Steering committee to oversee Jurong Lake District

SINGAPORE — To oversee the upcoming developments in the Jurong Lake District, the Government has set up a 14-member Steering Committee led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam today (19 Oct).

The committee will also include Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Josephine Teo, Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee and other individuals involved in urban planning, natural heritage, science and technology, among other things.

First announced at this year’s National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a new Jurong Lake Gardens will be created by combining the existing Jurong Lake Park, Japanese and Chinese Gardens, as well as the new Science Centre.

Other long-term ideas for the area include further road-widening projects to relieve congestion in the Jurong Gateway area, as well as a possibility that the future Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail terminus could be sited in Jurong.

Speaking at the third wave of Project Blue WaVe held at Jurong Lake Park, Mr Tharman noted how while the lake is a serene place with its own character, both the lake and gardens can be much better used.

“It must be, as Prime Minister Lee put it, a ‘people’s garden’, filled with activities and community events, and where the spirit of community gardening comes alive,” he said.

The challenge, he noted, is to ensure the natural feel and sense of heritage of the place is retained but also inject life and enable many more to enjoy the place.

As development work for the new Jurong Lake Gardens gets underway, Project Blue WaVe will then bring communities together in year-long ground-up environment conservation efforts.

A separate Water-Venture Committee for Jurong Lake will also gather inputs from residents, and facilitate eco-themed activities and educational programmes. They are expected to engage up to 5,000 residents, young families and youths in the next few months.