Singapore defends housing plans for Maju Forest, Gillman Barracks
What's new: Grace Fu said her ministry has no land-use mandate, while petitions to protect the sites have topped 57,000 signatures.
Singapore’s government is pressing ahead with plans to build homes at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks, arguing the sites are needed to meet housing demand over the next decade. In Parliament on Aug. 4, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said alternative parcels suggested by residents are either already set aside for housing, needed for defense or infrastructure, or not ready for redevelopment. He said the projects will proceed, though the final layout could still change after feedback is reviewed. On Aug. 7, Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu said her ministry does not control land-use planning, responding to criticism that it had not moved to protect the green spaces. Petitions opposing the plans have drawn more than 57,000 signatures.