Costly beach replenishment project still in the works
(CNS): The proposal to replenish the sand on parts of Seven Mile Beach is going through the business case process, Lands Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connnolly revealed in parliament Tuesday. Funding for the controversial plan to replenish the southern end of Seven Mile Beach between the Marriot hotel and Dart’s private house, which will cost more than $21 million, is expected to be allocated in the 2024/25 budget cycle.
Even though the erosion of Grand Cayman’s famous beach was largely caused by private entities building hard structures too close to the ocean, the government is expected to finance the project with taxpayers’ cash. To date, the owners of the affected oceanfront property have indicated they believe they shouldn’t have to contribute to the costly initiative, despite benefiting directly from it, because it impacts the wider tourism product.
The project was initially under the premier’s sustainability ministry but was transferred earlier this year to O’Connor-Connolly’s ministry as she has responsibility for public lands. In response to questions from Opposition Leader Joey Hew in the House yesterday, she explained that the funds originally allocated to the premier’s ministry had still not been transferred.
She said her ministry team had completed a strategic outline case, and the business case is now in progress, which will continue so long as they receive the funds allocated for the project in the forthcoming budget for 2024/25. The minister explained that a new technical committee had been established to look at the issue, which is different from the original Coastal Erosion Committee established in 2021.
Hew said that owners of beachfront properties who had made coastal works applications to construct seawalls had been told that these were being held up until the Coastal Erosion Committee had developed a policy position. However, the Department of Environment’s technical team has stated on numerous occasions that building sea walls will not solve their erosion problems without a managed retreat.
The erection of walls, patios, decks and swimming pools on the dynamic part of the beach undermined the natural movement of sand and caused the beach erosion. But this resulted in a proliferation of seawalls as the waterfront property owners sought to save their beach, which caused even more erosion, exacerbated by rising sea levels.
There is strong disagreement about who should pay for the replenishment project, even within Cabinet. Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan has said he doesn’t support public funding if the owners are not contributing. He also believes it could be a costly failure, reflecting concerns that this project is doomed to fail if the property owners are not prepared to remove the hard structures they have erected on the beach and rebuild them further back.
In light of Bryan’s public comments about the issue, Sir Alden McLaughlin (RED) pressed O’Connor-Connolly to explain the PACT policy, given that nothing has happened so far, even though Finance Committee approved the $21 million last year. “Can she explain if the government’s policy in relation to this has changed?” he asked.
If a Cabinet minister seeks to deviate from government policy, there is a provision for this in the Constitution, O’Connor-Connolly explained but said she had not received a briefing from the tourism minister.
McLaughlin said that he and his opposition colleagues would wait with “bated breath” to hear the next episode on this issue, a veiled reference to the divisions within a Cabinet comprised of independent MPs who do not have a clear common policy platform.
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Category: Politics, Science & Nature
Cayman is Sikkk.
Just tell them to tear down the seaside buildings.
Allow them to build a few stories higher to make up for the loss.
I rise to make this prediction: if ona Cabinet so called Ministers think ona bad try and spend our money replenishing sand for these head strong foreigners who have been told time and time again that keeping their farkin walks will impede the sustainment of sand .
If the bunch a you believe ina got balls ( sorry Ms. Julie not you) try it and we guarantee each and everyone of the PACT crew will have seen their one and only term as a political group and hopefully to never again be involved in the governance of these Cayman islands.
This also goes for that bunch called PPM ona help approve 21 million huh ona na gonna get none a it . We understand the promises made but this shiiite gonna stop now. Ona heard it read it first on CNS. Think ona all bad gwaaan.
If someone asked me whether this was possible, I would say not in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Premier, I cannot believe you had my support.
We need that sand so politicians can bury their heads in it.
The Hotel and Condo Association should pay.
they don’t even want us to walk in the sand.
stupid waste of people’s money!!!
Typical Jiliana, speaking half-truths again.
She is begging money for a new $50million dollar school in Brac, but, as Minister for Lands, has not made any effort to obtain the $20mil to try to restore the Cayman Islands #1 attraction.
