National Parks Regulations 1997 - Singapore Statutes Online

No. S 129

National Parks Act 1996

(Act 22 of 1996)

National Parks Regulations 1997

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 40 of the National Parks Act 1996, the National Parks Board, with the approval of the Minister for National Development, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

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

Definitions

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

“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);

“designated lands” means the lands designated as national parks or nature reserves in the Fifth Schedule to the Act;

“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);

“invalid carriage” means a carriage the weight of which unladen does not exceed 254 kilograms and which is specially designed and constructed and not merely adapted for the use of persons suffering from some physical defect or disability and is used solely by such persons;

“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;

“vehicle” means a vehicle, whether mechanically propelled or otherwise, but does not include a perambulator, a child’s toy vehicle used solely by a child or an invalid carriage;

“weapon” means any in 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 the designated lands except through an entrance or exit provided for that purpose;
(b)	enter or remain within the designated lands while under the influence of a controlled drug or in a state of intoxication;
(c)	throw, deposit or dump any household refuse or industrial waste in the designated lands;
(d)	throw, deposit or leave behind any refuse, litter, object or article in the designated lands except in a litter bin provided for that purpose;
(e)	bathe or wash in any body of water in the designated lands;
(f)	cause any body of water in the designated lands to be fouled; or
(g)	where the Chief Executive has, by notice, prohibited any activity or the use of any musical instrument or sound equipment in any part of the designated lands, carry out such activity or use such instrument or equipment in that part of the designated lands.

(2) No person shall in the designated lands —

(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 designated lands;
(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 designated lands 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 Chief Executive

4.—(1) No person shall, without the permission of the Chief Executive, in the designated lands —

(a)	sell, let, offer or display for sale or hire any thing, or perform or offer to perform any service for reward;
(b)	kindle or cause any fire;
(c)	discharge any dangerous fireworks, explosive or weapon;
(d)	climb any wall, fence, barrier, railing, hedge, tree, post or other structure;
(e)	erect any post, rail, fence, pole, booth, stand, stall or other structure;
(f)	remove or displace any seat, barrier, railing, post, structure, ornament or any implement used in the laying out or maintenance of the designated lands;
(g)	wade in any lake, reservoir, pond, stream or fountain; or
(h)	hang or affix any light, bill, placard, notice or other thing on any plant, tree or structure.

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

(a)	enter or remain in the designated lands outside the days and times of admission specified by the Chief Executive and posted at every entrance to the designated lands to which they apply;
(b)	bring any boat into the nature reserves or any national park set out in the Schedule; or
(c)	bring into the nature reserves, or any national park set out in the Schedule, 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 Chief Executive or any person authorised by the Chief Executive in that behalf:

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

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

(3) A permit granted under this regulation shall be subject to such conditions as the Chief Executive may impose.

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

Restrictions relating to animals

6.—(1) No person shall, without the permission of the Chief Executive, bring or cause to be brought into any national park an 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 national 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 Chief Executive has, by notice —

(a)	prohibited the entry of any domestic animal to any part of a national park, no person shall cause or permit such an animal belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remain in that part of the national park; or
(b)	declared any part of a national 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 national 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 national park.

(5) Where a domestic animal has defecated in any national 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 Chief Executive —

(a)	bring, ride or drive a motor vehicle within the designated lands except within any area designated as a carpark by the Chief Executive or on any road designated by the Chief Executive for access to such a carpark;
(b)	park a motor vehicle in the designated lands except within the boundary of a parking lot provided for that purpose by the Chief Executive for motor vehicles of a description to which that motor vehicle belongs;
(c)	park a motor vehicle in any parking lot in the designated lands reserved for handicapped drivers when he is not a handicapped driver;
(d)	obstruct any entrance, exit, road or path in the designated lands or any access to the designated lands or to any building in the designated lands;
(e)	ride a bicycle or use skates in the designated lands 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 the designated lands; or
(g)	secure a motorcycle or bicycle, in the designated lands, to any plant, tree or structure that is not constructed for that purpose.

(2) In this regulation —

“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.

Removal, sale and disposal of vehicles, boats or things

8.—(1) When any vehicle, boat or thing is removed by the Board under section 34 of the Act, the Chief Executive shall, with all reasonable despatch, give notice in writing to the owner (if the name and address of such owner are known to him) of the removal, and if the vehicle, boat or thing is not claimed by its owner within one month of the date of its removal, the Chief Executive may sell or otherwise dispose of such vehicle, boat or thing.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Chief Executive may forthwith sell or dispose of —

(a)	any perishable thing removed under section 34 of the Act; or
(b)	any vehicle, boat or thing where the name or address of the owner cannot be ascertained with reasonable diligence.

(3) The proceeds of the sale or disposal of any vehicle, boat or thing sold pursuant to this regulation shall be applied in payment of any expenses incurred by the Board in connection with the sale or disposal of that vehicle, boat or thing and thereafter shall be applied in payment of all charges and fines payable under the Act and any regulations made thereunder and the surplus, if any, shall be paid to the owner of the vehicle, boat or thing, or if not claimed by the owner of the vehicle, boat or thing within 12 months of the date of the sale or disposal shall be forfeited to the Board.

(4) Any expenses incurred in connection with the sale or disposal of any vehicle, boat or thing pursuant to this regulation shall be recoverable as a debt due to the Board from the owner of that vehicle, boat or thing.

Designated lands not for residence, etc.

9. No person shall lodge or reside in or occupy the designated lands or any part thereof except in pursuance of a lease or a licence or pursuant to any statutory law.

Power to order persons to leave

10. A police officer or an employee or agent of the Board authorised in that behalf by the Board may order a person who contravenes or who in his opinion is about to contravene any provision of the Act or these Regulations to leave the designated lands and that person shall do so forthwith.

Penalty

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

Composition of offences

12. All offences under the Act or regulations made thereunder may be compounded in accordance with section 38(1) of the Act.

Exemption

13. These Regulations shall not apply to persons appointed under section 13 of the Act who are acting in the lawful discharge of their duties.

Revocation

14. The National Parks Regulations (Rg 1) are revoked.

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 Vol. 1]

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