Following the discovery of asbestos in St John’s Island, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) had worked with the relevant agencies to conduct asbestos surveys on all publicly accessible offshore islands in May 2018. Pieces of debris containing asbestos were found on St John’s Island, Pulau Hantu and Kusu Island, while no such debris was found on Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat and Kias Island. Kusu Island was earlier re-opened to the public, after asbestos removal works on the island was completed in September 2018.

SLA has since completed all asbestos removal works on St John’s Island and Pulau Hantu, and both islands will be fully re-opened to the public. With this, all asbestos waste on the islands managed by SLA has been cleared safely.

During the campsite upgrading and asbestos removal works on St John’s Island, the campsites were closed and affected areas were cordoned off to restrict public access. The upgrading and maintenance works are currently in their final stages and are on schedule for completion by end May 2019.

The former St John’s Island Campsite and Holiday Bungalow have been renamed as the St John’s Island Lodge and the overnight accommodation facilities will be re-opened to the public on 1 June 2019. Members of the public can look forward to improvements such as new kitchenware, electric hobs and furniture, as well as a smart lock system to be piloted in one of the camps.

Daily bookings will now be available at St John’s Island Lodge to increase access and encourage visitorship to the island. To enhance the overall rustic experience for visitors, SLA has named the individual campsites after native wildlife often sighted on and around St John’s Island, such as the white-bellied sea eagle, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, hawksbill turtle and smooth-coated otter. Please refer to Annex A for the map of St John’s Island Lodge.

The public will be able to make advance online bookings for these facilities on St John’s Island Lodge at www.sla.gov.sg/tol. The booking fees and security deposit information are appended in Annex B.

Annexes
A - Map of St John’s Island Lodge
B - Information on Booking Fees and Security Deposit