Southern Islands

This article is about a planning area in Singapore. For the Pokémon Trading Card set, see Southern Islands (Pokémon Trading Card Game).

The Southern Islands (Chinese: 南部岛屿) is the name of an urban planning area in the Central Region of Singapore, and comprise the eight major islands of Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, Saint John's Island, Sentosa and the two Sisters' Islands. The islands encompass a total land area of about 5.58 square kilometres. The Sentosa Development Corporation oversees the development and maintenance of these offshore islands south of Singapore.

Development

As part of the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) plan to develop the other Southern Islands after Sentosa, land reclamation was started in 2000 on Pulau Seringat and Lazarus Island.

Future plans

In November 2006, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced plans to develop the six islands off the southern tip of Sentosa into a tourist attraction. These islands include the Sisters' Island, Kusu Island, Lazarus Island and Saint John's Island, which draw at least 100,000 visitors a year. This, as its S$12 billion Sentosa masterplan — which includes HarbourFront and the Southern Islands — is expected to be completed ahead of schedule in 2010. The STB intends to tap on the momentum of the Sentosa Integrated resort bid and extend investor interest to the islands nearby.

Exploring the potential of developing land around the Marina Bay and Sentosa areas, the STB concluded that enhancing the lush greenery and natural foliage of the Southern Islands will make them irresistible as a tourist destination. The Southern Islands currently has a Chinese temple, natural ecosystems and a resort-like atmosphere. Therefore, it is conceivable to turn some of them into a resort island, a cultural site or an interactive rainforest park. There is also some potential for the Southern Islands to become a themed destination, mixing education and entertainment, that leverages on its natural resources. It has been said that the potential is similar to Italy's Isle of Capri, a marine village, or Dubai's The Palm islands, a development for the ultra-wealthy. However, it may be difficult to develop the islands as a mass tourist destination because they lack a land link to the main island. Instead, a plan is being considered to turn them into a getaway for the rich.

With the completion of land reclamation works to link Pulau Seringat, Lazarus Island and Saint John's Island, the STB is setting its sights to develop the cluster by 2015, the year it has to hit its target of 17 million annual visitors and S$30 billion in tourism receipts. The STB expects to announce details for the development of the Southern Islands and seek requests for concepts as early as March 2007.

External links

• The Southern Islands at sentosa.com.sg