November 2017 www.hbptc.org.sg Published by Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council MIC(P) 116/11/2017 Building better Community Gardens Making cycle-sharing safer and more CONVENIENT - see page 5 talk of the town Building better Community Gardens Dr Teo Ho Pin officially opened a new generation community garden beside Block 410 Saujana Road on 22 October. dm Julia Liew is the enthusiastic Chairman of the Bukit Panjang Zone 8 RC Community Garden MCommittee. This is their third garden. “The first, at Block 413, had 42 plots and was opened in August 2012. The second, at Block 402, has 26 plots – but both were DIY projects. For this new garden we worked closely with the Town Council. We’ve tried to put all the lessons we’ve learned in those older gardens into the design of this one,” she said. It has 21 plots, each raised by a Mdm Julia Liew and Dr Teo at the official opening. two-brick high border. All the pathways between the plots are extra wide and made of concrete “That’s safer for everybody and a lot easier to keep neat and tidy!” Other features The garden has a storage shed for tools and watering cans – and seating. “When the garden was built I asked the Town Council if we could recycle some of their old park benches. Some of our Comfortable ‘recycled’ seating has been arranged! 2 Holland - Bukit Panjang Town Council Building better Community Gardens gardeners are quite old and need a place to sit and rest.” “We try to buy organic fertiliser and other things in bulk, if we can,” Julia said. That can save the gardeners some money. Many of the vegetables they grow go into sales held by the RC, where all the proceeds go to the NKF. “This is the first time I have ever done gardening,” said Mdm June Teo, here with her son, Chuah Kai Zat. “I like knowing what I put in to make the vegetables grow. If you buy in the market you just don’t know what you’re getting. You don’t know what pollutants and insecticides may have Mdm Siew Ling was photographed tending gone into growing them. Unless they’re the veggies she’s growing in her plot in organic – and then they’re very expensive!” the new garden. “I don’t like to see yellow She has already harvested some lettuce, leaves among the green,” she said. “I’ve chye sim, gai lan and spinach. How did she grown some of my veggies from small do it with no experience? “Julia guides us! plants and some from seeds. And I use And my neighbours. I didn’t get to know organic fertilizer. You don’t really know my neighbours before. I do now!” if the organic veggies you buy outside are The garden at 413 has DIY borders around the plots. really organic. But I know the ones I grow Many of the elderly residents in Bukit definitely are!” Panjang moved into their HDB flats from Lim Chu Kang – where many lived on farms. “They know a lot about growing vegetables. So we can learn from each other,” Julia said. Residents with plots in the new garden sign a form agreeing to abide by the garden’s Rules and Regulations. One rule is that they may only grow vegetables. And no climbing plants. Everyone has their own plot. That ‘ownership’ is appreciated. Lack of it can be a problem in gardens where all the work (and space) is shared “The thing is to keep it clean and follow the rules,” says Julia. “I love watching the plants grow from She and her team make sure the three seeds to full size,” said Mdm Wendy Lee, a gardens are open for members from 6am to Dr Teo Ho Pin presenting an award to Mr Eng Yong first timer, on why she so enjoyed her new 11am and 5pm to 7pm, seven days a week. Ang, voted “The Most Helpful Gardener”. hobby. She pointed out one of her plants that had grown to shoulder height before Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts Zone 8 RC has worked out she pruned it back. “We must not have tall plants or they can put your neighbour’s for residents who want to share the joys of a community garden plants in shade.” And pointed to some Do keep the gardens clean and free of pests. Do make sure water taps are off after use. sweet potatoes she had grown from Do keeps the gardens free of containers. Don’t store water. cuttings from sweet potatoes she bought Do keep the gardens free of potted plants. Do prevent mosquitoes breeding. in the market. She tends her garden early Do coil the water hose after use. Don’t plant on or outside the garden fence. in the morning, “Between seven and nine. Don’t pick or damage a neighbour’s plants. Do lock the gate when last to leave. While it’s still cool!” Don’t waste water. Holland - Bukit Panjang Town Council 3 talk of the town High-rise bike racks for the high-rise blocks in Trivelis rivelis is now occupied - and with schools and parks. 