1 At the close of the public tender for the sale of 3 agri-tainment land parcels in Lim Chu Kang, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) received a total of 12 bids for the three agri-tainment land parcels. The tender for these 3 plots of vacant State land of about 78,329 square metres is a pilot project. The sites are offered for sale on 20-year leases. In addition to the conventional agricultural uses such as aquaculture, toad culture, frog culture and dog breeding, training and/ or boarding, the 3 sites can also be used for non-agricultural uses such as nature education, corporate training retreat and rustic guest accommodation.

2 Since SLA’s launch of the tender on 10 October this year, about 60 packets of tender documents were sold. There were more than 30 enquiries received from interested parties. Today, a total of 7 tenderers submitted 8 bids to develop the land for agri-tainment use while 4 tenderers wanted the land for main agricultural activities. The range of bids was between $1,730,000.00 and $100,798.00. 9 of them were companies while another 2 were individuals. The number of bids received for the agri-tainment land, coupled with the number of enquiries received and tender documents sold, shows strong market interest from farmers and entrepreneurs in the innovative use of farmland.

3 For the 1st time, SLA carried out 3 new land sales initiatives. Firstly, entrepreneurs and farmers were given the option to tender for the land for agri-tainment use, agricultural use or both. Secondly, they were also invited to suggest alternative and innovative land use ideas. Thirdly, SLA held the tender briefing after office hours on a weekday to cater to the busy schedules of our potential bidders. Furthermore, for the benefit of potential bidders, the tender period was extended from 4 to 8 weeks to give these entrepreneurs more time to conduct feasibility studies and source for financing. SLA also made available on its website the tender documents for free public viewing/ downloading.

4 The new ideas submitted by the tenderers will be evaluated by various government agencies before the tenders are awarded. This pro-enterprise initiative will save them considerable time and effort and will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to experiment with new and innovative ideas. The tenderers have the option to withdraw from the tender if their ideas are not found to be acceptable by the agencies concerned.

5 SLA’s Deputy Director of Land Sales, Mr Teo Jing Kok, said: “We are very excited about the potential of the Lim Chu Kang area being used for agri-tainment uses. Within the next few years, the whole area will be transformed into an agricultural cum recreational countryside for all to enjoy. My team and I will be busy evaluating the tenders in the next few weeks. The awards will be publicised in about 4 to 6 weeks for us to have sufficient time to obtain the necessary clearance for the bidders’ new ideas from the various technical authorities.”

6 SLA will be evaluating the outcome of the pilot sale to gauge the market demand for such agri-tainment and/ or agriculture land. If the scheme is popular, SLA will work with other government agencies to release a steady supply of such land in line with the market’s ability to absorb the supply.

7 For media enquiries, please contact Ms Susan Koh from Corporate Communications, at tel: 6323 8105, hp: 9829 1906 or e-mail: Susan_Koh@sla.gov.sg, or Miss Wang Hui Ling at tel: 6323 9116, hp: 9823 1479, or e-mail: Wang_Hui_Ling@sla.gov.sg.

-End-

Attachments

Annex A - LCK 181A

Annex B - LCK 217

Annex C - LCK 42

Issued by:
Singapore Land Authority
5 December 2006

About SLA

Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is a statutory board with the Ministry of Law. Its mission is to optimise land resources for the economic and social development of Singapore. SLA is responsible for the direct management of some 14,000 hectares of State land and about 5,000 buildings. It is also in charge of land sales, leases, acquisitions and allocation, developing and marketing land-related information, and maintaining the national land information database through digitised land information services. SLA is also the national land registration authority for property transactions, and the issuance and guarantee of land titles in Singapore. It also manages and maintains the national land survey system, including the defining of boundaries or legal limits of properties based on a coordinated cadastre survey system. For more details, visit www.sla.gov.sg.