Nature groups say revised Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks plans strike better balance

Singapore's revised development plans for Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks aim to retain more native-dominated forest and link the sites to existing nature parks, a shift that nature groups say improves the balance between housing and biodiversity.

Movin Nyanasegaran, president of the Bird Society of Singapore, called the added greenery a “good compromise” and welcomed the retention of native-dominated forest, noting it better supports local vegetation and insect communities. He also highlighted that the suggestion to keep more native forest at Gillman Barracks came from his engagement with the Housing Board.

Lester Tan, a member of the Nature Society Singapore's conservation committee, said designating parts of both sites as nature parks is a positive step because such parks are “more rustic than a manicured urban park” and can be built more sensitively for local wildlife. He added that the wider green area in the southern part of Maju Forest will improve ecological connectivity compared with earlier proposals.

Environmentalist Ho Xiang Tian agreed, describing the larger, contiguous greenery as a useful stepping stone for wildlife moving along the ecological corridor. Co-founder of LepakInSG warned that shrinking habitat could strand species if connectivity is lost.

While the groups acknowledged that any redevelopment will affect biodiversity, they argued the revised plan avoids shifting pressure to other forests such as Clementi or Tagore. Tan said keeping 10 ha of Maju Forest is preferable to clearing two-thirds of it.

Local residents expressed mixed reactions. Nature guide Mark Lin said the revisions felt like a negotiation over bits of land rather than a genuine effort to protect biodiversity. Photographer Seow Mun Kong said the added greenery is a step forward but preferred the forest remain untouched. Sunset Way resident Hui-E Seeto noted that residents were not invited to the same consultation sessions as nature groups and called for broader community involvement.

Other residents, such as landscape architect Anna Yap, praised the engagement sessions for fostering public ownership of the planning process, while Asif Hussain urged earlier public consultations for future projects.