Why does she not have the $20mil as yet?
they might as well organise a prayer meeting outside the la….
it worked for mac when dealing with the murder/crime spree….not1
Advanced Wasrewater Treatment:
Must include the process to kill human gut pathogens NOW IN ALL SEWAGE DISCHARGES.
https://www.google.com/search?q=advancd+wastewater+treatment&oq=advancd+wastewater+treatment&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTI3MDAzajBqN6gCALACAA&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Caribbean Coral Catch Disease From Sewage
August 17, 2011 5:00 PM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
By Richard Harris
https://www.google.com/search?q=human+pathogin+cotrsl+reef+death&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=567555228&sxsrf=AM9HkKmyzNLrI7duiJy11nXrz_KnJ0EuTw%3A1695377487365&ei=T2gNZaLvFZeuqtsP0puxkA4&oq=human+pathogin+cotrsl+reef+death&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIiBodW1hbiBwYXRob2dpbiBjb3Ryc2wgcmVlZiBkZWF0aDIHECEYoAEYCjIHECEYoAEYCkj5rQNQ7QdY84gDcAN4ApABAJgBmAWgAbYxqgEMMC4yNS41LjAuMS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIEEAAYR8ICBxAjGIoFGCfCAgQQIxgnwgIIEAAYigUYkQLCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgIFEC4YgATCAggQLhiKBRiRAsICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIFEAAYgATCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICBxAjGLACGCfCAgcQABgNGIAEwgIGEAAYHhgNwgIKEAAYFhgeGA8YCsICCBAAGAgYHhgNwgIKEAAYCBgeGA0YD8ICCBAAGIoFGIYDwgIIECEYFhgeGB3iAwQYACBBiAYBkAYI&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Human pathogen causing coral killing desease:
https://www.google.com/search?q=human+pathogin+cotrsl+reef+death&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=567555228&sxsrf=AM9HkKmyzNLrI7duiJy11nXrz_KnJ0EuTw%3A1695377487365&ei=T2gNZaLvFZeuqtsP0puxkA4&oq=human+pathogin+cotrsl+reef+death&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIiBodW1hbiBwYXRob2dpbiBjb3Ryc2wgcmVlZiBkZWF0aDIHECEYoAEYCjIHECEYoAEYCkj5rQNQ7QdY84gDcAN4ApABAJgBmAWgAbYxqgEMMC4yNS41LjAuMS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIEEAAYR8ICBxAjGIoFGCfCAgQQIxgnwgIIEAAYigUYkQLCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgIFEC4YgATCAggQLhiKBRiRAsICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIFEAAYgATCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICBxAjGLACGCfCAgcQABgNGIAEwgIGEAAYHhgNwgIKEAAYFhgeGA8YCsICCBAAGAgYHhgNwgIKEAAYCBgeGA0YD8ICCBAAGIoFGIYDwgIIECEYFhgeGB3iAwQYACBBiAYBkAYI&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Turtle Farm sewage:
Government would not support funding for the adequate treatment of the direct into the sea raw sewage discharge.
Islandswide sewage discharges:
Some external factors we cannot control do negatively affect the health of our sand sourcing coral reefs.
However, the Cayman Islands government and people DO control the quality of sewage being discharged into the groundwater, all of which flows to the sea, and also direct sewage discharges into the sea.
NO CAYMAN ISLANDS SEWAGE DISCHARGE IS ADEQUATELY TREATED TO STOP IT KILLING OUR CORAL REEFS.
EVERY TOILET FLUSH KILLS MORE OF THE REMAIINING CORAL REEF.
THINK OF THAT FACT WHEN YOU NEXT FLUSH YOUR TOILET.
Governmrent should spend the $20 MILLION PLUS by beginning to install Advanced Wastewater Treatment, to adequately treat ALL sewage discharges.
Dumping sand on beaches is an irrisponsible waste of funds.
Decades ago Dr. Tom Goreau, a Jamaican, also visited Cayman to see our suffering marine enxironment.
He saw the damaging effects of inadequately treated human and animal sewage killing our primary sand source – coralreefs.
The dolphin and turtle farm HOURL AFTER HOUR UNLAWFULLY dump litterally MILLIONS of GALLONS OF CORAL KILLING RAW SEWAGE INTO OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
This is in addition to inadequately treated human sewage discharged into the marine environment.
The persons in govermment with responsibility for these matters know these facts and unlawfully do nothing (Penal Code Sections 119 and 121).
