Over 600 acres at Beef Island to be developed — Premier
Plans are underway to develop more than 600 acres of land on Beef Island where the territory’s main airport is located.
Premier Andrew Fahie, who gave that indication while delivering his annual First District Report on Saturday, said the land in question will be transferred from the BVI Airports Authority to government.
He said the move is necessary, “so that we can develop those lands which will also provide additional income and opportunities for the territory.”
Unleashing the BVI’s potential
While the Premier did not divulge the extent of the plans for the area, he said: “We have to unleash the potential of the BVI we have to wake up the sleeping giant.”
“We must realign our national strategy with our natural resources and maximize our earnings from our efforts while of course protecting all of our resources for future generations. So you can see that this government is pregnant with ideas,” he added.
The Premier said while the territory’s tourism economy is working and hard and is “performing above expectations” to offset the drop in revenue from the financial services sector, “this is not enough”.
“We must diversify so we must cast a wider net,” said the Premier while delivering arguments in support of why Beef Island needs to be developed to create revenue-generation opportunities.
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Land and properties that are managed by the government never collects/produces revenue…The people who get never does pay…Let us take craft alive, wickham’s cay land, seabed leases and pier park for example
The land that is owned by the BVIAA is already fenced. Therefore, any additional land at Beef Island is privately owned.
Is he proposing to take piece of the runway or did he meant to say compulsory acquisition from private land owners? I thing the HOA is “pregnant” with jokers…
seabed lease is paid yearly or taken off you FACT
land gone to vip cronies
I guess the airport expansion has also gone through the door.
No airport expansion then no jets. No jets then no hotels. No hotels then no tourists. Just can’t fix stupid. Let’s say a developer wants to build a 600 room hotel. Going to fill it up bringing 20 people at a time on little planes. Even a pregnant cow can figure this out no less a pregnant Government
Where is this 600 acres? Can’t think where the BVIAA owns that much at Beef Island
Without STARTING another multi million dollar infrastructure and structural nightmare in the BVI, wouldn’t it be great to capitalise on eco-tourism, “cast a wider net”, by cleaning up the messes we have already created?
Imagine being known as an eco-tourism destination because we have organic produce grown by our own farmers in our own greenhouses (multimillion dollar project gone wrong!) or by offering an amazing eco-hotel generated by solar power, with amazing restaurants at Prospect Reef (multimillion dollar project gone wrong!), or cleaned up our litter on a regular basis, or used recycled tires and glass in our nasty potholed roads. Or fixed our overburdened infrastructure, sewers, internet, etc. so that we could advertise that……
We have “realigned our national strategy with our natural resources and maximize(d) our earnings from our efforts while of course protecting all of our resources for future generations.”
Totally agree – why are we looking at developing more land when we haven’t cleaned up what needs to be done in town. So much easier to create the image of progress by spewing out these headlines than deal with the mess.
Interesting turn of events……wasn’t the Minister for the 7th on record regarding any development on Beef Island and the protected area? Can he update us on his government’s plan. Is the major landowner requesting more land? Is this for a totally new proposed development………
@Very, I concur. It would indeed be very interesting if indeed, the 600 acres the premier is discussing is the said land at Hans Creek, that the minister of Education along with several others in the 7 and 8 districts overwhelmingly disagreed with and opposed; on the grounds of Hans Creek status as a breeding ground for marine life and biodiversity.
Even more interesting it would certainly prove to be a very interesting discussion between the said minister and the minister of Immigration, Labour and Natural Resources, to understand their views regarding the development of Hans Creek land; considering that they are also blood related by virtue of their last names; Wheatley.
Bevis in charge of 600 acres of government land? This must be a joke. Where is this land coming from? Is it government land already or is it land that we will be buying? If we are buying then from whom and at what price? And for what purpose?
perhaps 60 acres??
No doubt the economy needs to be expanded and diversified.Both tourism and financial services are fragile and sturdier sectors are needed while strengthening and deepening the current twin pillars. Nonetheless, building the economy needs to conducted from within before willy nilly building outward. In advanced countries, urban sprawl is attempted at a negative cost before completing development within. They try to spread limited resources over too many areas.
In regards to the BVI, it needs to build out the economy, ie, roads and other transportation, water, sewage, electricity, environment ……etc. Ok. Done deals are a way of life in the BVI. It seems as if the BVIAA will have to acquire more acreage to make this project happen. However, if the people are going to acquire the property, locals and belongers must be more than carriers of water and hewers of wood. National hero Noel Lloyd, along with PAM, stop this from happening at personal sacrifices with Kenneth Bates Hill on Wickhams Cay and Anegada. This project was fashioned in the mould of ….South Africa. If this development is funded through external investment, ie, PPV/PPP…..etc, it must be a win-win for both residents and investors; a win-lose is a non starter.
