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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
 SMITH’S POINT, Grand Bahama – The Government of The Bahamas is fully committed to the promises it made to residents on Grand Bahama and indeed throughout the archipelago, said Minister for Grand Bahama, Dr. Michael Darville.
Dr. Darville, who serves as the Member of Parliament for the Pineridge Constituency made those comments as he announced the Government’s plans to move on the construction of a fire station for Grand Bahama and a sea wall to stop the land erosion at Smith’s Point.
The Minister on Thursday morning led a team of officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and Housing, Ministry of Works and Urban Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, from New Providence on a tour of the Smith’s Point area and the Fishing Hole Road.
On Friday morning he took the team to North Water Cay to assess capital works needed in that small community.
Dr. Darville also took the opportunity Thursday to meet with the residents of Smith's Point to discuss their plans for the area and to get the people’s input. He described that meeting as being very successful.
He informed that last year, he and the Minister for Works, the Honourable Philip “Brave” Davis was in the Smith’s Point area and had assured the residents that in the fiscal budget 2013/2014, they would have the resources to construct a sea wall in the area.
“Smith’s Point is very important to our tourism business. Wednesday night is the legendary Smith’s Point Fish Fry, and a lot of our tourists flock to this area. For years there has been costal erosion and we are committed in this particular term in office to give the residents of Smith’s Point the sea wall.
Dr. Darville said they brought in a team from New Providence, inclusive of two engineers to let the people know that the government is serious about the project and that he anticipates that within six week to two months they will have the initial drawings and will come back to the residents of Smith’s Point for them to look at the drawings and get some further input.
“From there, the engineers at the Ministry of Works will go ahead and do what they have to do and we will get this particular sea wall out for tender,” he said.
Dr. Darville, who is also a highly trained engineer, informed that during the meeting with the residents Thursday, they talked about access to beach, a potential boat ramp and more.
“All of these things we will take into consideration in our preliminary drawings, but of course I have already warned the residents of Smith’s Point that there is a budget for this project and we would have to stay within the budgetary constraints.
“If we can accommodate them with these additional requests, we will definitely take it into consideration. But the engineers will try to incorporate some of the requests they have made here today,” he said.
Dr. Darville confirmed that the engineers will be looking at a variety of different projects while on Grand Bahama, inclusive of the longstanding problems at the Fishing Hole Road. He also indicated that they were looking at the new fire station.
“All these projects are very active! The Government is fully committed to them in the 2013/2014 Budget, and I am eager, as Minister for Grand Bahama, to get the shovel into the ground.
“Of course, I realise that there is a process and the process must be done correctly. But the residents of Grand Bahama must be fully aware that this administration is working to meet the commitments that we have outlined in our Charter of Governance,” he stated.
Commenting further on the construction of a new fire station to replace the old Settlers Way facility that was destroyed several years ago, Minister Darville assured residents that the fire station is right around the corner.
“I do not want to give an exact date, but it's right around the corner. If I can say, the drawings are here in Grand Bahama. They are now being assessed by the Grand Bahama Port Authority and this is the final stop.
“We had problems with the drawings. The drawings had some deficiencies. They have been worked out with the engineers, and I have been informed from the Ministry of Works and Urban Development that in very short order that particular project would go out to tender,” he stated.
© Copyright 2013 by thebahamasweekly.com
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