Yesterday, NParks celebrated 50 years of greening at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, with its volunteers and friends. Many played a big part in greening Singapore over the last 50 years. Former MND Ministers (Mr Dhanabalan, Mr Mah Bow Tan) and former MND/NParks colleagues also joined in the celebrations. Nostalgia was the theme of the gathering and nostalgia indeed underpinned much of the conversations and reflections. It has been a great journey, greening Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s personal drive and determination to make Singapore a Garden City was a critical factor and his name cropped up repeatedly in last night’s chat. But it was not just top-down; there was a natural ground-up enthusiasm to green our Home and to make our environment pleasant. Who does not want to live in a clean, beautiful garden? One distinct feature of the Singapore landscape is its diversity. Our parks offer a variety of experience - from rustic nature reserves to beautiful world-class gardens. We are making our parks and green spaces even more accessible to Singaporeans. Our Park Connectors play a key role in this effort. There are now more than 200 km of them; but there will be more when we complete the Rail Corridor and the 150 km Round Island Route (RIR). When ready, the latter will be a continuous coastal recreational corridor, linking up to park connectors and connecting people through cycling networks. Our Park Connectors have enabled cycling to be pursued regularly as a leisure activity. But I see in the Park Connectors enabling commuters to cycle to work in the future. The Rail Corridor and the RIR, when completed, will make this a viable option for those who work in the city. That will be a great day for Singaporeans when it arrives. -Minister Khaw
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 11:42:52 +0000
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