Jurong Lake Park will be part of island-wide green corridor

By Claire Huang, Channel NewsAsia, 28 Apr 2012

Jurong Lake Park will be one of the key nodes of the Round Island Route.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced the vision of "an island-hopping playground" Saturday morning at a community event.

It is one of three destination parks announced by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last month.

Together with recreational attractions like Gardens by the Bay and Southern Ridges, Jurong Lake Park will be part of the Round Island Route - a seamless green corridor that goes all round Singapore.

The 150-kilometre route was announced in February this year.

It was mooted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2008 and will connect natural, historical and cultural attractions to the parks and park connectors.

When completed, Jurong Lake Park will be a destination park with unique features.

When designing, NParks will draw inspiration from the area's terrain and characteristics.

Rich in biodiversity, the park will have plenty of natural spaces and trails to allow the public to get closer to nature.

Mr Tharman, who is also MP for Jurong GRC, said: "The fact that we have the lake is a wonderful advantage. So NParks is going to create little running streams in a playground, and allow families and children and everyone to hop from one island to another in the playground itself."

Mr Tharman was speaking at the launch of Jurong Lake Run 2012.

MediaCorp is one of the main sponsors of the run.

The theme for the run in July is "Running as One", reflecting the commitment to attain inclusiveness within the community.

12,000 runners expected
The Straits Times, 29 Apr 2012

The Jurong Lake Run is making big strides with the second edition expected to attract 12,000 runners, double the number last year.

The event on July 8 will allow participants to take in the sights of Jurong Lake Park, Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden.

They can choose to take part in three different routes - 3km community walk-a-jog as well as the 6km and 10km competitive runs - designed to promote greater participation from all members of the community.

Seven charities will benefit from the funds raised through the run. They include Children's Cancer Foundation and Lakeside Family Centre.

The event is organised by Taman Jurong Community Sports Club. Those interested in taking part can register online via http://juronglakerun.com or at the Taman Jurong Community Club. The fee is $22 and the closing date for registration is June 8.