Bryan: Cargo project imperative, cruise must be addressed
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan made it clear last week in several parliamentary statements on his areas of responsibility that a new cargo dock is a “strategic imperative” and the country has to address the issue of cruise tourism. He also implied that he favours moving the port from George Town, which is likely to see it relocated to Breakers, where the government may also develop a cruise berthing facility.
Although Bryan has not yet announced the plans, CNS understands that these issues could very well be the subject of a referendum, possibly held at the same time as the next general election.
Bryan told members of parliament and those listening to the proceedings during last week’s meetings that the cargo port would soon run out of capacity. He said that consultants had been looking at suitable options, but given the scale of such a project, it will be the subject of public consultation. The first two meetings have been scheduled for this week in George Town on Wednesday and Bodden Town on Thursday. The government has also opened a survey that is available to take online until 2 August.
He said that this would give the wider public an opportunity to share opinions and feedback, which was “vital” to ensure that such a project would “meet the needs and expectations of the community”, as he urged the public to attend the meetings this week and play a part in the discussion. He said that the need for a new cargo port was not just about logistics but a long-term strategic move to handle cargo well into the future and to maintain the quality of life in the Cayman Islands.
In the meantime, he said, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands would be expanding its offices along the harbour front and rolling out other initiatives to help make the cargo situation more efficient. With cargo tonnage increasing again this year, port staff have had to work hard to manage cruise operations and cargo together, he said.
But there was room for improvement, and the government was working on managing growing cargo needs with enhancements of infrastructure at both the George Town dock and the distribution centre, which he said were compatible with plans to relocate the port outside George Town.
Bryan said the volume of cargo was surging, so the demand on operations overall at the port was growing; it was fast “approaching the end of its functional lifespan” and would not support the volume of cargo that was expected over the next decade. The minister said a long-term solution was necessary to tackle efficiencies and provide “a sustainable pathway for growth”.
He suggested that the ambitious initiatives for Cayman were part of the government’s commitment to excellence and proactive innovation against the backdrop of development — which many see as unsustainable, and the failure of the last administration to appreciate public sentiment on that issue was their downfall at the ballot box.
Speaking briefly about cruise tourism, Bryan said that while the Port Authority had erected new fencing and shade to help make things run more smoothly and keep passengers more comfortable, which had been “well-received”, the decline in numbers over the last two years, particularly during the first half of this year, meant much more had to be down to save that sector.
“This ongoing reduction is a serious concern,” he said, claiming that if it continued, it would have a seriously negative impact on the Cayman economy. However, the drop in cruise passengers was expected after the public made it clear they did not want to see berthing facilities here and felt the government should focus on overnight guests.
But Bryan appears very keen to try to retain the cruise sector, which is seen by many local stakeholders as a lose-lose situation for local operators. He said that the cruise industry model is “dependent on bigger and bigger ships” that the cruise lines refuse to tender, and “within three to five years, the ships that call here now will no longer be sailing the Caribbean Seas”.
As a result, “The question of cruise berthing must be definitively addressed. There is no other option.”
See details of the upcoming meetings about the cargo port below:
| Meeting 1 | Meeting 2 |
| Date: Wednesday, 31 July Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm Location: The Vault, Compass Centre 319 Shedden Road, George Town | Date: Thursday, 1 August Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm Location: Church of God Chapel 3251 Shamrock Road, Bodden Town |
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
KB has quite rapidly grown into a politricky politician. He needs to be shown the door, along with any other politician who thinks we want a port and a 150K population.
Breakers is one location under consideration. Dredging North Sound to Morgan’s Harbour and Safe Haven (Ritz) are also under consideration, and suspiciously aligns with DART’s PAD Project and Marina hotel ambitions. It’s very telling that the public consultation is being hosted at the DART-owned building tonight. Those with valuable residential home equity at the Ritz, Safehaven, or Crystal Harbour might want to show up and be heard. Once some dredging is approved, it’s all approved.
Seriously, how are they all just so stupid, arrogant and corrupt. It’s beyond comprehension.
Something happens to people when they get elected. Especially those for whom the pay and power of the position are far above anything they would otherwise expect to achieve. So all perspective is lost and the ego gets out of control as they ascribe godlike abilities onto themselves due to their amazing stroke of good fortune.
Care to be more specific? Your statement can apply to essentially every country, every sector, every issue…everywhere. How does your thoughts apply to the article?
1. The need for a new port is based on the continued exponential and unsustainable population growth. Should we not decide first what we want Cayman to become in the future? Do we want 200,000 residents? 2. I just took the Port’s survey and the questions are significantly different than what the Minister for Tourism is stating. What is the real objective here? 3. Is this proposal connected to Government’s gutting of the National Conservation Act and the removal of Environmental Impact Assessments for Government projects?
Baird Report said the CI Port was operating under 80% capacity, so there is no published need case that aligns with this Minister’s conflicted ambition. Start there.