They’re probably looking to buy back the land from the Asian lad that was supposed to do the hotel development over there. Interesting!
More land grab by the government in the name of the dollar. As stated, govt does not generate business. The private sector does
And let’s see… a development next to airport. Yeah I’ll stay in that. No thank you
In large countries, governments are not typically major employers; these countries generally avoid competing with the private sector. However, in small countries, by necessity, government is a major direct employer. Additionally, government acquires a tremendous amount goods and services, creating much indirect employment. Nevertheless, government sets the framework for and of business is conducted in the territory, I.e, tax rate, concessions, ease of doing business, designing, constructing and maintaining the infrastructure, creating a safe,, healthful and secure environment, ensuring the rule of law is followed………etc.
And govt is the reason why the territory is blacklisted.
Nuf said
There are a total of 918 acres of land on Beef Island. Raymond Hung of Quorum Limited wanted to develop 600 acres plus which included Hans Creek, we all should remember the pitched battles that took place over that as the development would have destroyed Hans Creek a breeding ground for marine life. That property was originally owned by Charles Georges of Road Town, not sure who owns it now. If the Premier thinks that they can develop and destroy Hans Creek he is in for a rude awakening .
This is the 600 acres that the Premier is referring to.
Is he going to get Hung to develop? How is he going to get over the previous opposition to developing this property?
Charles Georges sold that land to the Government to build the Airport. You never hear his name called much like his father JEW who gave the land for the Baugher’s Bay School and the horse track. In the BVI we never remember our history and are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes. I hope these developments are eco friendly and not that Golf Course that Raymond Hung proposed to Dr. Smith
STRUPE COMMENTS from the haters that can’t do anything themselves, so they trash those that help others. What a thankless job it is to be a member of government, you lot always being negative, even if it means something amazing for the BVI economy. Learn about economics, your place in the economic system, and BVI’s place in the world. Grow up and do more than cry on the internet without offering anything yourself. And to think you call yourselves Christian LOL, you sure don’t act like it.
Go sit you @$$ down. Isn’t it the people’s job to hold its government to account? Give me a break
Spoken like a pompous a&&!You are one SICK Lib!
All please bow to this Lib idiot!!
We need a serious National Dialog. It must be non partisan, non racial, non religious with no under the table bull s**t. Time to go beyond all boundaries as our last opportunity to come up with a workable solution for the salvation of the Virgin Islands.
It’s all well and good to accept campaign Donors contributions and design and create high contrasting Manifestos with emotional stirring slogans and win an election (usually due to serious errors and omissions, outright abuse of office and privileges, personal agendas and outright cluelessness/seriousness of what it means to Represent by the outgoing government; and something totally different days after winning an election, sitting in caucus deliberating their God-given Mandate with open Manifestos trying to make sense out of page #1 through #34; hence the need for multi-thousand dollar ongoing Consultancies to cronies and perceived individuals with “Country-above-self” ambitions.
Meanwhile here we have a Community College with professors and students, as well as students attending off island universities; some in PhD programs and economic, fully available and prepared, if called upon to add their thinking and voices to the discussion of Leadership and building and Development.
Ideas & Priorities:
Education – Health & Wellness – Empowerment of citizens (through Land ownership and access to capital), Diversification of the economy (through food supply, fishing, farming, Made-in-the BVI items, including clothing, jewelry, sandals, Dinghies and other selected items, Building upon and salvaging investments already approved/made (example Development of Prospect Reef originally meant to be a Tourism Training resource), Conservation of capital (through construction of government owned buildings and offices vs rental of privately owned buildings, often used as a means of maintaining and expanding Party Supporters. +++.
Food For Thought
This man always talking Pi**. I have lost all respect for him. This is the real empty Kerosone pan. BVIAA does not own anywhere close to 600 acres on Beef Island.
Oh boy, here we go smdh.
Fahie do not mind the noise. Go get the land and help we the people.
Did everyone forget the Drag Race plan. Small land near Beef will make that happen the BVIAA access land is needed for this I am sure. In return for allowing and perhaps funding a Race track a 600 acre development that destroys protected areas will be allowed.
Where else is the Drag Race track that our Premier has wanted for so long going to go? It is all about the Race track. Why any one one would want that is hard to understand. But I would I would make it happen if my $600 acre development was allowed to go ahead and make me and a couple of other powerful politicians get rich.
Drag racing coming. Get out those big bikes and start practicing on the highways!! No sleep for the rest as we have already seen from little scooters. TEIN.