Politicians who know these facts call for the waste of $20 MILLION BEACH SAND REPLENISHMENT, INSTEAD OF FIXING THE CAUSE OF SAND LOSS – HUMAN AND ANIMAL SEWAGE DISCHARGES WHICH KILL CORALREEFS.
https://www.globalcoral.org/covid-ends-dolphin-pollution-in-discovery-bay-jamaica/
Kill corals = no beaches!
Islandswide sand loss is for the most part caused because the sand producing coral reefs are dying.
For decades sand sourcing corals have been slowly killed by ever increasing amounts of inadequately treated sewage discharges into the marine environment.
Another massive project for criminal politicians to make $$$ MILLIONS from the corrupt politicians awarding the contract to their “Partner$”.
Very little changes corruption continues unabated.
We are thinking far too small here. Tear it all down, and I do mean all of it.
We are paying for what clearly now appears to have been a legacy of unfortunate approvals from Planning and the subsequent development of SMB as a whole since day 1. No development should have ever happened west of West Bay Road. We should all be driving along the coast enjoying an unobstructed view of the beach and sea save for natural vegetation. We used to have some of this not so long ago, especially north of Public Beach. IMO the only absolutely sustainable long-term solution to the full natural recovery and preservation of SMB would be the removal of all existing development west of West Bay Road and let nature finally take the course it wants. Yes, I’m suggesting we tear it all down and start over. Give the developers 50 story buildings across the road in exchange. It would be the most controversial and aggressive action taken towards environmental recovery and preservation anyone has every seen, but in 100 years we could have a true unobstructed Seven Mile Beach coast to enjoy.
This is absurd. With the projected rise in sea level over the next 100 years, a good part of West Bay Road and all of the land nearby (think the parking lot of the Marriot) will be UNDERWATER. The seawalls and other buildings are acting as a bulwark against the relentless advance of the sea. If you knew what it was like along Seven Mile Beach 50 years ago, you would know that a lot of it was mangrove swamp back then, and essentially underwater.
We need to engage in informed climate adaptation planning especially if it means having the Marriott parking lot give way to the sea because the Marriott should never have been constructed. Sea walls are not the answer. Do we really want to wrap the whole of Grand Cayman in a massive seawall fortress to combat the “relentless advance of the sea” rather than consider more natural and sustainable strategies like reducing carbon emissions, reducing our dependancy upon fossil fuels by replacing with renewal energy, and engage in mangrove revitalisation? If we accept your point that sea rise is truly unavoidable, and is going to be relentless, then how high do you suggest we build this wall? 10 feet? 30 feet? It is a defeatist solution and would transform Grand Cayman into a fortress, with little or no natural coastline. I’ll take my chances with the mangroves thank you very much.
The Marriott never was constructed, the Radisson was.
The sea levels in Cayman did not rise, in fact, they receded. That is evidence, not some crazy climate theory. So far, despite all the idiotic predictions and political arguments to that effect, there is no evidence of climate change destroying the beach. It is simply human stupidity and greed that achieves this…
If we spend $21m to replace the beach, we will have to do it again and more next time, just to replenish what we fixed on this occasion. None of this addresses the additional erosions that will occur when this precedent incentivizes even greater stupidity among the greedy class. Weep for our Caymanian children, for we are selling their future for lack of leadership.
Funding for the controversial plan to replenish the southern end of Seven Mile Beach between the Marriot hotel and Dart’s private house, which will cost more than $21 million, is expected to be allocated in the 2024/25 budget cycle.
We are f’d Cayman!! We have a bunch of the most stupid mules, elected to this government!! Why are you all spending 21 million dollars of taxpayers money, to remedy a problem caused by private enterprises? The owners of these private businesses, must be laughing their asses off, cheering to a bottle of champagne, while saying how stupid you all are!!! Payoff must be great!!
Pay-back time has arrived. The receipants of millions of $$$ in concessions should now protect the properties that we helped them create, all done while ignoring our development and planning regulations. As the old folks said “You break it, you buy it”
we need a better political system. Can someone please explain to me why anyone should have confidence that Julianna has.any idea what she is doing? Why is she in charge of this? Why is she in politics at all. This whole system is a sham and needs to be reformed quick fast and in a hurry.
Julie is lost. She courts money at a time where the citizens are bleeding dollars with no hope in sight.