888 units, the new development is To cope with the mass of bikes, the home to hundreds of cyclists. Town Council has installed two-tier bike TSmall wonder. Trivelis is just a bike ride racks at Trivelis – the first two-tier bike away from all the facilities and amenities racks in our Town. a resident could ask for – the MRT and It is so easy to park your bike on the bus interchange; stadium, sports hall upper level of these racks, the upper level and swimming complex; shopping malls, spaces are usually filled first! 4 Holland - Bukit Panjang Town Council ANNEX ANNEX INFOGRAPHICS ON THE BICYCLE SHARING MOU INFOGRAPHICS ON THE BICYCLE SHARING MOU Making cycle- ANNEX ANNEX INFOGRAPHICSsharing ON THE BICYCLE SHARING MOU ANNEX INFOGRAPHICS ON THE BICYCLE SHARING MOU INFOGRAPHICS ON THE BICYCLE SHARINGsafer MOU and more convenient Dr Teo and grassroots leaders celebrating the new convenience of shared bicycles. ur Town Council, together designated bicycle parking zones, and take with the other Councils, LTA measures to prevent problem parking from Under this agreement bike- and NParks, signed a Memo- happening. sharing operators will: randum of Understanding To provide better services, the operators (MoU) with GBikes, Mobike, oBike, Ofo will also remove faulty bicycles within a O Remove indiscriminately and SG Bike – to improve the cycle-sharing day, and provide public liability insurance parked bicycles within services that have blossomed in Singapore. for users. half a day The MoU lays out a set of mutually They have also agreed to share trip agreed guidelines to reduce problem data with LTA, to facilitate the planning of parking and improve public safety. cycle-paths, etc. Remove faulty bicycles The MoU applies to the operation of within a day and ensure The key requirements other shared mobility devices, such as bicycles are in good The operators have agreed to sponsor small electric four-wheelers and power- working condition education on safe riding and responsible assisted bicycles. parking. They have already taken steps to Purchase public liability do so by co-funding public education on More parking boxes insurance for users and safe riding and proper parking. To facilitate the parking of both privately- victims of accidents Currently, the operators are required by owned and shared bikes, LTA, NParks, the caused by users LTA to remove badly-parked bikes within 16 Town Councils and the cycle-sharing half a day. With the signing of the MoU, operators have started to provide addi- Educate users on proper operators will take action to further reduce tional parking boxes marked in yellow in parking and safe riding this problem by installing geostations (see HDB estates, parks, park connectors and at behaviour caption at right) before the end of this year. MRT stations and bus stops. Geostations will let them to know whether More than 4,000 boxes will be provided their machines have been parked within by the end of 2017. One of the thousands of “yellow boxes” being provided for the proper parking of 20,000 bicycles. Implement geo-fencing technologies by end 2017 Share data with govern- ment agencies to facilitate the planning of active mobility infrastructure This “geostation” emits a radio- frequency identification field that recognises bicycles parked nearby - within 5m on HDB void decks. If a bike is parked outside the zone, it will emit an alarm and the user’s app will notify him to move the bike into the zone, or he will be penalised. Holland - Bukit Panjang Town Council 5 talk of the town Tree pruning centres on a two-man team, one In the cherry picker, the worker must wear safety He uses voice or hand signals to be moved within in a “cherry-picker” with a chainsaw, the other gear and a body harness that is attached to the cutting distance of the branches experience tells operating the crane’s hydraulic controls. cherry picker at all times. him to prune. very year we celebrate Tree of them have to be pruned according to a No pruning work can be done during Planting Day. Started by Prime schedule that takes into account their type adverse weather condition. Minister Lee Kuan Yew in his and age. When the contractor’s work is efforts to make Singapore a For the pruning operations, the Town completed, the Town Council’s horticul- EGarden City, trees are planted by citizens Council’s horticultural officer calls in turists checks that the pruning has been all over Singapore every November.