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SINGAPORE : The National Development Ministry said the stockpiling of granite at Lim Chu Kang is of strategic importance to Singapore.
It said the recent Indonesian sand ban and granite supply disruption had shown that supply cut-offs could be sudden and potentially damaging.
Maintaining adequate stockpile of essential construction materials is therefore a key strategy to enhance supply resilience of these materials to continually meet Singapore's economic and social needs.
The ministry was responding to the Kranji Countryside Association which had sent a letter dated 10 Oct 2007 to the Prime Minister, asking why granite was being stockpiled at the Lim Chu Kang site.
The ministry said the site was selected after careful consideration, taking into account various land use needs.
It is also zoned as a "reserve" site - which means the specific use has not been determined for the next 15-20 years.
It said that as much as the authorities would like to locate such facilities away from densely built-up areas or any other developments, this is not always possible in land-scarce Singapore. Thus, it is important for co-existence of different land uses on adjacent land plots.
The ministry added that appropriate measures have been taken to mitigate the impact of stockpiling activities on the nearby farms.
A surveillance programme is also in place to monitor the soil and water conditions around the stockpile site.
The ministry said it will also ensure that relevant agencies work with farm operators to minimise the impact of the stockpiling activity there. - CNA /ls
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