines - the Cross-Island Line and Jurong Region Line - are expected to be completed by around 2030 and 2025, respectively, MND stated.
It added that agencies will explore building more dedicated cycling paths and park connectors to strengthen connectivity and accessibility between Jurong Lake District and the surrounding residential and business nodes such as Pandan and Teban gardens estates, Tengah New Town, JTC’s proposed integrated R&D and industrial township centred around Clean Tech Park, NTU, and Bulim and Tengah industrial estates.
"This will reduce the need to drive within the district and help promote a healthier lifestyle," MND said.
As for plans to site the future Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail terminus in Jurong East, MND said the Government is currently studying possible locations. These plans will undergo detailed planning and technical studies and will be progressively implemented in the next 20 to 30 years, it added.
Source: Channel News Asia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/first-phase-of-jurong/1318310.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lakeshore-Singapore/687175681304215
The Jurong Lake Gardens will retain the heritage elements of the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden, but these will be refreshed as part of the overall development, says National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.