Community groups organise Gillman Barracks events amid growing calls to protect its green heritage

Community groups and residents are organising a series of biodiversity activities, heritage events and public dialogues from 25 to 30 July 2026 as calls grow to preserve forested areas at Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest.

The programme includes a biodiversity race at Gillman Barracks on 25 July, followed by a heritage and forest walk and community dialogue on 26 July.

A separate residents’ public engagement session hosted by Rachel Ong, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, is scheduled for 30 July at Telok Blangah Community Club.

The events come as online campaigns opposing proposed housing developments at Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest continue to gain support.

As of 1pm on 23 July 2026, the combined number of endorsements across two online petitions had exceeded 34,600.

The "Save Gillman Barracks/Forest" petition had attracted more than 10,270 signatures, while the "Save Maju Forest — Build the homes without erasing the wild" petition, launched on 11 July, had gathered more than 24,360 signatures.

The campaigns are focused on concerns over balancing Singapore’s housing needs with environmental conservation.

Biodiversity race to document wildlife

The Gillman Barracks Biodiversity Race 2026 is scheduled for 25 July, with participants invited to photograph wildlife species found in the area.

The event is independently organised by Julian JP Lee and does not require registration or sign-up.

Participants can take part individually or form groups of three to four.

They are encouraged to photograph as many wildlife species as possible and use the iNaturalist application or seek help from people with biodiversity knowledge to identify them.

Participants are then asked to upload their photographs on Instagram using the hashtag #gillmanbarracksbiod and include the relevant species name.

The event information states that photographs of humans will not be accepted.

The organisers also said there would be no prizes for participants, describing the activity as an opportunity to take part in an outdoor activity and meet others.

The event is not endorsed or funded by Gillman Barracks or any affiliated parties, according to the organisers.

Heritage walk and community dialogue planned

On 26 July, Friends & Residents of Gillman Barracks will organise a heritage and forest walk followed by a community dialogue at Handlebar at Block 10, Gillman Barracks.

The guided walk will take place from 2.30pm to 4pm and will be led by Tan Hang Chong, a nature interpreter and environmental educator.

The walk requires sign-up, while the community dialogue from 4pm to 6pm is open to walk-ins without registration.

Participants can arrive at Handlebar from 2pm.

The programme includes the guided walk, followed by the community dialogue at 4pm.

A trivia segment is scheduled for 4.30pm, followed by sharings on environmental impact assessments and heritage impact assessments at 4.45pm.

An open mic session will take place at 5.15pm, followed by music performances at 5.45pm.

The formal programme ends at 6pm, while the bar will remain open until 8pm for participants to mingle.

The organisers have also provided accessibility information for attendees.

An accessible toilet is available outside Handlebar, although there is one step of about 8cm.

The route from the Gillman Barracks entrance to Handlebar is not wheelchair accessible, but visitors can use a road that is described as relatively quiet and gradually uphill.

The footpath from Labrador Park MRT to the Gillman Barracks entrance at Malan Road is wheelchair- and personal mobility device-accessible.

The walk from Labrador Park MRT to Handlebar takes about 20 minutes, according to the organisers.

No low-sensory zone has been designated because the venue is an open area where sound equipment will be used. Attendees can move around the surrounding area if they need a sensory break.

Public engagement session on 30 July

A separate residents’ public engagement session hosted by Rachel Ong is scheduled for 30 July at Telok Blangah Community Club from 7.30pm onwards.

The promotional material lists the Housing & Development Board (HDB), Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board among the organisations joining the gathering.

Registration and dinner are scheduled for 7.30pm, followed by the programme at 8pm.

The event information states that prior registration is required and that the session is intended for residents in the Telok Blangah Division across Depot, Dover, Pasir Panjang East and Telok Blangah.

HDB says Sunset Way housing plans remain under review

The community events come after HDB announced on 10 July that it intended to develop new homes at Gillman Barracks and the Sunset Way site in Clementi.

On 17 July, HDB chief town planner Dr Chong Fook Loong, who is also group director of the agency’s urban planning division, said the proposed public housing development at Sunset Way was not final.

He said HDB was seeking to balance residents’ concerns over Maju Forest with Singapore’s housing needs.

"We have to make trade-offs. We have to understand how to balance housing and nature to bring about the best plan, as we always do wherever we go," Dr Chong said.

He said strong demand for public housing meant HDB had to consider sites beyond previously developed land.

Referring to the recent Clementi Build-to-Order exercise, Dr Chong said applications exceeded the available flats by more than four times, demonstrating sustained housing demand.

He added that HDB had prioritised brownfield sites wherever possible, but suitable land within Clementi and neighbouring areas had become increasingly limited.

"So, we have to now focus on Sunset Way site to see how that can help to enhance the supply," he said.

Dr Chong also said planning for the Sunset Way site had been guided by an Environmental Impact Assessment, which identified biodiversity features that would help shape development decisions.

"That plan is not final. We are working on it... through these plans and through these trade-offs, we hope to work further with residents and stakeholders," he said.

HDB outlines proposed environmental safeguards

Under HDB’s current proposal for the 23-hectare Sunset Way study area, about eight hectares, mainly along the forest edges, would be retained, while the remaining land would be developed for housing.

HDB has said its proposed developments at Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way were informed by detailed environmental and heritage studies.

The agency said findings from the studies, together with public feedback submitted by 6 August, would help shape final development plans, including housing yield, flat mix, project classification and development timelines.

At Gillman Barracks, HDB plans to build public and private homes near the Greater Southern Waterfront while retaining more than 20 of the site’s 86 heritage buildings.

The proposal also includes preserving most of the existing secondary forest, a natural forest stream and ecological corridors.

Environmental surveys identified 293 plant species and 178 fauna species at the site, including 33 species of conservation significance.

HDB said the plans include ecological corridors at least 30 metres wide, about eight hectares of connected green space and phased vegetation clearance to minimise impacts on wildlife.

Four heritage clusters are also proposed for retention, with the potential to adapt them for commercial and community uses.

At the 23-hectare Sunset Way site, HDB said the proposed estate would provide additional housing options in western Singapore while incorporating biophilic landscape design featuring native plant species.

About eight hectares, including a natural freshwater stream and areas along the former Old Jurong Line, would be retained as wildlife habitat and connected to a proposed nature trail.

The two petitions continue encouraging members of the public to submit feedback before the consultation closes on 6 August and to write to their MPs calling for greater transparency, consideration of alternative sites and protection of Maju and Clementi forests as a connected ecological corridor while addressing Singapore’s housing needs.