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No. S 131

Parks and Trees Act

(Chapter 216)

Parks and Trees Rules 1997

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 28 of the Parks and Trees Act, the Minister for National Development hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Parks and Trees Rules 1997 and shall come into operation on 6th April 1997.

Definitions

2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“animal” means any member of the animal kingdom including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and every kind of vertebrate and invertebrate and the eggs and young thereof;

“boat” means any vessel constructed or adapted for operations on water;

“controlled drug” means a controlled drug within the meaning of the Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap. 185);

“dangerous fireworks” means dangerous fireworks within the meaning of the Dangerous Fireworks Act (Cap. 72);

“explosive” means explosive within the meaning of the Arms and Explosives Act (Cap. 13);

“industrial waste” means industrial waste within the meaning of the Environmental Public Health Act (Cap. 95);

“park”, in relation to a vehicle, means to bring the vehicle to a stationary position and cause it to wait for any purpose;

“tout” means to solicit any person in connection with any trade or business, whether or not carried on by the person so soliciting;

“trap” means any contrivance, device or thing by means of which any animal can be captured;

“weapon” means any instrument capable of being used to kill or injure any animal.

Prohibited acts

3.—(1) No person shall —

(a)	enter or leave any fenced, hedged or walled area of a public park except through an entrance or exit provided for that purpose;
(b)	enter or remain within a public park while under the influence of a controlled drug or in a state of intoxication;
(c)	set up any shrine, idol or religious artifact for the purpose of worship in a public park;
(d)	throw, deposit or dump any household refuse or industrial waste in a public park;
(e)	throw, deposit or leave behind any refuse, litter, object or article in a public park except in a litter bin provided for that purpose;
(f)	bathe or wash in any body of water in a public park;
(g)	cause any body of water in a public park to be fouled; or
(h)	where the Commissioner has, by notice, prohibited any activity or the use of any musical instrument or sound equipment in any part of the public park, carry out such activity or use such instrument or equipment in that part of the public park.

(2) No person shall in any public park —

(a)	gamble or assist in gambling;
(b)	beg, tout, solicit or commit a nuisance;
(c)	undress or be in an undressed state so as to be indecently exposed to the view of the public;
(d)	enter or attempt to enter or look into a public convenience provided for the opposite sex except in the course of a lawful duty;
(e)	soil, deface, damage or destroy any building, structure, park furniture, ornament or equipment;
(f)	use any obscene, indecent or offensive language;
(g)	disturb or create a nuisance to another person in his lawful use of the public park;
(h)	throw or discharge any stone or projectile or do any act likely to cause injury to any person or animal, or damage to any plant or property;
(i)	participate in any game or perform any activity likely to disturb or to create a nuisance to another person in his lawful use of the public park or to damage any plant or property;
(j)	wash any car, clothing, object, article or material or hang, spread or deposit any linen or other fabric for drying or bleaching; or
(k)	use any facility for a purpose other than that for which the facility is provided.

Acts prohibited except with permission of Commissioner

4.—(1) No person shall, without the permission of the Commissioner, in any public park —

(a)	collect, remove, cut or displace any plant or part thereof;
(b)	prospect, mine, quarry, excavate or remove any soil, sand, laterite, clay, stone, any earth substance or water;
(c)	clear, break up, dig or cultivate any land;
(d)	drop or deposit any dirt, sand, gravel, clay, loam, manure, refuse, sawdust, shavings, stone, straw or any other matter or thing;
(e)	disturb or take the nest of any animal or feed, kill, injure, capture or molest any animal;
(f)	spread, set or use any net, trap or other instrument for the capture, destruction or injury of any animal;
(g)	sell, let, offer or display for sale or hire any thing, or perform or offer to perform any service for reward;
(h)	kindle or cause any fire;
(i)	discharge any dangerous fireworks, explosive or weapon;
(j)	climb any wall, fence, barrier, railing, hedge, tree, post or other structure;
(k)	erect any post, rail, fence, pole, booth, stand, stall or other structure;
(l)	remove or displace any seat, barrier, railing, post, structure, ornament or any implement used in the laying out or maintenance of the public parks;
(m)	wade in any lake, reservoir, pond, stream or fountain;
(n)	hang or affix any light, bill, placard, notice or other thing on any plant, tree or structure; or
(o)	do any other activity which causes or may cause alteration, damage or destruction to any plant, animal or property.

(2) No person shall, without the permission of the Commissioner —

(a)	enter or remain in a public park outside the days and times of admission specified by the Commissioner and posted at every entrance to the public park to which they apply;
(b)	bring any boat into Sungei Buloh Nature Park;
(c)	bring into the Sungei Buloh Nature Park any trap, net, instrument, explosive, weapon, poison or any other substance which may be used to capture, destroy or injure any animal or to damage any plant.

Acts requiring permit

5.—(1) No person shall do any of the following acts unless he is the holder of a valid permit issued for that purpose by the Commissioner or any person authorised by the Commissioner in that behalf:

(a)	hold a barbecue in any public park;
(b)	erect or leave standing a tent, shelter or camp in any public park between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day; or
(c)	store or leave unattended a boat in any public park.

(2) A person applying for a permit shall apply in such form and furnish such particulars as the Commissioner may require and pay the fee prescribed in the Schedule.

