SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) will take over as the central managing agency for Pulau Ubin, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, announced at Ubin Day celebrations on the island on Saturday morning (Jun 4).
The island is currently managed by 12 agencies with technical and land ownership responsibilities including Land Transport Authority (LTA) and national water agency PUB.
With the centralised management of the island, NParks hopes to respond more quickly and directly to issues raised by residents and visitors to the island.
"NParks will be able to respond more quickly to queries and issues raised by residents and members of the public, instead of having to refer these queries to other agencies," Mr Wong said.
The idea to designate NParks as the central managing agency for Pulau Ubin was first raised by the friends of Ubin Network (FUN).
The handover of the island will be done in phases and NParks will take over fully as the central agency by mid-2017.
Some 3,000 visitors joined in the fifth Ubin Day celebrations on Saturday. It is supported by more than 10 community groups including Singapore Heritage Society and Nature Society (Singapore).
Members of the public were treated to kampong games and tours, cycling and kayak trips, and even took part in coastal cleanups and did some nature sketching.
This year, Ubin Day is part of a month-long series of events called "Pesta Ubin", that celebrates the heritage of the island.
- CNA/ly