The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An environmentalist is questioning whether the proposed $580m south Abaco resort project is another sign that the Government is “intentionally targeting the national parks” for development.

Sam Duncombe, reEarth’s president, told Tribune Business that The Bahamas appeared to have learned nothing from the battle to save Clifton as the “same fight in different places” continues to be waged throughout the country.

Speaking after Tribune Business revealed the proposal by Tyrsoz Family Holdings Ltd, which is pledging to create 600 full-time jobs and inject $2bn into south Abaco’s struggling economy during its first 10 years in operation, Mrs Duncombe suggested such developments showed “a complete disregard” for what brought visitors and investors to The Bahamas in the first place.

Urging Bahamians to wake-up and realise the value of each island’s various ecosystems, she questioned why this nation continually “buys into the vision” of outsiders for its development rather than its own.

Mrs Duncombe also queried why the Government was not directing foreign direct investment (FDI) to take over existing resort properties that were either closed or failed, as opposed to allowing them to develop the best “greenfield” sites in places of unique or outstanding natural beauty where the impact on the environment would be difficult to police.

Pointing to the Government’s recent agreement with Disney Cruise Line for a passenger experience at Eleuthera’s Lighthouse Point, and the site of the controversial $5.5bn Oban Energies project between two Grand Bahama national parks, she said: “One has to wonder if the Bahamian government is intentionally targeting the national parks.

“We now see it in Abaco, where it seems there’s a complete disregard for the things that bring people to the country. It seems as if we feel it’s best to sell off everything on the table while the going is good, and not taking into consideration the value of these ecosystems long-term for us.”

The Tyrsoz Family Holdings project, headed by investor Ronnie Ben-Zur and his family, has already come under fire from environmental activists other than Mrs Duncombe. Tribune Business reported last week how eight Bahamian and international environmental groups, in an April 15 letter to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, warned that the sheer scale of the proposed development “would result in irreversible negative socioeconomic impacts on local communities as well as dire environmental consequences for many species living in the area”.

In particular, they expressed concern about the impact the project’s location and road paving will have on two endangered bird species - the Abaco Parrot and Kirtland’s Warbler. The latter’s habitat is “right in the path” of the $580m project’s location, and Mrs Duncombe shared similar fears with this newspaper.

However, a four-page booklet produced by Tyrsoz Family Holdings is devoted to reassuring Bahamians of the company’s environmental sensitivities. It is promising to create “a world-class, environmentally-sustainable luxury island retreat with local appeal via the participating community while, importantly, maintaining South Abaco’s natural charm”.

“Tyrsoz Family Holdings Ltd’s financial advisor and real estate developer, Ra’anan ‘Ronnie’ Ben-Zur, is proposing a low-density, ultra-luxury hotel, residential and marina development for the secluded undeveloped coastal region of South Abaco, Bahamas,” the booklet said.

“Based on sound economical footing, yet designed with great care and responsibility to the environment and original nature of the area, it is intended to provide significant ongoing and expanding employment opportunities for the community and important infrastructure improvements for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.”

But, unimpressed, Mrs Duncombe charged: “At what point we going to realise the intrinsic value of these ecosystems is beyond me. Why isn’t the Government actively directing investors to defunct properties instead if continually allowing them to choose the pieces of land and sea.

“They say they love this country but they’ve come here and screwed it up too often. I don’t understand us buying into the vision of everyone else as opposed to our vision for the country. If that’s our vision, God help us all, because nothing’s been learnt.

“Every time I see these developments I’m reminded of Clifton, and we’ve not moved one step forward to protect places of unique beauty and ecological value. We’re not doing that. We keep going in and ploughing through virgin territory... Every ecosystem has a value whether we recognise it or not,” she continued.

“Twenty years after Clifton we’re fighting the same fight in other places. Nothing has changed. We’ve made no headway in understanding some of these places are off-limits.”

Mrs Duncombe, arguing that The Bahamas lacked the resources and expertise to police developers and ensure they are living up to their environmental commitments, added: “We need to wake up and smell the coffee here.

“We are damaging things way quicker than we can replace them. We’re treating The Bahamas like a liquidation in selling off everything without thought to the consequences these developments have for future generations. That needs to stop. It’s ridiculous, really and truly.”