Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on development plans for Jurong Lake District

Jul 9, 2018

Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to Malaysia's decision to cancel the High Speed Rail (HSR) project, what are the implications for

(a) development plans for sites along the Singapore stretch of the HSR especially in the Jurong Lake District; and

(b) land acquisition for the proposed HSR.

Answer:

The development of Jurong Lake District (or JLD in short) is part of our broader effort to develop urban centres outside the downtown area, so as to bring jobs, amenities and recreational options closer to homes.

We started with the building of our first regional centre at Tampines in 1992, and then started the work to transform Jurong in 2008.  So the plans for Jurong Lake District were developed well before Malaysia proposed the HSR project.  It was only in 2015, after further study of the HSR proposal, that we decided to locate the Singapore terminus of the HSR in Jurong. 

The transformation plans for Jurong Lake District include the following components:

(a) The development of a commercial precinct and the injection of up to 20,000 new homes;

(b) The upgrading of Jurong Lake Gardens (including the Chinese and Japanese Gardens) with a new Science Centre integrated within the Gardens; and

(c) The development of a major transport hub connecting the existing North-South and East-West MRT Lines as well as the upcoming Jurong Region and Cross Island Lines.

These plans are still relevant today.  The land parcels that the government has acquired are needed to realise these plans.  The Jurong Country Club site will provide for new mixed-use developments and community facilities.  The Raffles Country Club (RCC) site is needed for the Cross Island Line (CRL)’s western depot and other transport related uses.  

Regardless of the outcome of the HSR project, the overall impetus and vision for Jurong Lake District have not changed.  Some details may need to be adjusted along the way, as circumstances change.  But the bottom line is that we have an exciting transformation plan for the whole area, and we will proceed with the implementation of these plans when ready.