Ah Cayman. Home to the only ports on the planet that shut down for the staff Xmas party.
And it was a GOOD one- they know how to celebrate!
KB is the poster boy (or should that be illegal roadside billboard boy?) for how inept and useless this lot are. He needs booted out of politics for good.
blah blah blah.
Typical politician/relative/supporter reply.
The great majority of the cruise sector is operated by imported minimum wage workers. The conditions in which they must live contributes enormously to the degradation of whole communities. The importation of poverty resulting strains core infrastructure.
Most cruise visitors hardly spend ashore, clutter up our systems, and those that do spend, spend with foreign owned (yes, I said it) companies and a couple of Caymanian oligarchs.
Our capital; city looks like a cheap outdoor mall, and the quality of life local residents is diminished all as polluting behemoths drop 50 ton anchors on priceless corals, just offshore.
It is just not worth it!
How are we going to afford to move the dock,expand the airport and fix the dump. Why dont we just control runaway population growth.
I want to see how Kenneth and the DoT will prove how many people taking the survey are Caymanian
Hee Haw!
Like Bryan or not, he’s right about this.
Tourism Cruise dock or not, the Cargo Port has to move for sustainability. The island is growing, like it or not, this is a reality. We gonna keep increasing the amount of semis trucks running in and out of George town?
Less emotions, more common sense please.
We need a proper first world harbour.
Hard not to agree. Cruise aside. The dock is in the wrong place now. (As is the airport).
Time to move it somewhere else. Same with the airport and free up the land and ease the congestion.
At what expense? Any digging or dredging will certainly damage the fresh water lense and create flooding on mass levels.
Instead of developing why not curb development? Let the infrastructure to catch before selling your birth rights out!
Breakers for a port. Beam me up. What about the increase in traffic and the new proposed speed limits some being 15mph.Has anyone thought all this through?
Speed limits are not the problem, it is the people that break them. Truck drivers appear to be exempt. It can be seen every day except by the police. Trucks hogging the right lane, lit up with flashers everywhere and jake brakes but when did you last see a cop pull one over? No it isn’t thought through at all.
Are you seriously implying “total madness” on my front window was ironic?
Boss. When I said “bad boss” whilst Jake braking everywhere I was being literal.
I completely agree with you. Lowering of speed limits will make no difference to these insane drivers.
Honda fit drivers appear exempt too!
Only when wearing neon high vis vests
Jamaicans police do not enforce laws to the Jamaican brethren. Get used to it because that is how our government wants it.
Maybe the freight could be shipped to Barbados and then CAL could fly it into the new private air terminal
Let’s do away with cruise ships completely. They are an environmental disaster and add nothing but pain to the economy. All Caymanians employed in the sector can easily obtain jobs in the stay over tourism market or financial services. There are over 10,000 WP holders in them. Take your pick!
Where do you work?
Can we just be done with Kenny please!
He wasn’t even a successful drug dealer and marginal as a male model. Basically, the guy is slower than Zoolander.
look at his constituents, he is Mckeeva 2.0, it will take a miracle to get him out now. Alden high tailed it out of that voting zone for a reason.
the pact/upm circus continues…
when will people realise…pact/upm were never elected… they had no common agenda or manifesto…they just grouped together for their own selfish needs.
that’s what you get for voting in small minded, small town independents.
You left out ….uneducated unemployables…. 9.41.
I know tons of stupid college degreed people who have been “educated” by moronic liberal teachers who couldn’t get jobs in the private sector.
You are describing our Ministers?
more waffle and talk…basicvally they are kicking this can down the road for the next administration.
classic pact /upm……
so nearly 4 years into your job why have you done nothing on these issues?
Is the government going to be sucking up to Dart for this also?
GTC please stop putting this idiot in office!
Sincerely, Everyone else on the island.
If anyone with a brain would run in GTC and the voters could use theirs. Please get this guy gone. He needs to go. He’s dangerous.
I have never see anyone as tone deaf as KB. The people have made it clear that they do not want expanded cruise tourism. I have yet to see any analysis on the impact of losing cruise volume. Do we lose taxis owned by Caymanians driven by WP holders? How many WP jobs would we lose? What is the impact on Caymanians?
Try the revenue stream of tax duty per cruise ship traveler head. Cayman will literally go bankrupt if that revenue stream went away. That is what CIG is not telling us … but probably needs too.
Cayman will go bankrupt from spending, not from tax revenues. The island survived just fine during the pandemic with no cruise ships
show me the numbers, the passenger tax is nominal in the scheme of a billion dollar budget
You forget Caymanian or not , the Jamaican taxi and bus drivers can vote now…and that’s who keeps Kenny Seymour and Saunders snouts in the trough..
There are around 100 bus drivers here on work permits. Many more are married to Caymanians or otherwise are NOT Caymanian.