The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A PETITION demanding that the Government publicly disclose the approvals, surveys, environmental assessments and safety plans underpinning works at Cabbage Beach has garnered 506 verified signatures just two days after it went live.

The petition, launched by beach advocacy group, Dis We Beach, comes amid renewed controversy over fencing installed in connection with the $550m Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences development on Paradise Island after the Government ordered the latest barrier removed for a second time.

Dis We Beach called on the Government to provide the public with the complete approval trail for the beachfront works before another fence is erected, beach nourishment begins or further changes are made to Cabbage Beach.

The group said the petition signatures will accompany formal correspondence to the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and other relevant government agencies seeking detailed answers and supporting documentation.

“Before anything else happens to Cabbage Beach, can the Bahamian public please see exactly what has been approved, who approved it, where those works are legally permitted to take place, and how our beach, Crown land, public access and safety will be protected?” the petition states.

The renewed scrutiny follows a series of disputes over construction fencing since August, when vendors protested that a barrier erected near the shoreline threatened to squeeze their businesses out of usable space. That fence was subsequently removed following Government intervention. 

A second fence was later erected, prompting another confrontation after a 60 year-old visitor was swept into rough seas while attempting to navigate around the barrier. The Government subsequently said the developer would be ordered to remove it, asserting that the fence had been installed without the necessary advance notice and public advisory process. 

The latest petition argues that the incident highlights the need for the Government to resolve questions about the underlying approvals rather than simply dealing with each fence after it becomes controversial.

Dis We Beach is asking the Government to publish the certificate of environmental clearance (CEC), all conditions attached to it, the final Environmental Management Plan (EMP), the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and any subsequent amendments, variations or other approvals relating to the beachfront works.

The group is also demanding documentation governing fencing, sheet piling, beach nourishment, erosion mitigation, shoreline works, public access, vendor access and any work affecting Crown Land or the public foreshore.

“Show us all of the approvals,” the petition states. “The public should not have to piece together the approval of a major beachfront construction project from press statements.”

It also wants the Government to identify the approved fence line and establish whether the structure was installed in accordance with the approved plans. Dis We Beach’s petition also questioned whether the development’s approvals adequately accounted for the economic and social impact on vendors, taxi drivers, tour operators and other businesses dependent on Cabbage Beach. 

The petition now expands those demands to include the survey information used to establish the private property boundary, Crown Land, public foreshore, relevant high-water mark, approved construction boundary, fence line and sheet pile line. It is also calling for the survey or construction set-out information actually used to position the fence on the beach.

“Show us the survey,” the petition states, arguing that the public should know where the fence and other works are legally and environmentally permitted to go before further construction takes place.

The proposed beach renourishment has emerged as another major issue. The Government has said restoration works are necessary because of severe erosion at Cabbage Beach, while the development’s environmental plans contemplate measures to address erosion during the construction of the Four Seasons Ocean Club Residences

Dis We Beach is asking the Government to publish the scientific evidence supporting the determination that Cabbage Beach is severely eroded and to identify precisely what areas were assessed.

“If this is a Cabbage Beach erosion problem, the Bahamian public deserves to understand the Cabbage Beach solution,” the petition states.

The petition also raises questions over what happens to Crown Land if renourishment physically expands the beach. It asks whether new sand will be placed on private property, Crown Land, the public foreshore or a combination of those areas, and what legal boundary the Government will recognise if the physical shoreline changes.

Dis We Beach is calling for a survey both before and after renourishment so the public can compare the official boundary and determine whether any additional dry beach created seaward of an existing private property boundary remains Crown Land.

It is also seeking a written commitment that Crown Land and the public foreshore will not be absorbed into adjoining private property without the lawful process required for the use or disposal of Crown Land.

The petition places particular emphasis on public safety following the incident involving the tourist who was swept into the sea while attempting to get around the latest fence. Dis We Beach wants the Government to publish any formal safety assessment conducted for the previous fence and disclose whether that assessment has been reviewed following the incident.

It also wants the Government to explain what changes have been made to the proposed works as a result of the incident. “Will any member of the public ever be expected to enter the water to get around this fence or any other construction barrier?” the petition asks. “The answer should be no.”

The organisation is also demanding a clear public access and navigation plan before another barrier is installed, including how beachgoers will move along Cabbage Beach during construction and whether a safe route will remain available during high tide and rough surf.

The petition also calls for protections for licensed Bahamian vendors who have operated at Cabbage Beach for generations. The issue has become a major economic concern as vendors face temporary relocation linked to the development, with 27 remaining operators previously identified by Dis We Beach as holding valid Business Licences.

Dis We Beach has argued that temporary relocation should not become permanent displacement, and that commitments regarding the vendors’ return should be placed in writing. The new petition is demanding written terms governing any relocation, including the locations involved, duration, assistance, the conditions for returning to Cabbage Beach and which authority will make that decision.

It also wants meaningful consultation with affected vendors before further decisions affecting their businesses are made.

Beyond the specific approvals, Dis We Beach wants the Government to identify which agency is responsible for each aspect of the project, including environmental approval and enforcement, beach renourishment, Crown Land, foreshore protection, planning and construction approval, fencing, public safety, public access and vendor arrangements.

The petition argues that the public should not have to move between government agencies to determine who has jurisdiction over a project affecting one of the country’s most prominent tourism beaches.

It is also asking the Government to explain what happened when the process surrounding the latest fence was not followed, including who was responsible for advance notice, why the notice was not provided and whether any compliance review, corrective order, penalty or other enforcement action has been considered.  “Before you touch that fence again, answer the public,” the petition said. “Show us all of the approvals.”