Mr S Iswaran at the River Safari Groundbreaking Ceremony, 21 May 2010

SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE for TRADE & INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION AT THE RIVER SAFARI GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY ON FRIDAY, 21 MAY 2010, 1140 hrs

Mdm Ho Ching, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd

Mr Simon Israel, Executive Director, Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd

Ms Claire Chiang, Chairperson, Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Distinguished Guests,

A very good morning to all of you.

Introduction - Remembering Dr Goh Keng Swee

It is fitting that we have, on this occasion of the ground-breaking ceremony for the River Safari, paused in silence as a mark of respect to the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, one of our founding fathers.It is fitting especially because Dr Goh was instrumental in setting up the Jurong Bird Park – a fact that is perhaps not as quite as well known as Dr Goh’s many contributions to Singapore in finance, defence and education.

In 1968, while attending a World Bank meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Dr Goh was struck by the city’s free-flight aviary within the zoo. Although it was deemed a luxury to build a bird park in a small city state, Dr Goh firmly believed that it would provide an essential space, where Singaporeans could seek refuge from urban life, and commune with nature.That heralded the opening of the Jurong Bird Park in 1971 - the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

This River Safari project, which seeks to build on his legacy for future generations of Singaporeans, is an important tribute to Dr Goh, his singular accomplishments and exemplary service to the nation.

River Safari – Asia’s First River-Themed Wildlife Park

Over the years, Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s (WRS) portfolio of assets - the Jurong Bird Park, the Singapore Zoo, and the Night Safari - have become mainstay leisure attractions, and collectively welcomed over 70 million Singaporean and international visitors since inception.WRS’ parks command a distinctive presence in our tourism scene, having been awarded the Best Leisure Attraction Experience Award at the Singapore Tourism Awards a record 18 times.

WRS is also no stranger to innovation.It pioneered the concept of the nocturnal zoo in 1994 with the creation of the Night Safari.WRS’ parks have also been progressively upgraded and revamped to continually delight visitors with fresh experiences.The Singapore Zoo today ranks among the world’s best wildlife parks featuring an “open zoo” concept, and the Jurong Bird Park features Asia’s first nocturnal birdhouse.

The River Safari, the latest innovation by WRS, will be Asia’s first river-themed park when it is completed in 2012, hosting the largest collection of freshwater flora and fauna in Asia.Claire has given us a tantalising and vivid description of what to expect when the River Safari opens its doors. With WRS’ experience and expertise in wildlife park management, I am confident that the River Safari will be a world-class product that will add variety to our increasingly vibrant tourism landscape.

I am also pleased that the River Safari will be home to the Giant Pandas, as part of a joint collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.The Giant Pandas are emblematic of the close ties between China and Singapore.I understand that WRS officials have visited the panda cubs in their current home in Sichuan, and have been working closely with their Chinese counterparts to learn more about the best practices in panda care.We can look forward to a range of activities over the next few months as WRS marks the milestones in the lead up to the panda cubs’ eventual arrival and display in Singapore.

Nurturing of the Mandai Nature Cluster

Today’s ceremony also marks an important step in the further development of Singapore’s Mandai Nature Cluster.We want Mandai to be a “must-visit” nature-based destination in Asia, with quality nature-themed attractions, accommodation and lifestyle activities.With its tropical rainforest setting and rich biodiversity, the Mandai area provides a compelling contrast to the largely urban environment of Singapore, with the potential to attract 5 million visitors a year.

To complement existing attractions in Mandai, the Government has identified a fourth site in this area for potential development into a nature-based attraction.Conceptually, this “4th Gate” site could be a leisure attraction offering family-friendly accommodation and activities, in this unique nature cluster.The Singapore Tourism Board is studying the possibilities for this site with a view to moving on to the next stage in the not too distant future.

Rejuvenating the Tourism Landscape in Singapore

At a broader level, the Mandai Nature Cluster is one of several key tourism precincts that Singapore has been developing.The Orchard Road shopping experience has been enhanced with the opening of three new malls and the upgrading of pedestrian walkways, complete with mood lighting and added greenery.

The Marina Bay precinct recently marked another milestone in its development with the opening of the Helix Bridge.It has been timely in providing a link for pedestrians between the newly-opened Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, the Esplanade Theatre, and the Marina Bay malls.The precinct will be further enhanced by the soft opening of the Gardens by the Bay in 2011, and the completion of the International Cruise Terminal by end 2011.

Visitors to Sentosa are also spoilt for choice with the advent of Resorts World Sentosa and the introduction of the Luge, Wave House and adventure activities, amongst other attractions.The cable cars system connecting the island to the mainland is also being refurbished.

In short, there has been a concerted and commendable effort on the part of Government agencies and the tourism industry to rejuvenate and enhance experiences in Singapore.Our timing has also been fortuitous, as these developments have coincided with economic recovery and the consequential upswing in tourism.I am, therefore, confident that Singapore is well placed to maintain, if not, enhance its share of the fast growing tourism sector in Asia.

Conclusion - River Safari; a Successful Public-Private Partnership

I would like to conclude by acknowledging the contributions of all parties – in particular, Temasek Holdings, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and the Singapore Tourism Board – who have collectively made the River Safari project possible.It is testimony to what is possible with effective public-private partnership.I congratulate WRS on this momentous occasion and wish you the very best with the River Safari project.We all eagerly anticipate its opening in 2012!

Thank you.