Going green: Singapore bound to be a 'city in a garden' by 2016

The government is allotting $12m to fund more than 20 initiatives under the Landscape Productivity Roadmap.

According to a release, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, announced at Green Thumbs 2011 various new initiatives under the S$12 million Landscape Productivity Roadmap that will enhance productivity for the landscape industry. Developed by the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) of the National Parks Board (NParks), in collaboration with the landscape industry, the Roadmap aims to build capabilities of the workforce as part of efforts to grow Singapore into a City in a Garden.

Landscape Productivity Roadmap
The Landscape Productivity Roadmap adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach to enhance productivity in across the industry. More than 20 initiatives are being planned under the Roadmap and these will be implemented progressively over five years from 2011 to 2016. Some of the initiatives include:

i) Landscape design guidelines for productive maintenance
ii) Landscape maintenance benchmarks
iii) Landscape Apprenticeship and Mentorship Programme
iv) Nursery Accreditation Scheme
v) Mechanisation

Speaking at the event, BG (NS) Tan said: "Just a few weeks ago, NParks announced a framework for our City in a Garden vision. One of the six key areas is about upskilling the landscape industry to support the realisation of our vision. Indeed, the landscape industry has a vital role to play in creating our City in a Garden. The City in a Garden framework and its various initiatives will also present many growth opportunities for the industry. In the next three years, we expect the landscape industry to grow between 4 to 6% each year."