Functions of Board
Open ↗6.—(1) The functions of the Board are —(a)
to control, administer and manage the national parks and nature reserves;
(b)
to plan, design, develop, manage and maintain public parks;
(c)
to provide, manage and maintain park and recreational infrastructure and facilities in the national parks, nature reserves and public parks;
(d)
to propagate, protect and preserve the animals, plants and other organisms of Singapore and, within the national parks, nature reserves and public parks, to preserve objects and places of aesthetic, historical or scientific interest;
(e)
to promote and protect the welfare, safety and health of animals, including controlling the following:(i)
the use of animals in research, testing or teaching;
(ii)
the supply of veterinary products;
(iii)
the trapping or killing of animals in a wild state;
(f)
to manage the animal population in Singapore;
(g)
to prevent and manage threats and risks —(i)
to animal health, animal welfare or plant health or all of them;
(ii)
to terrestrial and aquatic environments arising from animals or plants, or pests or diseases carried by animals or plants; and
(iii)
to public health and safety from animals or plants, or pests or diseases carried by animals or plants;
(h)
to regulate trade in endangered species of animals and plants;
(i)
to regulate veterinary establishments, practitioners of veterinary medicine and persons who provide veterinary services in the course of business;
(j)
to cooperate and collaborate in particular with —(i)
any public officer, public authority or Health Officer in the administration of the Infectious Diseases Act 1976;
(ii)
the Health Sciences Authority in the administration of the Health Products Act 2007;
(iii)
the Director-General of Public Health and the Director‑General, Food Administration in the administration of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987; and
(iv)
the Director-General, Food Administration in the discharge of functions or powers under any written law;
(k)
to provide and control facilities for the study of and research into matters relating to animals, plants and other organisms in Singapore and the physical conditions in which they live;
(l)
to exhibit objects illustrative of the life sciences, applied sciences, history, technology and industry;
(m)
to promote the study, research and dissemination of knowledge in veterinary medicine, animal‑related services, botany, horticulture, biotechnology, arboriculture, landscape architecture, parks and recreation management and natural and local history;
(n)
to provide, manage and promote recreational, cultural, historical, research and educational facilities and resources in national parks, nature reserves and public parks and encourage their full and proper use by members of the public;
(o)
to advise the Government on all matters relating to animal health and welfare, plant health, veterinary medicine, animal‑related services, nature conservation and the planning, development and management of public parks;
(p)
to manage on behalf of the Government any State land used or to be used by the landscape industry, animal‑related services industry or veterinary science industry in Singapore and to promote the optimisation of the use of such land;
(q)
to promote the development, productivity and efficiency of the landscape industry, animal‑related services industry or veterinary science industry in Singapore;
(r)
to promote the advancement of skills and expertise of individuals in relation to any subject mentioned in paragraph (m) and of individuals employed in the landscape industry, animal‑related services industry or veterinary science industry in Singapore;
(s)
to represent the Government internationally on matters that relate to animal health and welfare, plant health, wildlife trade control and biodiversity, and matters connected with the landscape industry, animal‑related services industry and veterinary science industry in Singapore; and
(t)
to carry out such other functions and duties as are imposed upon the Board by or under this Act or any other written law.[9/2017; 10/2019]
(2) In addition to the functions of the Board under subsection (1), the Board may undertake any other functions that the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, assign to the Board and in so doing the Board is deemed to be fulfilling the purposes of this Act and the provisions of this Act apply to the Board in respect of those functions.[10/2019]
(3) Nothing in this section imposes on the Board, directly or indirectly, any form of duty or liability enforceable by proceedings before any court to which the Board would not otherwise be subject.[10/2019]
Powers of Board
Open ↗7.—(1) The Board may, for the purposes of this Act, carry on any activity that appears to the Board to be advantageous, necessary or convenient for it to carry on for or in connection with the discharge of its duties and functions under this Act, or which is incidental or conducive to the discharge of those duties and functions, and, in particular, may exercise any of the powers specified in the Second Schedule.[10/2019]
(2) This section is not to be construed as limiting any power of the Board conferred by or under any other written law.
Directions of Minister
Open ↗8.—(1) The Minister may, after consulting the Board, give to the Board any direction under section 5 of the Public Sector (Governance) Act 2018.[5/2018]
(2) The Board must provide the Minister with such information or facilities for obtaining information with respect to its property and activities in such manner and at such times as the Minister may require.
Appointment of committees
Open ↗9. The Board may appoint from among its own members or other persons who are not members any number of committees consisting of members or other persons or members and other persons for purposes which, in the opinion of the Board, would be better regulated and managed by means of those committees.
Ability to delegate, etc.
Open ↗10.—(1) The Board may delegate the performance or exercise of any of its functions, duties or powers under this Act or any other Act, either generally or specially, to any of the following persons by resolution and written notice to the person or persons:(a)
a member of the Board;
(b)
the Chief Executive, any employee of the Board or any other person performing duties in the Board;
(c)
a committee of the Board appointed under section 9;
(d)
a wholly-owned subsidiary company of the Board;
(e)
a person engaged as a contractor by the Board.[10/2019]
(2) A delegation by the Board under subsection (1) of the performance or exercise of any of its functions, duties or powers —(a)
to a person in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) may authorise the delegate to subdelegate the performance or exercise of the function, duty or power to another member, an appropriately qualified employee of the Board or person performing duties in the Board (called in this Act a subdelegate); or
(b)
to a person in subsection (1)(d) or (e) may authorise the delegate to subdelegate the performance or exercise of the function, duty or power to an appropriately qualified employee of that delegate (also called in this Act a subdelegate),
but subject to the same restrictions, and with the same effect, as if the subdelegate were the delegate.
[10/2019]
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to —(a)
the power to borrow money;
(b)
the power to raise or grant loans or advances to or subscribe to stocks, shares, bonds or debentures of a company or corporation; or
(c)
any other function, duty or power under this Act or any other Act administered by the Board that is declared by this Act or that Act to be non‑delegable.[10/2019]
(4) A subdelegate to whom a function, duty or power of the Board is subdelegated under this section is not authorised to further delegate that function, duty or power to anyone else.[10/2019]
(5) A delegation or subdelegation in accordance with this Act is not affected by any change in the membership of the Board or of any committee or by any change in the Chief Executive or any employee.[10/2019]
(6) A delegate (or subdelegate) who purports to perform a function or duty or exercise a power under delegation (or subdelegation) —(a)
is taken to do so in accordance with the terms of a delegation (or subdelegation) under this section, unless the contrary is shown; and
(b)
must produce evidence of the delegate’s (or subdelegate’s) authority to do so, if reasonably requested to do so.[10/2019]
(7) In this section —(a)
a reference to a wholly‑owned subsidiary company of the Board includes a company limited by guarantee the sole member of which is the Board; and
(b)
a reference to a person performing duties in the Board includes a person performing duties in the Board under a contract, or under an arrangement making available temporarily to the Board the services of public officers (or secondment).[10/2019]
Protection from personal liability
Open ↗11. No liability shall lie against any member, any committee member, the Chief Executive or any employee, delegate or subdelegate of the Board, or any other person acting under the direction of the Board, for anything which is done or purported to be done, or omitted to be done, in good faith and with reasonable care in —(a)
the exercise or purported exercise of any power under this Act; or
(b)
the performance or purported performance of any function under this Act.[10/2019]
