Premier misleads public over purchase of Brac beach
(CNS): Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly misled the public last week when she told parliament that the Department of Environment had objected to the Cayman Islands Government using the Environmental Protection Fund to purchase Long Beach on Cayman Brac. The DoE is seeking a correction to the record as it has repeatedly advocated on behalf of the NCC for the acquisition of this land, which is considered ecologically important and critical to the conservation of the Brac’s brown booby population.
When the premier rose to deliver a statement on one of the many increases in spending across her numerous portfolios, she blamed the DoE for the supplementary spending for the Ministry of District Administration and Lands to buy the beach, claiming that the department had not supported using the fund.
Cabinet approved a CI$6.25 million increase in spending for various things, including over $4 million on land parcels. One of these is Long Beach, which consists of 33 acres in Spot Bay. O’Connor-Connolly said this would prevent it from being developed and that it would become a national park. However, she incorrectly told parliament that the DoE had blocked her from using the EPF.
“We tried to get the consensus from DoE to use the EPF fund, but they clearly said it could not be used… even though it’s for the benefit of the people as a national park,” she erroneously stated. The Department of Environment told CNS it is now seeking a correction to the Hansard, and the matter has been passed onto the Office of the Premier for review.
“The DoE, on delegated authority of the NCC, supported the acquisition of Long Beach for conservation purposes,” a spokesperson told CNS. “We can confirm that DoE was given a deadline of 20 January to submit our technical assessment of the ecological importance of the Long Beach parcel and advice under Section 41(3). However, the post-Cabinet meeting summary from 15 January 2025 states that Cabinet approved the purchase despite not having received our advice until 16 January.”
The NCC should be consulted before the EPF is used to acquire the land for conservation purposes, the department explained. Long Beach is a proposed critical habitat for the endangered brown booby and white-tailed tropicbird populations (as per the draft Seabird Conservation Plan) and is therefore an area of significant ecological importance.
In its review, the DoE said it strongly supports the proposed purchase of the land and had advised the government to place a protection order under the National Conservation Act on the land to keep it in its natural state. “Once protected, the management plan should be created by the National Conservation Council (NCC) in collaboration with the public,” the technical experts had said in their submissions to the CIG.
The NCC had advised against government plans to put a road through the land and had urged it to acquire and conserve the property. Scientists explained how maintaining land for conservation means exactly that: the land has to be conserved as is. There is no need to build roads for this particular area to be accessible as there is an existing footpath.
The land, located close to the East Lighthouse National Park, is sensitive and heavily covered in primary habitat. It is also very important for nesting seabirds. The parcel contains an area identified as proposed critical habitat for brown booby birds and the white-tailed tropicbird, known locally as Bo’Suns, with known nesting sites within the parcel. Both of these sea birds are protected species under the NCA.
CNS has reached out to the Office of the Premier for an explanation, and we are waiting for a response.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Government Finance, Land Habitat, Politics, Science & Nature
In peach her
And she lied in Parliament, hiding behind Parliamentary Priviledge.
If it is true, why doesnt she repeat it on Radio Cayman or other public forum?
She wont repeat it in such public forum though because what she said was not true, and she is lying coward.
Julianna and McKeeva are great examples of Caymanian leaders and Christians
Or are they?
Hard to believe God are a just God. when he allows people always sayin/praying and they God’s people and same time lying and during unholy things. More reasons not to
go to church than to go to church.
seen as our governor will do/say nothing as usual…is it time to petition the uk directly???
So sick of these useless, greedy, lying, thieving Cayman politicians. But can’t go anywhere at this stage, I’m a 9th gen Caymanian sixty-something boomer and my navel-string is anchored in BT!
Even more sick of useless, grinning Franz Manderson and his Circus!! A DISGRACE to the Civil Service in which my parents served so diligently!
Mom was right when she warned “You all will be led by morons”!
CNS please: she “misled” the public. Say it for what it is: she lied. End of story.
Could never be.
Proverbs 12:22. “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
Waiting for the UK to intervene?
The latest news from the UK.
* Tractors block central London in massive farmers’ protest
They’re just asking to keep the farms they inherited from their parents so they could give them to their kids. They’re just asking to get up at five o’clock in the morning so they can feed the nation
* Labour MPs and a minister dismissed over ‘sexist and racist’ WhatsApp comments
* The surprise dismantling of USAID has caught Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) scrambling to pick up the slack in support of the West’s global interests.
* For decades, the exploitation of thousands of young British girls by grooming gangs of predominantly Asian men across the UK was not only ignored but actively covered up. The scandal is described as one of the most egregious institutional failures in modern British history.
What does the current owner think? Is this another compulsory acquisition?
Perhaps she could explain why they purchased a parcel with a boat ramp and have it locked up for only a select few chosen ones to use, and store their shipping containers on?
Why do you need to know? The Premier is all knowing and extremely wise. She knows what she is doing.
Now that you bought it, when will you protect it?
Or will you give this to Dart as part of the deals being negotiated between Dart and Franz Manderson and Eric Bush?
This isn’t the only thing she has mislead the Caymanian people on
What ever happened to JOCC’s promise in the last election to allow for cultivation of small amounts of cannabis?
The bigger issue is that JOCC is requisitioning additional cash from CIG budgets in addition to the money already freely available via the EPF. Dare we ask, where are those further millions going and why?
This is exactly the question. Where is that money going?
any comment mrs governor?
governor? We have a governor?
Nothing to do with HE
I don’t know if we have a Governor or not. Someone seems to be on vacation in the Governors house though. Sadly the UK seems incapable of running itself these days, let alone us too.
I’m afraid the response will be a case of “Soon Come”.