By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE,Guardian Staff Reporter
The fight to halt the $500 million Passerine development at Guana Cay was taken to the city's centre on Tuesday morning, despite the recent signing of a Heads of Agreement.
Approximately 30 residents of the small, quaint community, carrying placards some of which read: "Our heritage is not for sale," "Democracy: The people decide their own future," and "Don't rape Guana Cay," assembled in front of the bust of Sir Milo to voice their concern about the alleged dangers the development will cause to their environment.
Led by attorney Fred Smith, the residents blasted the government for giving the go ahead to Passerine at Abaco Limited to begin construction of an exclusive resort and gated residential community, equipped with an 18-hole, 585-acre championship golf course which they claim will cause irreparable environmental damage.
"They don't want the development to happen. They want a small quaint town; they don't want a massive mega development. They are quite happy to have ongoing reasonable sustainable development that respects the environment. They want to maintain the beauty of God's country. They don't want hundreds of foreigners coming in building huge houses, bringing in mega yachts, polluting the waters, destroying the reefs and breaking up and destroying the natural habitats in the forest," Mr Smith told the Guardian.
He said despite numerous letters sent to the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister of Financial Services and Investment Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Ambassador for the Environment Keod Smith and others, the government still went ahead and approved the deal without first speaking with residents to hear their concerns.
Responding to their cries, Prime Minister Perry Christie hinted that if the residents did not want positive development for their land, he might consider taking another route.
Said Mr Christie: "We are servants of the people. If it is the people's desire that they do not wish to have their community benefit in this enormous way, that Abaco has been able to become the third centre of activity in our country as a result of a very dynamic tourism industry, then fine, I have no difficulty with accepting the wishes of the people.
"They, obviously, must determine whether or not they are interested in a future that is dynamic, that is strong, that is bright, because the one thing we have not compromised on, is the level of comfort of the residents of Abaco, the traditional rights of Abaconians who live on Guana Cay. And we are always mindful of the fact that though we give maximum freedom to those who live in our country by way of second homes, they must exercise the greatest care and not stop others from enjoying the same privileges and rights that they have," he affirmed.
With an initial investment of approximately $20 million, the Passerine Partners are proposing to build the resort/residential complex, which they say will include a 75-room luxury-villa style hotel and associated amenities, a first-class 240-slip marina, an 18-hole, 585-acre championship golf course, 350 residential lots and numerous other luxury facilities.
It is estimated that more than $500 million would be invested in Great Guana Cay over a 10-year period, following the construction of the facility.
Guana Cay resident, Troy Albury, said that the residents are not against all developments, only this one in particular.
He spoke to the construction of the golf course and the 240-slip marina that "is inevitably going to destroy the reefs because of the run-offs from pesticides and fertilisers and all the chemicals they have to put on that golf course to keep it going.
Mr Albury explained that the dredging for the proposed marina would destroy 70-plus acres of mangroves and fish estuary and further compromise the land. He said with 240 slips, the marina would be the largest in all of The Bahamas.
"We feel that environmentally they have not done enough research. In a 300-page document they have in their Environmental Impact Assessment, there are three pages about the reef, and those three pages are woefully incomplete and very poorly done. We want another study to be done, all paid for by the developers," he said.
According to Erin Lowe, one of the main issues with the proposed Guana Cay project is one that extends to all the Family Islands, and to all Bahamians.
"We must not allow our government to give away any more of our Crown land. Crown land is for Bahamians, for the benefit, profitability, business development and the future of Bahamians only. It is a sin and a crime that we give this land away to foreign developers," she said.
Mrs Lowe said Bahamians have to hang on to what is left of the Crown lands.
