The “Sustainability Efforts” (n.d.) web page from the Gardens by the Bay website stated that the key concept of Gardens by the Bay is to introduce the importance of environmental sustainability through Conservatories, Supertrees and the Lake Systems. One of the initiatives is the incorporation of two lake systems known as the Dragonfly Lake and Kingfisher Lake. The two lakes collect the water run-off from the surrounding gardens and the water is then released into Marina Reservoir, after being purified by aquatic plants. The web page further explains the existence of glass biomes known as the Conservatories. They are powered by chillers that help to contain waste heat which reduces the energy needed for cooling. One other initiative is the Supertrees, which consists of a trunk core made of reinforced concrete wrapped with a steel frame. The Supertrees are implanted with environmentally sustainable functions such as the storage of solar energy through photovoltaic cells. While the web page does mention their environmental sustainability initiatives, it should provide more information on the expenditure used to build Gardens by the Bay.
One reason why the web page should provide information on the expenditures for the Gardens by the Bay is to provide transparency to the public and announce its initiatives towards sustainability. This would inform the readers why it is vital to invest a significant amount of money in building the Garden’s infrastructures. According to the Ministry of National Development (2012), the annual operating cost for the Gardens by the Bay was estimated to be $53 million, of which the operating cost for the two Conservatories was $28 million and the remaining was spent on the outdoor gardens. The MND further stated that the Government would fund half the cost of operating the outdoor gardens. The rest of the operating cost, including operating the two Conservatories, were recovered through admission fees, commercial rentals, car parking charges and corporate sponsorships. However, even with the help of the Government and sponsors, there are still additional costs due to unforeseen circumstances such as the complexity of constructing the Gardens. Hence, although the Government and the sponsors contributed a significant amount of money, the National Parks Board (NParks) took vital steps to economise the costs and reduced the size of the Conservatories and halved the number of Supertrees from 36 to 18.
Another reason why the web page should provide information on the expenditures for the Gardens is so that the shortfalls and achievements can be accurately represented. This would inform the readers the financial process when constructing the Gardens. Dr. Tan Wee Kiat, Chief Executive Officer of NParks Board, stated that the Government underwrites the shortfall between what the Gardens earns and what it has to spend to maintain the Gardens (Cheong, 2012). Dr. Tan and his team almost had to scrap the Gardens’ two Conservatories. Dr. Tan further explains that his team managed to keep the Conservatories because they found a way to cool them without money-guzzling air-conditioners. Therefore, the Government continued to invest and build the Conservatories as they had emphasised that greening was an essential part of Singapore’s infrastructure.
In conclusion, while the web page mentions about the environmental sustainability initiatives at Gardens by the Bay, it should also include a section on the financing of its development. In conclusion, it should provide more information on the expenditure used to build Gardens by the Bay to provide transparency to the public and the shortfalls and achievements through their construction process. This information would explain the challenges that the Government, the Ministry of National Development, and the National Parks Board faced to achieve their vision of building the Garden infrastructures and state their purpose of emphasising the importance of environmental sustainability. Hence, the reader would then be well-informed holistically with the initiatives of building the Gardens by the Bay.
References
Suk-Wai, Cheong.(2012, Jun 30). No walk in the park. The Strait Times. Retrieved from http://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.sg/2012/07/building-gardens-by-bay.html
Sustainability Efforts. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/about-us/sustainability.html
This is how huge it costs for Gardens by the Bay to keep operating. (2012, Oct 16). Singapore Business Review. Retrieved from http://sbr.com.sg/leisure-entertainment/news/how-huge-it-costs-gardens-bay-keep-operating
SIE 2016 