Good news for Woodlanders! 
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/325124/1/.html
$19m waterfront oasis to be built in
Woodlands
By Mok Fei Fei, 938LIVE/Channel NewsAsia's Chio Su-Mei | Posted: 26
January 2008 2054 hrs
$19m waterfront oasis to be built in Woodlands
SINGAPORE: Come 2010, Woodlands residents can enjoy seafront
recreational amenities right at their doorstops.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has unveiled a S$19m design
plan to build a coastal promenade and park in their
neighbourhood.
Woodlands will certainly live up to its name with URA's "Woodlands
Waterfront" proposal, where more lush greenery, trees and woods
will be planted.
A nine-hectare park will be created from vacant land along the
coastline, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas and nature trails to
cater to different recreational needs.
Right next to the park is a 1.5-kilometre long promenade that will
offer unobstructed views of the Johor Straits.
To allow visitors to be closer to the water, an old jetty connected
to the park will be refurbished as well.
On why the waterfront idea was mooted, head of the project at URA,
Wan Khin Wai, said: "In Woodlands today, you'll find that this is
one of the towns that are located along the coastline. However if
you're inside of it, you can't appreciate the coastline. So, this
project offers residents (the chance) to get to the coastline and
have recreational activities there."
The Woodlands Waterfront proposal is part of URA's overall vision
to raise the standard of living here, said its director for
conservation & urban design, Ler Seng Ann.
"Singapore is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. The
waterfront is an important asset. So, in the planning of parks and
waterbodies plan, we have capitalised on all these so that we can
generate recreation space for Singaporeans to enjoy."
A Woodlands resident, Mrs Chow, is looking forward to the new
amenities. "The plan's very good because so far, we don't have any
of these things around our area. If you want to have this kind of
places, we have to travel all the way to the east side."
Construction of the Woodlands Waterfront will begin by the middle
of this year and is expected to be completed by the middle of
2010.
The Woodlands Waterfront is also something Dr Tony Tan, an ex-MP of
the area, will definitely look forward to as it was his dream to
have it.
"He shared his dream of using the waterfront....bring in water
sports, water activities, and let the residents enjoy the
waterfront and have a good view of Johor Baru, our closest
neighbour. It has been one of his (Dr Tony Tan's) dreams for
Sembawang," revealed Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is an MP
for Sembawang GRC. - CNA/938LIVE/ir
