Authorities say access to Changi intertidal areas unaffected by reclamation, in response to petition

Straits Times

2 days ago

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On July 2, The Straits Times reported that about 193ha of land off Changi will be reclaimed – roughly twice the size of Gardens by the Bay.
SINGAPORE - Planned reclamation works to expand Changi Aviation Park will not affect access to popular intertidal areas off Changi Beach Park, the Housing Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a joint statement on July 28.
The authorities also said the environmental impact assessment report for the project contained security sensitivities that required confidentiality agreements before the public could view it.
They were responding to concerns raised by nature enthusiasts over whether plans for the area will limit public access to the rich shorelines of Changi.
At low tides, the area often draws people hoping to glimpse anemones, octopi, and other marine creatures.
A petition raised by nature guide Neo Xiaoyun and environmental storyteller Julian Paul Lee called for HDB to scale back its plans for the reclamation in the light of the area's intertidal ecosystem.
It also flagged concerns that the Government's consultation of the public over the works had been undermined by its use of non-disclosure agreements.
On July 2, The Straits Times reported that about
193ha of land off Changi will be reclaimed – roughly twice the size of Gardens by the Bay. It is one-fifth smaller than originally planned in order to protect one of Singapore's largest seagrass meadows.
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The intertidal areas near the project are one of the last accessible places for the public to experience the rich biodiversity of Singapore's shores, Ms Neo and Mr Lee wrote in the open letter created on July 13.
To date, more than 1,440 people have signed the petition, which called for the Government to review the use of confidentiality agreements for environmental impact assessments and prioritise public access to non-sensitive information in these reports.
Ms Neo and Mr Lee, both 29, wrote that the blanket use of a confidentiality agreement runs counter to the purpose of environmental assessments, which is to incorporate diverse views and protect natural heritage through public input.
HDB and URA said it requires the public to view the hard copy of environmental impact assessments if there are considerations requiring confidentiality, including security sensitivities, such as in the case of the Changi North reclamation.
They said: 'For such (assessments), rather than not disclose them altogether, we would facilitate the viewing of the reports, both during and after the public disclosure period, but would require viewers to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which covers the specific sensitive information within the report.'
The authorities noted that most reports for environmental impact assessments are made online for public feedback for a stipulated period.
Giving more details about the reclamation at Changi North, they said Carparks 6 and 7 of Changi Beach Park will not be affected.
As part of the planning for the Changi North project, the HDB, in consultation with NParks, had engaged stakeholders who have local conservation experience and technical knowledge of the area's biodiversity and habitats. These included nature groups, youth representatives and academics.
Ms Neo told ST that she welcomed the authorities' time and effort to engage with the petition, although there was still room for improvement.
'The use of confidentiality agreements are still worded quite broadly, so this still creates a chilling effect that dissuades meaningful civic engagement,' said the master's student studying geography and environment at the University of Hawaii.
She suggested that the agencies and contractors for future assessments could consider consulting nature guides familiar with the affected areas, as their years of observational data and experience can complement surveys.
The public feedback period for the proposed land reclamation works at Changi North has closed, but members of the public can still e-mail HDB to view the report.
The reclamation project off Changi North is one of several to create more land at the eastern end of Singapore, including the reclamation of about 900ha off Changi Bay.