About Two-Thirds Of Maju Forest Will Be Cleared For Future HDB Housing — Here’s What’s Being Preserved

About two-thirds of Maju Forest will be cleared away to make room for future public housing developments. This means that only eight hectares of the forest will be preserved out of the existing forested area, which spans roughly 23ha.

According to an Environmental Impact Assessment study (EIA) published by HDB on July 10, the retained forested area is being preserved to maintain ecological connectivity to nearby forest patches and serve as a protected area for fauna.

Untouched will be a natural freshwater stream and the Old Jurong Line nature trail, which is the primary ecological corridor connecting to surrounding forest patches. Previously announced plans to convert the former train line into a 4km nature trail were announced by the National Parks Board in 2021.

The EIA study examined the area bounded by Brookvale Drive, Clementi Road and Sunset Way. As far back as the 1980 Master Plan, this area along Sunset Way has long been earmarked for future residential development.

The map of Study Area and proposed land use shown on URA’s gazetted Master Plan 2025. (Map: HDB)

This is not the only large parcel of land that will eventually be developed. Over on nearby Holland Plain, off Bukit Timah Road, URA has already demarcated at least eight plots for future development.

And over the years, demand for new public and private housing has meant that several mature forests across the island have had to be felled. For example, the development of Tengah into a 700-ha new town meant that the woodland and secondary forests there were removed.

Ironically, Tengah is being touted as a sustainable ‘Forest Town’ with a 20-ha central park and an extensive park connector network. The first condo there, the 863-unit Tengah Garden Residences, launched in April this year and moved 99% of its total units during its opening sales weekend.

According to the HDB study, there has been an increase in the demand for public housing as household sizes shrink over the years. This necessitated the development of greenfield sites such as Maju Forest to meet future housing needs, as brownfield site development has become insufficient to meet projected future demand.

Maju Forest is part of the eco-corridor linking Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The forest is linked to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve via Toh Tuck Forest and Clementi Forest, as well as the Old Jurong Railway Corridor. These types of forest patches are crucial for wildlife to move among the growing urban landscape.

The purpose of the EIA study on Maju Forest is to evaluate and identify measures to prevent or minimise potential environmental impacts of any proposed development on wildlife, air, noise, and water quality. Typically, this paves the way for urban planners to propose more concrete development plans for the area.

The proposed area of the forest being retained (in blue outline) overlaid with the different natural habitats. (Map: HDB)

An earlier environmental study in 2022 commissioned by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Clementi Forest and Maju Forest, due to the construction of CR16 MRT Station on the Cross Island Line, found the presence of the critically endangered Sunda pangolin and nationally endangered plant species.

A part of Maju Forest was also cleared to make way for the 1.2 km-long Brookvale Drive, a public road was built by Hoi Hup Sunway Clementi, the developer of Ki Residences, to ease congestion for residents entering and exiting the neighbourhood.

According to HDB, two engagement sessions with nature groups were conducted as part of the latest EIA study. The HDB study’s report is available for feedback via an online form from July 10 to August 6.

It seems inevitable now that we will lose a large portion of this forested area in Clementi. While new green spaces continue to be planted and cultivated across the island, we should also mourn the loss of some of our long-standing forested areas.