Disamenities Caused by Public Events at Bay East Garden
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the regulation of private events at Bay East Garden, where Mr Lim Biow Chuan sought information on event frequency and measures to mitigate noise and parking issues for residents. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong stated that eleven events were held last year and that Gardens by the Bay Company assesses applications to minimize resident disruption. Key control measures include directing noisy events away from residential areas, enforcing strict noise level caps, and requiring organizers to notify neighbors beforehand. For traffic management, organizers may be required to deploy Auxiliary Police to ensure parking compliance during large-scale activities. GB Co officers also conduct regular inspections during events to maintain community standards and ensure all venue hire terms are followed.
Transcript
73 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many private events have been held at Bay East Garden for the last 12 months; (b) what measures are taken to ensure that the events held do not pose any disamenity to the residents living near Bay East Garden; and (c) whether there can be better control of the events held at Bay East Garden to ensure that events are not too noisy and that vehicles parked by participants in the area are not parked illegally.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Eleven private events were held at Bay East Garden over the past year. The events are largely outdoor activities like family days and sporting events.
Each event application is assessed by Gardens by the Bay Company (GB Co) to ensure a minimum amount of disruption and disamenity to Gardens' patrons and nearby residents. For example, events that attract large crowds or tend to be noisy will be directed to locations further away from residential areas.
GB Co will also ask the organisers to keep local residents informed of upcoming events in the spirit of good neighbourliness. This allows for any concerns to be heard and addressed before the event takes place. Moreover, organisers must adhere to GB Co's venue hire terms and conditions. This includes requirements that organisers keep to within specific noise level caps at all times.
Finally, event organisers have to adhere to the requirements of our traffic authorities. For instance, if buses are chartered for certain large-scale events, the organisers may be required to deploy Auxiliary Police for effective traffic management.
GB Co officers carry out checks during events and organisers have been generally cooperative. GB Co will continue to work closely with event organisers to ensure that Bay East Gardens remains an enjoyable, inclusive, and well-utilised community space for all.