We are expected to fund the importation of sand to a situation which has caused the depletion of it?? WTH are we doing? What we are doing is not working, and doing the same over and over again to the joy of Mr. Dart is NOT going to make us whole or well.
I am so disappointed in our government. They apparently don’t care one iota about the common people or their struggles. What happens in the U.S. is reflected here, and we get the same disinterest in the people as the U.S. government shows their people.
We need home rule because we are incapable of administering ourselves in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Reluctantly, I have given up on our Caymanian politicians from both groups.
Premier Panton WHY?
Let the hotel owners and surrounding condo complexes fund this improvement and the next one and the one after that because spending public funds to remediate a situation that cannot be fixed unless the structures are moved way back from their existing boundaries is a colossal waste of public monies.
They should never have been built so close and none of the sea walls along SMB should have been erected which are the major contributors to this problem.
Hoteliers, home owners and developers made it happen with their selfish ways so let them pay to try and fix it not public funds.
This project does represent value for money.
I think you mean “does NOT”
Totally agree with you. why should we be paying for a huge stretch of beach that we can never use ourselves anymore.
The directors of the Marriot and others affected, should have set aside a contingency over the years to pay for beach replenishment.
They have known that building the properties so close to the ocean would create this problem.
The directors of these hotels have failed in their fiduciary duties if they have not.
Government should not be paying after these hotels have milked profits over the years, due to their choice.
Leave the Marriot without a beach, we have other hotels coming online.
The Marriot has the choice of paying for the beach replenishment or reducing prices to those of a non beach hotel.
A risky proposition. What is the plan after spending millions to replenish the sands when the nautural cycles wash it away again down to the sea floor?
This mostly benefits property owners who have taken the majority of Seven Mile Beach as private beaches and as far as those who chose to invest in real estate on the coast of an island so close to the sea, you should have known better.
I would wager that most of the wealthy people condemn government support for the poor, yet are perfectly fine with accepting it to protect their investments.
What a total shakedown by the real estate industry! Is CIG really that incompetent?! I for one have a place on West Bay Beach and find it utterly scandalous that the Cayman Islands people will have to pay for the arrogance and incompetence of private developers who not only built sea walls on the beach but positively ignored warnings at the time that they’d cause beach erosion. I know because I was there at the time (late 80s and through the 90s) and listened to the debates: their and their lawyers’ and realtors’ know-all-****-all arrogance was a wonder to behold. Many of them are still here, continuing to profit from their amateur, shoddy standards. And in case you’re wondering, their successors, those who bought into these developments, knew full well what the problem was too when they bought – it was common knowledge!
This work should be undertaken at the expense of the Marriott and the owners of properties affected, NOT by anyone else. And if they’re not prepared to pay, then nothing should get done at all, especially if there’s a danger that it all gets washed away again.
Their mess, their responsibility. Period.
AMEN !!
I agree with your statements here completely!
The replenishing of sands will NOT/ NOT work. We spent $30 million replenishing the beach at Manasota Beach on the west coast of Florida 10 years ago, and with the big hurricane last year, $30 million worth of sand went out to the Gulf of Mexico and was never seen again.
Don’t do it.
Money would be better spent on a squab farm.
Just tear down the boggy Sand wall and let the sand take its natural course. Wa-la..21 million saved.
Tear it down sure, not a damn thing will happen however.
If this moves forward they better start by removing the rocks in front of treasure island resort which undoubtedly changed water flow. Then proceed by forcing the condos and hotels to pull back from the water. Good luck with that – Marriott is doing a large renovation at the moment and this would have been the time to make them move their sea wall. Hopefully government can intervene and work with them to remove the sea wall but I fear it’s too late.
Totally Wrong, The Treasure Island development is outside and south of the SMB system. The movement of sand around Grand Cayman has been studied by scientists many times over the decades and is well known.
