Minister of State for Lands and Local Government the Hon Byran Woodside presents North Andros and the Berry Islands Administrator Huntley Christie with a laptop on Friday, January 29. The laptop was one of several given to The Bahamas Government during the high level visit of His Excellency Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. (Photo Courtesy of Lands and Local Government)

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The disaster that occurred as a result of an earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, should serve as a lesson to Bahamians, said Minister of Lands and Local Government the Hon Byran Woodside.

There must be plans to mitigate against any disaster that might befall the country, he added during a town meeting in the Central Andros District on Friday, January 29.

“This means that the time is now to examine our disaster preparedness plans; to organize our committees and be ready for any eventuality,” Mr Woodside said.

Minister of State for Lands and Local Government the Hon Byran Woodside presents Central Andros Administrator Huntley Christie with a laptop on Friday, January 29. The laptop was one of several given to The Bahamas Government during the high level visit of His Excellency Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. (Photo Courtesy of Lands and Local Government)

“Additionally, I invite the Local Town Planning Committee, District Council and Administrator to become familiar with the newly passed Town Planning Legislation so that building are properly built and newly developed communities are planned to ensure that services such as water, telephone, electricity, and properly paved access roads are provided.”

He also urged Town Planning Committees to take their charge to develop orderly communities seriously and to ensure that setbacks and zoning laws are enforced. “The development of Central Andros to a large extent depends on how you fulfil these responsibilities.”

Mr. Woodside also said he was aware that consideration of Crown Land applications is a sore point in Andros and the entire Bahamas.

“Persons should be reminded however that the construction of buildings on Crown Land approval is illegal and must not be allowed to happen.”

“We in the Office of the Prime Minister are committed to processing applications in a timely fashion and not withstanding the challenges we intend to improve our response time so as to do our part in orderly community development,” he said.