New steering committee formed for Jurong Lake District developments

SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced today that the Government has set up a steering committee to oversee developments in Jurong Lake District.

The committee will be led by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Ministry of Communications and Information and will comprise 14 members.

The members include Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport; Mr Desmond Lee, Minister of State for National Development; and 11 individuals with diverse backgrounds ranging from urban planning, real estate and design, natural heritage, science and technology as well as the local community.

The steering committee will be supported by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

In his National Day Rally this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced plans for the Jurong Lake Gardens and new Science Centre in Jurong Lake District as well as plans for the surrounding areas. These plans will require strong coordination between multiple agencies and close partnership with the private sector and local community, URA said in a joint statement with the People's Association (PA).

Hence, the committee will work closely with the local community to gather their views and ideas on the plans. Over the next one to two years, it will study the plans for the areas in and around Jurong Lake District to ensure its vibrancy, with opportunities for both good jobs, learning and recreation for Singaporeans, said the joint statement.

The announcement was made at a community cleanup of Jurong Lake on Sunday morning, where over 700 Jurong residents gathered to participate in a line-up of environmental conservation activities.

DPM Tharman also announced a new Water-Venture Committee (Jurong Lake) to engage more residents in water and adventure sports, and promote greater care and love for community spaces.

The committee will gather inputs from residents, and encourage and facilitate ground-up eco-themed activities and educational programmes. It will complement the development plans by leveraging on the grassroots network to better understand and support residents' needs.