Govt to start preparatory works for Long Island; waters off East Coast Park could be impacted: URA

SINGAPORE – Preparatory works for the Long Island project could affect certain stretches of the waters off East Coast Park at different intervals, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on March 30.

It said that it is planning to start these works – which include removing seabed obstructions and moving materials into the waters – and aims to undertake them progressively to minimise the impact on those who frequent the area.

Responding to queries, a URA spokesperson told The Straits Times it currently does not expect these works to impact land-based activities, and that it will share the affected locations in the coming months.

Government agencies will continue to engage relevant stakeholders, such as sea sports participants at East Coast Park, to better understand their needs and explore alternatives where feasible, the spokesperson added. URA will also study the environmental impact of the preparatory works.

URA said in a statement that the Long Island is a critical coastal protection measure, and the preparatory works are important to ensure the timely completion of the reclamation off East Coast Park.

The three tracts of reclaimed land – collectively about twice the size of Marina Bay – will stretch from Tanah Merah to Marina East.

Called the Long Island, these land tracts will create about 800ha of land for new homes, a new reservoir and about 20km of new waterfront parks when completed in the coming decades.

The project will protect the low-lying East Coast Park area, which is largely lower than 5m above the mean sea level. This is the extent of projected sea-level rise in Singapore by the end of this century if higher global mean sea levels coincide with extreme high tides and storm surges.

URA noted that some seafront areas, such as East Coast Park, have experienced coastal flooding in recent years due to seasonal high tides.

These events in January 2024 and January 2026, against the backdrop of rising sea levels and more intense rainfall, underscore the need to begin coastal protection works progressively, it added.

URA said: “Agencies are working out the specific timeline and scope of preparatory works, which will be undertaken progressively to minimise the impact on users at the East Coast as far as possible.

“Agencies will continue to engage relevant stakeholders, and more details will be announced in the coming months.”

URA did not give further details on when these works will start. However, site investigation works in the waters off East Coast Park are slated to end by April.

The site investigation works will guide the project’s detailed design and planning.

The authority said the preparatory works will not lock in the plans for Long Island and will not involve reclamation works.

The plans and design for the project will be finalised only after the full findings of technical studies, mitigation measures and feedback from further public engagements have been taken on board.

Preparatory works could involve mapping the seafloor and water depth, as well as carrying out an environmental impact assessment, engineers told ST.

This could take several months to about a year, depending on the complexity and scope, said Mr David Ng, who chairs the civil and structural technical committee of The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. These works are expected to occur in localised areas, so they could cause temporary and localised disruptions to recreational activities, he added.

Nanyang Technological University’s Professor Chu Jian said that if safety concerns arise, certain coastline or coastal areas could be closed to the public.

The professor at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering said the authorities will likely have a clearer picture of potential risks after the completion of site investigation works.

The National University of Singapore’s Professor Adrian Law said the preparatory works may disturb the seabed and coastal waters could turn cloudy within a small zone of disturbance, which will require an environmental management and monitoring programme (EMMP) to ensure the zone is within limits.

A spokesman for Nature Society Singapore said the group is pressing the authorities for details as it is concerned that obstructions on the seabed would be removed even before an environmental impact assessment is completed.

“The operation could generate silt plumes that affect the marine environment,” he said. “We are surprised that this type of operation would be undertaken outside the scope of an assessment or control by an EMMP.”

Since November 2023, URA and other agencies have engaged more than 14,000 people on their aspirations and ideas for Long Island.

The agency said there was consensus on the critical need to protect the low-lying East Coast from rising sea levels, and recognition that the reclamation project is an optimal solution that brings national benefits.

URA noted that there were suggestions to incorporate nature-based solutions, such as creating conditions for marine life and intertidal habitats to thrive, as well as to implement the works in phases to mitigate the impact on affected stakeholders as much as possible.

Many participants also expressed the importance of retaining the recreational nature of East Coast Park.

There were also suggestions for the creation of beaches and nature-friendly revetments that can be integrated with the new Long Island coastline, and for the future Long Island reservoir to support recreational uses and water activities, similar to Marina Reservoir.

Acknowledging that East Coast Park is an important recreational space with shared social memories, URA said it will plan for Long Island and the new reservoir to facilitate future recreational activities.

The authority said the Government will continue to evaluate the feasibility of these ideas, and factor them into the ongoing technical studies.

Going forward, the agencies are planning more engagements with stakeholders and the public to dive deeper into key topics, such as the types of activities that could take place at the new Long Island coastline and future reservoir.

The case for Long Island

The concept for Long Island was first revealed in Singapore’s Concept Plan 1991, a strategic land use and transportation plan to guide the Republic’s development over the next 40 to 50 years.

At the 2019 National Rally, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said reclamation was being studied as a means to defend East Coast Park against rising seas, while creating space for a freshwater reservoir.

A possible concept of the project was showcased at URA’s Long-Term Plan Review exhibition in 2022.

The following year, then Minister for National Development Desmond Lee announced at an event in East Coast Park that technical studies for the Long Island project would take five years, starting from early 2024.

He said the Government had also studied various coastal protection options as alternatives to the reclamation, including the possibility of building a sea wall up to 3m tall.

While such a wall is technically feasible, it was deemed not ideal because access to the waterfront for recreation and sports would be permanently limited.

Instead, a large tidal gate and pumping station will be built in between each tract of reclaimed land. These will control the water level in a new reservoir bordered by East Coast Park and the new land masses and, in the process, reduce the risk of the East Coast area flooding.

The new reservoir can also be used for water activities like canoeing and dragon-boating.

Waterfront homes are expected to be built on the reclaimed land, along with amenities and industrial facilities.

About 20km of new coastal and reservoir parks could be added as part of a 120km stretch of accessible waterfront space along Singapore’s southern coast.

The authorities previously said Long Island will take several decades to plan, design and build.

Watersports firm Ninja Kayakers Foilers founder Clarence Chua, who runs e-foiling classes off East Coast Park Area F, said the reclamation works would take away the only space where the motorised surfboard sport is permitted on mainland Singapore.

“It’s not such a big loss because we hardly go to East Coast Park these days as floating litter gets in the way of propellers. Instead, we hold classes off a yacht in Sentosa,” said Mr Chua, estimating that there are about 100 people who practise e-foiling in Singapore.

“I’d welcome it if the authorities would allow e-foiling in the reservoir on Long Island, but that’s a long time in the future (and) I’ll be an old man by then.”

In a similar vein, Singapore Dragon Boat Association secretary-general Tony Leong hopes the Government will consider integrating world-class dragon boating facilities in the future reservoir.

He added that only Bedok Reservoir and Marina Reservoir meet the 1km-long standard for international dragon boat races.

Mr Leong, who jogs or cycles at East Coast Park at least once a week, said he hopes the works will be completed as quickly as possible according to safety standards.

He added: “This will minimise inconvenience for park users.”

Environmental impact concerns

As the area is close to beaches where turtles nest, as well as corals and seagrass, environmentalists have called for measures to protect these sensitive marine habitats from day one.

They also highlighted that biodiversity hot spots in the Southern Islands, which are less than 10km away from the mainland, could be affected if care is not taken.

The chain of islands is home to the largest diversity of marine life in Singapore and its remaining healthy reefs.