Reclamation works will not affect access to Changi intertidal areas, say authorities

They were responding to a petition calling for HDB to scale back its plans for the area

- Ang Qing

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.

They also said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the project contained security sensitivities that required confidentiality agreements before the public could view it.

The two agencies 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, octopuses 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 to protect one of Singapore's largest seagrass meadows.

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 said in the open letter penned 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 EIAs and prioritise public access to non-sensitive information in these reports.