CNA : ESC proposes new waterfront city, nuclear energy

ESC proposes new waterfront city, nuclear energy
By Joanne Chan/Lin JiaMei, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 February 2010 1451 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) on Monday gave extensive recommendations to ensure energy sustainability and the full optimisation of Singapore's land space, given the island-state's limited resources.

Among the plans is a new waterfront city at Tanjong Pagar, currently a port area comprising Keppel and Pulau Brani. The current port lease in the area expires in 2027.

The land area is similar in size to Marina Bay and the committee believes it can potentially allow for a substantial expansion of the business district, integrated with waterfront housing, hotels and other lifestyle attractions.

Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and co-chair of ESC Sub-committee On Land, said: "This piece of land, I think will give us lots of elements to work on. We're quite excited about the potential. It is large, it is well-located, so we believe that it offers us opportunities to create economic, social, recreational, tourism opportunities."

The committee said there is also a need for an underground master plan. It said the government should catalyse the development of underground space over the next decade. The committee also emphasized a need to develop subterranean land rights, a valuation framework and to establish a national geology office.

Ms Fu said: "The government can take the lead by creating basement spaces, in conjunction with new infrastructure development. We can create land bank, underground land bank, especially around our rail system. Also, we'd like to develop an underground masterplan to ensure that underground and above ground are synergised and optimised."

The "hard" infrastructure aside, there is also a strong push for Singapore to provide the best quality of life in Asia. And this involves growing the arts and entertainment scene by developing economically and socially vibrant districts, such as Bugis.

Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Information, Communications & Arts Minister and co-chair of ESC Sub-Committee On Global City, said: "Singapore features very well on the global competitiveness indices, as a place to do business, as a place for the economy to grow and so on.

"Where, I think, we have room to improve further, is actually on the softer issues, the softer aspects - the cultural areas, the arts - as well as to make this place an even more liveable city."

Mr Lui said Singapore should develop by 2020 at least five world-class institutions in diverse fields such as arts, design and fashion.

Besides land constraints, Singapore also faces energy resource constraints. The committee suggested that Singapore study the feasibility of using nuclear energy in the long term, an idea which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2008 said he "hasn't ruled out".

The ESC said the option could help meet base load electricity demand as well as Singapore's energy security in the long run.

In the medium term, the committee suggested Singapore should explore coal and electricity imports to diversify its energy sources. Importing energy will also free up valuable land in the country.

- CNA/yb/ir