Professor Leo Tan, Chairman, National Parks Board;

Mr Kwa Chong Seng, Chairman & Managing Director, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd;

Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.

Remaking our Greenery

1          It is always a delight to be here at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  SBG was established 146 years ago by a group of public-spirited citizens. Amongst them was the famous Singapore pioneer Mr Hoo Ah Kay, better known as �Whampoa�.  The Gardens has come a long way since 1859.  It has evolved from a mere park with roads, terraces and a bandstand, to become one of the finest tropical botanic gardens in the world. Its transformation mirrors the aspirations of our people and the progress of Singapore.

2          At the National Day Rally, Prime Minister called for a remaking of Singapore into a vibrant global city. This applies to our �Green Singapore� too. Even though we are well known as a Garden City today, we need to continually reposition and upgrade our parks and gardens to stay ahead.  PM�s announcement of the 3 new waterfront gardens at Marina Bay, together with its green linkages and the skyrise elements in the Marina developments, will truly position Singapore, and our new downtown, as one of the best places to live, work and play in.

3          As we develop more green �hardware�, we also need to build up our green �capital�. Globally, cities are organizing large-scale international and regional events to draw crowds, and to infuse hype, activity and life to the city. These mega events give character to these cities and offer excitement and fun for their residents and visitors. 

Singapore Garden Festival

4          To add to Singapore�s calendar of �wow� events, we have decided to stage our very own international flower and garden show, beginning in 2006. The Singapore Garden Festival will be held over 10 days from 15 to 26 December next year at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

5          Having been greening Singapore through the years, this Show is significant in that it is iconic in showcasing Singapore�s passion for greenery, and reinforcing our Garden City brand to the rest of the world.

6          The Singapore Garden Festival 2006 will feature spectacular garden displays by some of the award winning garden designers from the best shows around the world. Visitors can expect to see colorful and creative flower and landscape displays, featuring blooms that are not normally see in Singapore and this part of the world.

7          The Singapore Garden Festival will be more than just an exhibition. It will be a celebration and a festival, with activities and entertainment for everyone.  For example, there will be a market place for garden and landscape products for aspiring gardening hobbyists to bring home plants and materials to augment their gardens, or to start new ones.  There will be workshops conducted by experts to give gardening enthusiasts tips and ideas. All in all, it will be an event for all to enjoy.

8          We hope the Singapore Garden Festival will help rally our people to play a part in evolving Singapore from a Garden City into a City in a Garden. We believe many Singaporeans will be inspired by the interesting and refreshing garden and floral displays, and start bringing more greenery into our homes, workplaces and the community. This show will encourage more people to take up gardening as a hobby, helping us to relax and de-stress better.  It will also uplift the standards of our horticulture industry, gardening societies, and associations.

9          This evening, as an appetizer, NParks will treat us to a preview garden display by Jim Fogarty. Jim is an award winning garden designer from Australia, who has won prestigious awards at Chelsea, Melbourne, and Sydney flower shows. Right here, we will get to see his creations of a Fantasy Garden and a Reality Garden. The Fantasy Garden uses colorful plants from temperate regions and features sculptures. The Reality Garden is smaller in size, and is suitable example for Singapore balconies. At the Singapore Garden Festival, we will get to see many more garden creations of such standards by award winning garden designers.

Partnerships

10            Partnership is key to the success of the Singapore Garden Festival. This evening, I am happy to learn that in support of the Singapore Garden Festival, ExxonMobil is going to sponsor a nation-wide photographic competition for students. The winning entries will be exhibited at Singapore Garden Festival 2006. I am also happy to learn that BreadTalk has donated a �Mypod� swing, which can be seen in the preview garden display this evening.

11        I look forward to receiving the strong support and active participation of our 3P Partners in making the Singapore Garden Festival a memorable event for Singaporeans and overseas visitors. With 3P Ownership, I am confident that Singapore can successfully showcase to the world our horticultural expertise and passion for parks, flowers and greenery. Together, we can bring our �Green Capital� to a much higher plane. 

SBG 2006 Calendar

12        The launch of SBG 2006 Calendar this evening is yet another outstanding example of partnership.  ExxonMobil has, since 2002, sponsored the Botanic Gardens� Calendar project.  This is an interesting and popular project because it introduces people to the flora and fauna of the Gardens in a simple and effective manner through pictures.  The 2005 calendar showcased a selection of the variety of orchids that can be found in SBG.  The 2006 calendar will showcase the animals and insects that can be found in the Gardens. It will help generate greater awareness and appreciation for the Gardens. Also, proceeds from the calendar sales will be channeled to the Gardens� Public Exhibition Programme.

Conclusion

13        The challenge of transforming Singapore into a vibrant global city is a big one.  There are many things we can do to contribute to this national vision. One of these is for us to capitalize on the Garden City foundation we have built all these years, and launch Singapore into the world stage of renowned garden and flower shows.  Please mark the Singapore Flower Festival in your calendar, and join us to make this special Show a great success.  Have a pleasant evening.  See you at Singapore Garden Festival 2006.

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