SINGAPORE – For years, the eastern bank of the Serangoon River has been a rare, green refuge for Singapore’s north-eastern towns, as large tracts of woodland reclaimed abandoned villages and a landfill.
So several residents in the area were taken aback in late 2025 when construction vehicles rolled in to start work on the
Lorong Halus Bus Depot
, which is sited within the southernmost tract of vegetation.
Now, a coalition of residents and some nature advocates are calling for the works to pause until the vegetated site’s ecological value is properly studied.
Nature Society Singapore (NSS) estimates the plot to span about 105ha – slightly bigger than Coney Island Park. On Dec 23, NSS conducted its own rapid survey of the plot and logged 138 species of common and exotic plants, which included noteworthy species such as native fig trees and fishtail palms that are prolific food producers for fauna.
Past NSS surveys of the area along Serangoon River, also known as Sungei Serangoon, had shown the presence of 92 species of birds, of which 25 were of concern for conservation. The grey-headed fish eagle and rufous woodpecker are among 10 of these species that are known to rely on forests.
The authorities have previously said that the area for the bus depot did not warrant a study, as the brownfield site primarily contained non-native vegetation and was not near any sensitive nature areas.
Brownfield sites generally refer to land that has once been developed or are vacant parcels amid existing developments, according to a previous reply by the ministry. In comparison, greenfield sites refer to undeveloped land.
The Government typically requires environmental studies for proposed projects that are near sensitive areas like nature reserves, areas with significant biodiversity, or works that could affect other countries and regions.
Singapore does not mandate such studies for all developments, and unlike most jurisdictions,
lacks a law for environmental impact assessments.
For Singapore’s planners, the forested land and its wildlife were always meant to be momentary, with the area earmarked for future industrial use since the 2003 Master Plan.
The bus depot was proposed to be incorporated into the master plan in September 2023, and approved in November that year. The Land Transport Authority called a tender to build the depot in December 2023.
When completed, the four-storey facility built by developer Koh Brothers Eco Engineering is expected to house at least 550 buses.
