Forest City reclamation works restarted, says developer
Work has restarted at the RM600 million Forest City project in Johor, its developer Country Garden Pacific View (CGPV) said today.
The master developer of the project said in a statement that the Department of Environment had approved its Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) in January, and its Environmental Management Plan (EMP) last month.
“We are pleased to be able to recommence our work, and, with our proven track record and quality of delivery, we are confident that the project will be completed within our timeline," CGPV executive director Datuk Md Othman Yusof said.
Covering a total of 3,425 acres, the Forest City project features four man-made islands, which will be reclaimed in four phases, in the waters in Tanjung Kupang between southwest Johor and northwest of Singapore.
Island 1 will measure 979 acres; Island 2, 1896 acres; Island 3, 405 acres; and Island 4, 145 acres. The topside development will also be developed concurrently during the reclamation phase of each island.
The mixed-development project, which will include residential and commercial lots, is estimated to be completed in 2045.
The massive project had previously raised environmental concerns, with local fishermen blaming the ongoing reclamation works for mass fish deaths in the Johor strait recently.
Tanjung Kupang villagers had argued that it would lead to the loss of their land and livelihood.
During a public dialogue on September 21 last year, residents accused developer CGPV of bulldozing the project through.
CGPV said the company had voluntarily stopped its reclamation works eight months ago to conduct the DEIA, in line with its commitment to preserve the environment and to ensure all mitigation measures were in place prior to the recommencement of work.
The DEIA had covered measures to minimise or mitigate environmental impacts through integrated and workable solutions, approved by the DoE.
Othman said during the construction period, various environmental preservation, safety, health and environment related measures would be implemented according to their EMP to minimise inconvenience to the community and environment.
The measures, he said, included the installation of a double silt curtain and a daily water monitoring system to ensure no major or sustained anomalies were found in the water readings.
These procedures were implemented to contain and control the dispersion of sedimentation, as well as to preserve the sea grass in the area, he said.
It was also reported yesterday that the Sultan of Johor also defended the project, saying that it was good for the state.
In an interview with English daily The Star, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar said the investment was good for state coffers and would also benefit locals as it would boost other sectors such as retail and provide the people more job opportunities.
It was reported that CGPV is expected to make a profit of nearly RM290 billion over the next 30 years through the project.
The company is a 66%-34% joint venture between China’s Country Garden Holdings Ltd and Esplanade Danga 88 Sdn Bhd, whose main shareholder is the Johor sultan.
State company Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) is also a partner in the project. – March 19, 2015.
