New members join NCC while CPA reappointed

| 11/08/2023 | 31 Comments
Stuart Mailer (photo courtesy of the National Trust)

(CNS): The two groups of people with the power to shape the protection of the Cayman Islands’ natural resources over the remainder of this current administration were appointed by Cabinet last week. Ian Pairaudeau has been reappointed as chairperson of the Central Planning Authority (CPA) and Stuart Mailer, the former environmental programmes manager at the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Conservation Council (NCC).

The NCC has not sat for several months because the term for all the members expired on 28 February this year. That was followed by the tragic death of the former chairperson, McFarlane Connolly last month.

Joining Mailer on the council are existing members Lisa Hurlston-McKenzie, Patricia Bradley, Pierre Foster, Frank Roulstone, Capt. Harrison Bothwell, National Trust Director Frank Roulstone and new members Ian Kirkham, Lucille Seymour and Stephen Broadbelt, as well as ex officio members from the environment, agriculture and planning departments. See details here.

With the exception of Windell Scott, who was charged last year over an alleged assault on three women at the beach, all members of the CPA have been reappointed. This includes Gillard McLaughlin, who has been accused of failing to pay pension contributions for the workers at his construction company a charge he has denied and claims has since be proven to be incorrect.

There is continued public concern over the makeup of the CPA, as most members are connected to the construction and development sector, which some believe is contributing to Cayman’s uncontrolled development. Despite the PACT Government’s stated policy of sustainability, the board has approved projects that are clearly unsustainable and has also challenged the NCC’s rare directions where the environment is threatened by planning applications.

The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal has still not delivered its decision over the Boggy Sand case, in which the CPA ignored an NCC directive and granted planning permission for a developer to redevelop a structure virtually in the sea. Having lost a judicial review in the first CIG versus CIG courtroom battle, the CPA appealed that decision, as it appears that Premier Wayne Panton and Planning Minister Jay Ebanks are unable to solve the problem at the Cabinet level.

Alongside Pairaudeau, Handel Whittaker remains as deputy chairperson of the CPA, and Joshua Bernard, Gillard McLaughlin, Charles Russell Jr, Peterkin Berry, Peter Campbell, Kenneth Ebanks, Danette McLaughlin, Shakina Bush, Christine Maltman, Celecia Bancroft and Ashton Bodden have been reappointed as members. The director of the panning department or his nominee is the executive secretary. See details here.


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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature

Comments (31)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Gillard is a good man. Best they ever had to sit on the CPA Board. Infact, I believe it was his time spent with MRCU counting mosquitos from the nightly traps, that qualifies him best to sit on the CPA Board as he was used to working with such small yet numerous details.

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  2. Fiona says:

    Congratulations Stuart Mailer

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  3. Anonymous says:

    If the poor decision making (selecting the members) starts even before the actual work begin, we can only imagine that it gets worse as the unified body of poorly selected individuals, then commence work as a full team of misfits.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Why Ian Kirham? Didn’t he just demolish in the dead of night the old Fish Shack building and was going to be taken off the National Trust Board? Anyway good choice for the developers interests.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Term limits for all CPA members

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  6. Anonymous says:

    CPA is generally a rubber-stamp agency for the sitting Government. In this case, they are charged with approving EVERY new application – even if they defer some for a few “minor” changes, they WILL eventually APPROVE everything, including after-the-fact applications!!

    Reasons? 1. Revenues for Govt!! (they announced surpluses for two quarters now). 2. The unannounced but active mandate to grow Cayman’s population to over 100K. I was told they think 130,000 is ideal!! 3. The fake assurance that all development will provide “jobs for Caymanians”.

    CPA is a farce!!

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  7. Anon says:

    Can someone explain to me why previous members can be re-elected to this board? For example Gillard McLaughlin. He sat on this board already. When you keep electing the same persons to the board you are encouraging corruption. Give another person an opportunity to make a difference.

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    • Anonymous says:

      who voted for that? They are appointed by the current Government…PACT if you are not sure who that happens to be!

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Sound familiar?

    “Lahaina residents worry a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders”

    https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-lahaina-housing-prices-shortage-d8902c3ea55a8ec4d9938865f3f749f7

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Shakina Bush (Bernie Bush’s daughter) is on how many public Boards now, at $400 per meeting??

    What is her professional background beside being a sports “coach”?

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Why wasn’t Emily DeCou placed on the board.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Why is this happening in todays day and age? This is blatant a conflict of interest for these guys who have construction businesses to sit on the planning board.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    LOL.

    Who did PACT recently purchase some undeveloped waterfront parcels in North Side from again? They plan to leave them untouched?

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  13. Anonymous says:

    No person with ANY outstanding criminal charge should sit on ANY government/country board. They should be made to resign immediately they are charged. If the charge is not proved in court then they can be reappointed at the next opportunity.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Lucille? Why?

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