(3) A permit granted under this rule shall be subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may impose.

(4) The Commissioner may waive the payment of, or refund, in whole or part, any fee payable under this rule in any particular case or class of cases.

Restrictions relating to animals

6.—(1) No person shall, without the permission of the Commissioner, bring or cause to be brought into a public park any animal other than a domestic animal which is kept as a pet.

(2) No person shall cause or permit a domestic animal belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remain in a public park unless it is —

(a)	kept under proper control and, where the animal is a dog, held in leash; and
(b)	restrained from straying or causing annoyance or nuisance to any person or animal or damage to any plant or property.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(a), where the Commissioner has, by notice —

(a)	prohibited the entry of any domestic animal to any part of a public park, no person shall cause or permit such domestic animal belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remain in that part of the public park; and
(b)	declared any part of a public park to be an area where dogs can run freely, no person shall be required to hold a dog belonging to him or in his charge in leash but may let it run freely in that part of the public park.

(4) No person shall cause or permit any domestic animal belonging to him or in his charge to enter any public convenience, lake, reservoir, pond, stream or fountain in any public park.

(5) Where a domestic animal has defecated in any public park, the person to whom the animal belongs or who is in charge of the animal shall immediately clean up the faeces and dispose of it properly in a hygienic manner.

Restrictions relating to vehicles, etc.

7.—(1) No person shall, without the permission of the Commissioner —

(a)	bring, ride or drive a motor vehicle within a public park, except within any area designated as a carpark by the Commissioner or on any road designated by the Commissioner for access to such a carpark;
(b)	park a motor vehicle in any public park except within the boundary of a parking lot provided for that purpose by the Commissioner for motor vehicles of a description to which that motor vehicle belongs;
(c)	park a motor vehicle in any parking lot in a public park reserved for handicapped drivers when he is not a handicapped driver;
(d)	obstruct any entrance, exit, road or path in a public park or any access to a public park or to any building in a public park;
(e)	ride a bicycle or use skates in a public park except on any track or path specified, by notice, for such use or any road for use by motor vehicles;
(f)	cause any vehicle, perambulator or invalid carriage to run over a flowerbed, plant or ground being prepared for planting in a public park; or
(g)	secure a motorcycle or bicycle, in a public park, to any plant, tree or structure that is not constructed for that purpose.

(2) In this rule —

“bicycle” means any pedal cycle but does not include a child's toy vehicle used solely by a child;

“skates” includes roller skates, in-line skates and any skateboard.

Public parks not for residence, etc.

8. No person shall lodge or reside in or occupy any public park or any part thereof except in pursuance of a lease or a licence or pursuant to any written law.

Power to order persons to leave

9. The Commissioner or any police officer may order a person who contravenes or who in his opinion is about to contravene a provision of these Rules to leave the public park and that person shall do so forthwith.

Power to remove vehicles, etc.

10. The Commissioner or any police officer may remove any vehicle, boat or thing brought into or left in a public park or any part thereof in contravention of the Act or these Rules or which is likely to cause danger or obstruction.

Planting, care, etc., of trees

11.—(1) The planting, aeration and maintenance of trees on vacant land or land on which a new street or carpark is to be made or adjoining or abutting or near to a public street in accordance with section 8 of the Act shall conform to the standards as specified by the Commissioner in each instance.

(2) No person shall, without the prior written approval of the Commissioner, excavate, cement or seal up in any way or otherwise render impervious to air and water that part of any ground within a radius of 2 metres from the collar of a tree planted on vacant land on which a new street or carpark is to be made, or adjoining or abutting or near to a public street.

(3) The Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require the owner or occupier of any land who contravenes or fails to comply with paragraph (1) or (2) to take such measures as the Commissioner thinks fit to comply with paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may be.

(4) The owner or occupier of any land who has been served with a notice under paragraph (3) shall, within 14 days or such reasonable time as may be specified in the notice, comply with all the requirements of the notice.

(5) Where the owner or occupier of any land fails to comply with a requirement of a notice served on him under paragraph (3), the Commissioner may, at any reasonable time after the expiration of those 14 days or the time specified in the notice, enter upon the land and take such measures and do such work as may be necessary to comply with the notice.

(6) All costs and expenses incurred by the Commissioner under paragraph (5) shall constitute a debt due from the owner or occupier of the land to the Board and be recoverable as such.

Penalty

12. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of these Rules shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

Exemption

13. These Rules shall not apply to officers or agents of the Board who are acting in the lawful discharge of their duties.

Revocation

14.—(1) The Parks and Trees Rules (R 1) are revoked.

(2) Notwithstanding the revocation of the Parks and Trees Rules —

(a)	any notice served under rule 12 of the revoked Rules shall have the same force and effect as if it had been served under rule 11 of these Rules; and
(b)	any permit issued under rule 3 of the revoked Rules which is valid at the commencement of these Rules shall have the same force and effect as if a permit had been issued under rule 5(1)(c) of these Rules for the remainder of its duration or until its earlier cancellation.

Made this 20th day of March 1997.

LAM CHUAN LEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of National Development,
Singapore.

[ND 202/1-58 Vol. 5; AG/SL/27/95]