Parks and Trees Rules - Singapore Statutes Online

Parks and Trees Act

(Chapter 216, Section 25)

Parks and Trees Rules

R 1

REVISED EDITION 1990

(25th March 1992)

[7th January 1983]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Parks and Trees Rules.

Conduct prohibited within public park

2. No person shall in a public park —

(a)	enter or leave the public park except through an entrance or exit provided for the purpose;
(b)	remain in the public park except during the hours when it is open to the public;
(c)	bring or cause to be brought into the public park any drug or alcoholic or intoxicating liquor;
(d)	consume any alcoholic or intoxicating liquor in the public park except in a restaurant or other licensed premises within the grounds of the park;
(e)	enter or remain within the public park while under the influence of a drug or in a state of intoxication;
(f)	gamble or assist in gambling;
(g)	beg, solicit or commit a nuisance;
(h)	beat, shake, sweep, brush or cleanse any carpet, rug, mat or other fabric which has dust or dirt;
(i)	undress or be in an undressed state so as to be indecently exposed to the view of the public;
(j)	throw, deposit or dump any household or trade refuse in a litter bin;
(k)	throw or deposit any other refuse, litter, object or article except in a litter bin provided therefor;
(l)	expectorate or use any obscene, indecent or offensive language;
(m)	wash any car, clothing, object, article or material or hang, spread or deposit any linen or other fabric for drying or bleaching;
(n)	bathe, wade or wash in a lake, ornamental fountain, pond or foul the water thereof;
(o)	enter or attempt to enter into a public convenience provided for the opposite sex;
(p)	affix a bill, placard or notice to any tree, plant, building, seat, structure or ornament in the public park, or a barrier, railing, wall or fence in the park;
(q)	set up any shrine, idol or structure within the park for the purpose of worship;
(r)	erect a post, rail, fence, pole, tent, booth, stand, stall, or other structure within the park;
(s)	soil, deface, damage or destroy a seat, building, barrier, railing or post in the public park or any other structure, ornament or implement used in the laying out or maintenance of the park;
(t)	climb a wall, fence, barrier or railing enclosing the park or any tree, post or other structure therein; or
(u)	remove or displace a seat or barrier, railing, post or any other structure, ornament or implement used in the laying out or maintenance of the park.
(v)	remove, cut, damage or displace any soil, turf, plant, shrub or tree or a part thereof;
(w)	pick a shrub or plant or a part thereof;
(x)	capture, injure or destroy any animal, butterfly or insect or spread, use or set any net, snare or other instrument for the capture, injury or destruction of any animal, bird, butterfly or insect. For the purpose of this sub-paragraph, “animal” includes the eggs and young thereof;
(y)	capture, injure, or destroy or attempt to capture, injure or destroy a fish or water fowl in a lake, pond or stream;
(z)	displace, disturb, injure, destroy or remove any bird’s nest or egg; or
(za)	throw or discharge a stone or projectile or participate in any act in a manner likely to cause injury to any person.

Activities prohibited except with permission of Commissioner

3.—(1) No person shall in a public park without the permission of the Commissioner —

(a)	play a musical instrument or use an apparatus for the production or reproduction of sound by means of a loudspeaker or otherwise;
(b)	sell, offer or display for sale, or let for hire, or offer to let for hire or display for letting for hire an object or article or a commodity;
(c)	preach or deliver a public address or assemble for the purpose of holding or taking part in a social entertainment or a religious, political or other meeting or demonstration;
(d)	kindle any fire; or
(e)	discharge any firework, cracker, fire-arm or weapon.

(2) No person shall bring or cause to be brought into a public park or to a beach thereof or adjoining thereto any boat, sampan, craft or other vessel unless he is the holder of a valid permit issued by the Commissioner for that purpose.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(3) An applicant for a permit or a renewal thereof shall make an application in such form as the Commissioner may determine and shall furnish such particulars and documents as the Commissioner may require.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(4) The Commissioner may, in his discretion, issue or renew a permit subject to such conditions as he thinks fit or may refuse to issue or renew a permit without assigning any reason.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(5) The Commissioner may at any time vary any existing conditions or impose additional conditions of a permit and shall forthwith inform the holder of the permit of such variation or imposition.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(6) The fee payable for a permit or renewal thereof shall be —

(a)	$85 for 6 months or part thereof; or
(b)	$170 for 12 months or part thereof.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(7) A person to whom a permit is issued under this rule shall observe such directives as may from time to time be given by the Commissioner.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(8) The Commissioner may, in his discretion, cancel any permit without assigning any reason and may, if he considers it fit, refund any part of the fee paid under this rule.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

(9) Where a permit has been cancelled under this rule, the holder thereof shall, upon being notified by the Commissioner of the cancellation, forthwith surrender the permit to the Commissioner.

