ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Barbudan Senator McKenzie Frank has said more needs to be done to stop the misuse of lands on the sister island.
Frank said over the past few years, Barbudans have seen serious exploitation of the land and this is not part of the design of the Barbuda Land Act, which states that the land belongs to the Barbudan people.
He said in recent years, developers have been encroaching on the isle with development plans, and while he is not against this, the controversial proposals for 99-year lease and demands for up to 3,000 acres or more is “unacceptable.”
“ You have people who want up to 3,000 acres now that is not feasible. What you are going to be doing is putting your best and most economic piece of land into the hands of outsiders and that is not something which is sustainable.”
The Barbuda Council member also spoke on the resumption of sand mining months after the Council passed a resolution to stop the practice.
He said there is no sand left on Barbuda, which is mineable, only small quantities close to a ridge in Palmetto Point which blocks major storm surges from entering the island.
“In my humble opinion, no one should be touching that ridge and I hope that the other members of the council would stand with me on that,” Frank said.
In June of this year, Council Chairman Kelvin Punter said the cessation of sand mining in April was “temporary” as the local government body mulls resuming the operation to settle the debts associated with mining.
He estimated the outstanding sums could be as much as $135,000, though it stood at $45,000 two months ago.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)
The Natural Environment is the Barbudan heritage. The majority of people have lived with the environment without destroying it, there is a harmony of sustainable living, hunting, fishing, farming, skilled labour, camping and respecting the environment (sand mining was forced upon us and has done NOTHING for Barbuda). Green sustainability is the past & the future, even the hard nose realists know the big money spenders do not want to come to a development tainted by destruction of the environment. Well said Senator! That old way has failed numerous times, we now have the alternative, we have a BARBUDA PLAN , not a plan brought to the Barbuda by undesirables. All will reveal once we have overcome this minority mindset of Mega development, quick signatures, empty promises in exchange for quick bucks.
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Well said TTurner. And how did Turks and Caicos get to this position? Some claim corruption had a lot to answer for, at levels right up to the top. With a lot of money at stake, we must be on guard against corruption in Antigua & Barbuda.
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Keep up the exploitation and development, and Barbuda will end up going in the direction the Turks and Caicos has gone in the last few years. Ugly resorts, wrecked natural resources, jobs going to cheap workers from outside countries, drugs, crime and HIV. Not a place I will ever visit again, but a beautiful treasure only a few short years ago. What you have in Barbuda is unique and incredibly difficult to find in the caribbean any more. It is wonderful to visit such an unspoiled place with amazing, incredible natural resources. Preserve, protect and cherish it and you will find many people who will want to visit to experience what the caribbean used to be. Allowing outsiders to develop it and you will have an island just like all the rest.
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How does the Barbudan Council end up apparently oweing increasing amounts of money to people who took over $200M of sand from the island, some of whom almost ended up in jail for their activities? And surely there must be some better economic solution than to put large parts of this beautiful island into the hands of property speculation companies, at least one of whose driving forces is widely known to have already been in jail for property fraud?
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“We need to resume mining to pay off the debts incurred from the mining” Does he realize how dumb this sounds?
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Well spoken Senator McKenzie Frank! Do we really want Barbuda to become a playground for predatory developers? We have to ask what for these developers want so much land? What is their background and experience, and how much would Barbudans would benefit long term? After Stanford, we also need to ask who they are personally, exactly where their money comes from, and the related question of why they are so keen to build on an island that currently has two out of four resort hotels dormant?
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