21st CENTURY REALITIES

The objections voiced by Tobagonians at a public consultation on Friday to Angostura Limited’s proposed multi-million dollar development project on land it owns at Golden Grove and Buccoo Estates may have been based on sentiment rather than objective assessment. Or rather, most of the objections. Had the adverse positions adopted been expressions of a fear that the eco-sensitive wetland areas and the world famous Buccoo Reef been under threat by the project this would have been understandable. The objections, however, were to the development itself. The consultant, who made the presentation at the public deliberation as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment study, has admitted that he failed to bring the plans for the preservation of the wetlands across at the meeting. He has pointed out, however, that before he could do this the meeting erupted in disorder.

Because of the enormity of the project and the sensitivity of Tobagonians to the rapid development of the island following on the virtual repeal re Tobago of the Alien Landholdings Act, as well as to any possible negative impact on eco-sensitive wetland areas, it would have been better if the satisfying of concerns about wetland areas had been addressed early into the consultation. These apart, the project is one of the realities of the 21st century, in which undertakings of the size and scope planned by Angostura are necessary if Trinidad and Tobago is to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing market place posed by globalisation.

The proposed development calls for the establishment of three hotels with a combined capacity of 700 rooms; 475 multi-family housing units; villas, a golf course, constructed wetlands and lake system on 272 hectares of land. The development is projected to be in three phases over a 15-year period and with an estimated development cost ranging between US$700 million and US$1 billion. This will represent a massive injection into the Tobago economy, albeit in the context of the overall Trinidad and Tobago economy. Several thousand employment opportunities will be created for welders, masons, carpenters, painters, roofers, plumbers, contractors and sub contractors, architects, accountants, truck and taxi drivers, chefs, engineers, attorneys at law, bakers.

Several industries and firms will also benefit the cement industry, asphalt industry, service and repair establishments, air conditioning and refrigeration contracting firms, beauty salons, boutiques, supermarkets, hardware and haberdashery stores, furniture dealers, banks, the telecommunications industry and courier services. Clearly, it is not the developers’ intention, given the 15-year span of the project, to overwhelm even the more conservative Tobagonians with implied sudden and drastic changes to their lifestyles.

Nonetheless, what will be the reaction when, as undoubtedly will happen, drilling for crude and natural gas takes place off Tobago, and energy and energy based plants are constructed at the planned industrial estate for which lands have already been earmarked? Neither Trinidad and Tobago nor any Member State of the Caribbean Community of Nations, with the rest of the world aggressively competing for a share of the market pie, can afford to believe that it can deal with the realities of the 21st century, with early 20th century thinking and strategies. Or was it that there had been more to some of the objections raised at last Friday’s consultation than at first blush met the proverbial eye?