[S 314/93 wef 23/07/1993]

Mechanically propelled vehicles prohibited

4.—(1) Where a notice prohibiting the entry of any mechanically propelled vehicle has been erected in a public park no person shall bring or cause to be brought into the park any such vehicle.

(2) No person shall in a public park drive, ride, park, station or use —

(a)	any vehicle other than an invalid chair, a perambulator or a child’s toy vehicle on or in any walk, path, track, way or area designated by notice for the use solely of pedestrians; or
(b)	any mechanically propelled vehicle on or in any walk, path, track, way or area designated by notice for the use solely of non-mechanically propelled vehicles or for pedestrians.

Restrictions on walking, driving, etc., vehicles on flower-bed

5. No person shall walk, drive, ride, wheel or station a vehicle over or upon —

(a)	a flower-bed, shrub or plant, or ground being prepared for a flower-bed or for the planting of a tree, shrub or other plant in a public park; or
(b)	a part of the park to which admission is prohibited by the Commissioner by a notice board erected in a conspicuous position in that part.

Dogs and other animals prohibited

6.—(1) No person shall cause or permit a dog belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remain in a public park, unless the dog is on a leash and under proper control and is restrained from causing annoyance or disturbance to any person or animal, or from entering a lake, pond, fountain or stream.

(2) Where the Commissioner, by a notice erected in some conspicuous position at each of the entrances to a public park, prohibits the entry of dogs into the park, no person shall cause or permit a dog belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remain in the park.

(3) Except with the permission of the Commissioner no person shall bring or cause to be brought into a public park any other animal.

Games prohibited

7. The Commissioner may by notice prohibit the playing of any game within a public park.

Disorderly behaviour

8. No person in a public park shall wilfully obstruct, disturb, interrupt or annoy another person in the proper use of such park or wilfully obstruct, disturb or interrupt an officer appointed under section 3 of the Act in carrying out his duties under the Act.

Park not for residence, camping, etc.

9.—(1) No person shall reside in a public park, except an officer required or permitted by the Commissioner to do so.

(2) No person shall camp, lodge or remain in the public park after the time when the park is closed.

(3) Except in pursuance of a lease or licence from the Commissioner no person shall occupy or use a public park for a purpose other than that for which the park is held and maintained by the Commissioner.

Power to evict persons

10.—(1) The Commissioner may order a person who contravenes or who in the Commissioner’s opinion is about to contravene a provision of these Rules to leave the public park and that person shall do so forthwith.

(2) Where a fee for admission to a public park has been levied and paid, no refund of such fee shall be made to any person.

Liability

11. A person who enters a public park does so at his own risk.

Planting, care, etc., of trees

12.—(1) For the purposes of this rule, “aeration” means the exposure of the soil surrounding the base of the trunk of a tree to enable air and water to reach its roots.

(2) The planting, aeration and maintenance of trees on vacant land or land on which a new street or car park is to be made or adjoining or abutting or near to a public street in accordance with section 7 of the Act shall conform to the standards as prescribed by the Commissioner in each instance.

(3) Except with the prior written approval of the Commissioner no person shall 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 two metres from the collar of a tree planted on vacant land on which a new street or car park is to be made, or adjoining or abutting or near to a public street.

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

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

(6) Where the owner or occupier of any land fails to comply with a requirement of a notice served on him under paragraph (4), 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.

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

Decorations prohibited

13.—(1) No person shall hang any decorative lights or any other item on any tree without the permission of the Commissioner.

(2) The Commissioner may in granting such permission impose such conditions as he thinks fit.

(3) The Commissioner may by notice in writing require any person who contravenes paragraph (1) to remove any decorative lights or any other item from any tree.

(4) Where the person fails to comply with a notice served on him under paragraph (3), the Commissioner may take such measures and do such work as may be necessary to comply with the notice without being liable for any damage to any of the items removed.

(5) All costs and expenses incurred by the Commissioner under paragraph (4) shall constitute a debt due from the person to the Government and be recoverable as such.

(6) The Government shall not be liable for any injury to any person or for damage to the property of any person caused by any item hung on to the tree whether or not permission has been obtained by the person under paragraph (1).

Penalty

14. A person who contravenes or fails to comply with delete these Rules shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Exemption

15. These Rules shall not apply to officers, appointed under section 3 of the Act, who are acting in the discharge of their duties.

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