The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Obie Wilchcombe said he and Prime Minister Perry Christie worked late into the night Monday to convince Access Industries to allow vendors temporary access to Cabbage Beach through their usual point of entry, hours after those vendors protested the erection of a fence that blocked their entry to the area.

The matter has not been resolved, however, as Mr Christie will continue to negotiate with the owner of the property to allow access to the beach by vendors, Mr Wilchcombe said.

A statement from the government Tuesday morning explained that the controversy arose because Access Industries signed an agreement with Brookfield, the owners of the Atlantis resort, that required Brookfield to close the existing beach path adjacent to the Riu resort. The statement added that Brookfield was supposed to relocate the vendors’ access point to the Brookfield-owned property on Garden Drive off of Paradise Island Drive.

Despite the temporary resolution reached overnight Monday, police once again clashed with protesters at Cabbage Beach, although this time Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney joined them in the protest.

Mr Wilchcombe said the men were irresponsible for stoking people’s anger.

“On one hand they were complaining about some of the vendors or the individuals who are on the Jet Skis because of some of their behavior. And now they are engaged in what is in my view just poor judgment on their part. If you are interested in resolving an issue, find out what the issues are and resolve it.”

Vendors said they were assured by Mr Wilchcombe during conversations on Sunday that a fence would not be erected that would block their access to the site.

Mr Wilchcombe denied this yesterday, saying: “No I think it was misunderstood. My discussion was, we have to work this out and that means we have to work with the people, with the owners of the property. The gate, obviously that’s their property; they can put up whatever they want. What we are trying to do is work it out (by) making sure there is no gate. Again this is the business world and the business world, they make their decisions. When our country engages in discussions for foreign direct investment, we must understand we will have some foreign direct investors that come and they want to do things a particular way. But we have to ensure that they understand our culture, our history. Then we have to sit with them and negotiate and make an arrangement.”

Mr Wilchcombe said he was contacted Monday by hotel operators on Paradise Island complaining about the protest that halted traffic at the busy Sidney Poitier Bridge.

“Operators contacted wondering what was going to happen,” he said. “We had a note from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). They wrote and asked about the demonstration at the bridge. Obviously they are concerned because they have to look after their visitors and what we have to understand is that they will be concerned about the visitors who they have brought here, who they are responsible for and if something happens on our land they will be responsible for that as well just as we will be responsible for that.”

Mr Wilchcombe stressed that Bahamians still can access Cabbage Beach even though there are matters concerning the vendors that have to be worked out.

“The truth is insofar as Cabbage Beach is concerned, there are two points here,” he said. “You have Access that purchased a property from Brookfield. Brookfield is claiming that Access wants to move and cause for the development of their property. But I spoke to the leader of Access last evening. His concern was a part of the deal was Brookfield would cause for an alternative means of entry for the vendors, not for the swimmers, swimmers could still enter. That’s been a concern of mine. We’ve been out there talking with them because they sought to close this place last year.

“This path has been used by Bahamians for decades and it should continue to be used by Bahamians. They’re arguing it’s their property. It will cause for further development, more rooms to be built and they want to put more amenities for tourism. But we must remember the vendors have been there for decades and they have been utilising the place to live, to make ends meet. And we work and want to make our money, why shouldn’t they? What has to happen and I met with the vendors on Sunday, what has to happen is that we have to find a way to ensure that we are not causing people to believe negative things about us, the way we behave, our general deportment, how we serve, we have to change all that if we’re going to have any presence in the vicinity of the Cabbage Beach, or of Access or of Atlantis.”