The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FIVE to 10 applications for crown land are typically given to the Department of Land and Surveys daily, Acting Director Richard Hardy told The Tribune yesterday.

And although crown land is being held in trust by the state, Bahamians are not entitled to know how much of it is granted, with Mr Hardy, responding to a question by The Tribune about how much crown land had been granted in recent times, saying that his department is “not required to make a public declaration of how much crown land is leased or sold per year”.

Asked how many people have been granted crown land in 2014 so far, he said: “I have to take instructions from the Prime Minister as to whether that information should be given.”

The issue of what happens to crown land has inspired activists and residents over the years to demand that the government enact a Freedom of Information Act under which such information could be easily obtained by the public.

Residents have also frequently complained about the length of time it takes to receive a response to their requests.

During an interview on the Darold Miller Live show yesterday, Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government Minister V Alfred Gray said: “I honestly do not know why it takes so long, but it takes longer than it should.”

Mr Hardy said the length of time for the process varies, adding that “once the submission leaves the department, we have no control over how the application will be processed by the government.”

He added that the length of time for the process varies because sometimes it involves input from multiple agencies, such as the Ministry of Agriculture.

Crown land may be leased or granted.  

Abaco, Grand Bahama and Andros are the islands with the most available crown land, Mr Hardy said.

To see how much crown land is available in the Bahamas, one must go to the Department of Land and Surveys on East Bay Street. Online maps and information are not available.

To receive crown land, one must fill out and submit a form to the Department of Land and Surveys, indicating what one intends to use the land for.

According to Mr Hardy, applications will be reviewed and research will be done to ensure the desired piece of land is available or if it exists in an environmentally safe area.

Land and Surveys processes applications. The Prime Minister receives the applications once the department is finished with them and it is he who determines whether to grant a request.