(From left) National Housing Department director-general Jayaselan Navaratnam, Gamuda Parks chief operating officer Khariza Abd Khalid, Gamuda Land executive director Datuk Abdul Sahak Bin Safi, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, Gamuda Land chief operating officer Aw Sei Cheh and Gamuda Land chief executive officer Ngan Chee Meng, during the minister’s visit to Gamuda Cove and Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands.

HOUSING and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin visited Gamuda Cove and Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands today (April 22) in conjunction with Earth Day, as part of the ministry’s drive towards improving the standard of sustainable land use and optimisation in the country.

She was hosted by Gamuda Land chief executive officer Ngan Chee Meng and chief operating officer Aw Sei Cheh.

The visit, which showcased Gamuda Land’s mindful town planning in developing Gamuda Cove into a vibrant, smart and sustainable township, along with its stewardship of the surrounding ecosystem, underscores the developer’s mindful approach to good town-making in Gamuda Cove, and across its portfolio, over the years.

“As we celebrate Earth Day, we must keep in mind that residential housing and development must take into consideration not just the needs of Malaysians today, but those of generations of home seekers to come.

“With the ministry’s mandate to further the national housing agenda and improve the lives of the rakyat, we applaud developers like Gamuda Land who establish and uphold responsible, holistic and sustainable development practices, ” said Zuraida, speaking at the Gamuda Cove Experience Gallery.

During the visit, the minister enjoyed a firsthand tour of Gamuda Cove, a 620ha site located in southern Klang Valley. The surrounding area is rich in wetlands, which play an integral role in Malaysia’s ecology by sequestering carbon and mitigating floodwater while serving as wildlife habitats.

Gamuda Land’s sustainable development of the township while conserving the neighbouring wetlands are a testament to the developer’s mindful master planning.

“One of our key development principles is ‘Listening to what the land has to tell us’. At Gamuda Cove, we worked with nature by separating the water that runs off the land to preserve and protect the wetlands next to us. We then crafted the waterways to flow through the town and its landscapes.

“To us, sustainability is about looking into the niche details of town-making today to ensure people can enjoy enhanced quality of life for the longer future. This is how we build townships where people can grow up and grow old in for generations to come, while remaining mindful of the natural ecosystems surrounding our developments, ” added Ngan.

Gamuda Land minimised impacts to the hydrology of the Gamuda Cove site through mindful water table management, including the establishment of three water retention ponds in the township as well as two in the nearby Forest Park, to address soil compaction and subsidence issues. These initiatives also serve to mitigate stormwater runoff to nearby rivers, while enhancing biodiversity in terms of flora and associated avian species.

As part of its biodiversity rehabilitation efforts, Gamuda Land has to date audited six of its townships, including Gamuda Cove, to establish a baseline for biodiversity and benchmark subsequent growth. Insights from these studies are used to foster vibrant ecosystems within Gamuda Land developments.

Such efforts are a testament to the Gamuda Group’s approach to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include ongoing efforts for the planting of #OneMillionTrees across Gamuda Land townships by 2023 as a step towards combating climate change and associated heat island effects.

Gamuda Land’s sustainable land optimisation includes the earmarking of 36ha of land in Gamuda Cove for the development of the Forest Park and a Wetlands Arboretum, where the community can enjoy outdoor activities amidst nature. This is on top of the 24ha pet-friendly Central Park in the heart of the township.

“Another one of our guiding development principles is: ‘When we get the places right, the town works’. Guided by this, we are careful with our master-planning. We think through the home place, the park place, the community place, and the learning, eating and shopping places. All of these have to be carefully designed so that they’re well connected, be it through public transportation, walking or biking, ” said Ngan.

Gamuda Cove is a nature sanctuary and smart city with planned 5G infrastructure. It is designed to be ready with integrated pedestrian walkways, a tramway network, shuttle bus and environmentally friendly Electric Transit Vehicle infrastructure to provide intercity and intracity connectivity.

Incorporating numerous placemaking initiatives, as well as leisure and entertainment components including the Discovery Park, Splashmania water theme park, and Townsquare retail zone in its Heart of Cove commercial hub, it embodies Gamuda Land’s mindful approach to township planning, with sustainable land use and optimisation ensuring the sustainability of the development for years to come.