Incorrect
Boy you fool. Remember this beach? Where is it now?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403418748251?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3D6ac2be4bb48e42bf87382b6c5ae0129c%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D195790338718%26itm%3D403418748251%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D4429486%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3CPCAuto&_trksid=p4429486.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A4034187482516ac2be4bb48e42bf87382b6c5ae0129c%7Cenc%3AAQAIAAABUObhgc4Nk8%252BdtAwOww4FKLaj%252FQ5qqgDlQCuqZA43WcPFUWDERCUugbbOk7XQv0JXlBfqCg2xKF3WcPghxGMFw2oSlXvfExEaMYr7I7LmrHcP6czY1wIMt0ORyKiCWt95xldincyyBx3g%252BNDW%252B%252FhWUgTaBhK6xAm%252BJIbCOMehu%252Bdw8QidmH5ug3T5kGz32LVd%252FS4fzY3ZAAhgH1kC3OgkQaDXEgAtbP0VKWl9XiTKHmm8kb3VNPTaR3ouziQq2dN%252FxrSYfCoxa%252BOeMcipvlqCvmbwYtke1mOk6chZ%252Bwi29hGty4zxnRSgGP5Nqrmkpo6xOLTkykwz%252FzLx5HySfHRGWY648nDUsZ5WNg6ydGVENghDhEABPzaZv6EK4aCNVGcgHn2YA8x%252F6pKLLP6AsXIlGxC4ooMWSAtJf5Yrlpjz0tlrEOyYwoY2DZOaG5Lu1yRkfg%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A4429486
And what do all you experts have to say about Seven Mile Public Beach disappearing in the sea of cruise passengers and vendors? How should that be restored for the “public”?
There she goes again. Do us all a favor and retire NOW Juliana. The Cayman Islands can’t afford your whimsical spending anymore.
I flew over the southern end of the beach this afternoon. The sea walls that are the cause of this debacle were on full display.
It is beyond ridiculous that these property owners are being allowed to cause such damage to the island’s primary tourist attraction.
It is even more ridiculous that CIG is contemplating using the public purse to fund so-called nourishment schemes.
The sea walls must be removed. It is as simple as that.
This topic deserves a referendum.
Asinine idea, if a child makes a mess we teach them it’s there responsibility to clean it up.
If developers have caused the loss of sand let them take the first steps to fix it.
I never thought I would find myself agreeing with Kenneth Bryan on anything. We should be in the streets about this if the hotels are not forced to move the walls, pools etc. off the active beach.
It’s a tough decision, and should be made by people with more intelligence than those with the power to make the decision.
Was the problem caused by developers? No. It was caused by greedy politicians who let the developers have their way by overriding decisions and recommendations by Government Departments with educated staff such as Planning and DOE.
Do developers own any of the developments now without a beach? No. Developers, by definition develop, sell at a profit and move on long before the problems associated with poor decisions become evident.
Do you catch a lot of fish if you use poor bait? No, but sometimes you still catch some fish. Similarly, Government has to calculate what increases in revenue will accrue to government coffers by way of transfer tax and tourist tax in return for replenishing (baiting) the beach.
How many of our MPs know how to evaluate the risks and estimate what the return on an investment might be? Other than the possibility of getting a “wote” in return for paying someone’s light bill, no many.
Well said Kenny!
If this persists – can we have a referendum? Should the Caymanian people have to pay millions of dollars to replenish the beach for the very people who destroyed it – all whilst chasing Caymanians from what was left of it?
The restoration of the beach benefits all the condo owners, the hotel guests, and the general public that use the beach. The condo owners further benefit people in the island by paying millions of dollars for condos, a direct investment in the Island economy. The sand is likely to stay for several years and if it does move, then the restoration can be done again. There is more than a billion dollars of real estate along this section of the beach, and the revenue generated by government from taxes on sales and overnight stays will be much larger than $21 million.
The ocean view from your penthouse is making you confused
Just tell me where the general public go. The beach is completely dominated by hotels and condos. Maybe there is 500/800 of feet for the public
Why not take the fence off the Smatts land and open it up to the public. What is the purpose of closing it. Government are doing nothing with it.
The general public, like me, walk up and down the beach, but they can’t because there is three feet of water in front of the property north of the royal palms and in front of plantation village. For goodness sake, just put the sand back every couple of years – it will generate a huge amount of direct investment, the tourists will enjoy it, and the locals like me will be able to walk the beach again. We are not talking 200 million dollars here, just 21 million out of a budget of almost a billion. The benefits to having the sand there are obvious to everyone. To make it abundantly clear, if there is a single redevelopment, then the amount of money to build (not sell) the condos will be at least 50 million dollars – ALL of which is pumped into the local economy. Then, there are all the stamp duty taxes for government, which will be on the order of 10 million or more. The business case is obvious.
What about the millions in building concessions that have been given to beachfront hotels/properties and now you want more !? – Go and…
Subdivide the beach side of your land and cede it the crown if you want the government to pay.
Good luck. CIG wont even enforce the required public beach access points all over this island. Plenty blocked with foliage and rocks and hardly none maintaining required width.
Public losing access to Crown beaches by the day!
These delusional puppets think beach sand replenishment is a fix.
Its not. and it needs repeated replenishment. it buries/destroys existing marine life. it erodes in the next storm. it basically just mitigates temporarily BUT only if theres no manmade impediments…hello seawalls and seven mile beach developments.
Anyone with half a brain knows the beach has come and gone almost on 10 years cycles for generations. It is worse now not because of anything other than the development (Sea walls, etc). Nothing else is affecting the natural course.
But the buildings and walls are here. They have to go. So who’s going to be brave enough to tell the Sovereign, the Regal Beach, the Beach Bay, the Marriott, all of them, that they gotta go to dust?
My suggestion? The Insurance Companies. make it either astronomically priced or even outlaw insurance for any building within XXft of the high water mark as reviewed annually.
Mortgages stop without insurance. Foolish development stops also.
But waht about those living there now? Life sucks. What about the rest of us having to pay for your taking our beach access away in all but name? What about us having to pay huge insurance inland because yours is already high. Etc. Tough love baby.
Eveyrone on the beach should sell now before logic finally lands in the Parliament
Any politician that support this should never be elected again.
Why should the public purse go toward this!? Greedy developers are responsible for the erosion due to all the sea walls they built. The DOE was warning them decades ago that this would happen but no one listened. Why should we have to pay to replace the sand? It will be swept away again within years if not sooner. Ridiculous waste of money.
Sand doesn’t evaporate.. it’s sitting on the sea floor somewhere nearby. All you need is the removal of the sea walls and wait for the right weather pattern. This is another CIG disaster about to take place. They might as well build the dock with the amount of silt that will come out from the imported sand. Good Bye Corals!!!!!
Sand does evaporate. It goes off the wall (drop off) in sand chutes – they go so deep some of it literally dissolves under the pressure.
Managed retreat, with natural vegetation between sea and buildings is the only lasting solution.
My yard floods every time we get an unusually heavy rain, – sign me up please Ms O’Connor-Connolly to replenish the topsoil.
A home owner asking for the same benefits as those that buy ocean front property. ☔️
Fudge the beach replenishment, pleeze 🙄
In the past there have been two questions I have wanted to ask.
One is why havent they charged all arrivals a small tax to top up the beach on a regular basis. It’s in the Cayman Islands best interest. Two is why when they put sand on the southern part fron Plantation Village north look at old photos and restore the beach to its origonal depth. By not doing this the waves hit the swa walls and move the sand more qiuckly north. Iremember whenit was 50′ or more. I even have a film of the beach from The old Holiday Inn down to the Marriott done in 1985. If they need it I can try to find it,
Please post that footage on Youtube for all to see.
Why should people arriving in Cayman (visitors included too), pay for the shambolic actions of the greedy and inept Cayman government, departments, and businesses?
All of the tourism marketing out there still shows a pristine beach that is non-existent.
Do you know all of the taxes that people arriving in Cayman put into the coffers? Those “taxes” are some of the highest in the Caribbean.
It is terrible business to ask for tourists to pay for the horrendous and astounding incompetence of the Cayman elites.
Maybe a class action lawsuit against hotels, or even the DoT, for false beach advertising would be fair as well?
As someone pointed out in another thread, the CIG will pay 6 million for a piece of land in George Town and let it sit fallow. The 21 million here is being put to good use, relatively. If the sand stays for three years, it is a brilliant investment and will make everyone happier – locals, local business owners, tourists, owners, and government.
Baird was commissioned to inform the CIG with an expensive public-funded ESIA report that few of our MPs seem to have read. It included discussion about sand transport and where it goes (off the west wall and down 1000ft). There’s no sense or sustainability in adding imported sand, at our significant cost, to benefit irresponsible developers, only to watch it flush away in a calendar year.
Remember that come election time, every sitting MP in the Government should be asked to justify the Big $21M flush that they approved in Caucus.