The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

The Government was yesterday accused of failing to safeguard the interests of Cabbage Beach vendors during the One & Only Ocean Club sale, which included the ‘beach access’ route at the centre of the controversy.

Branville McCartney, the Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader, told Tribune Business that the Government should have recognised the potential problems when it saw the conveyancing documents relating to the deal between Atantis’s owner and Access Industries.

“The Government failed during the transaction to look out for the interests of the Bahamian people in regard to the public access to the beach,” Mr McCartney told Tribune Business.

“They failed to do that and, as a result, we had what transpired yesterday and today. While our Prime Minister is dancing and everything else, the country is burning. We need to call this general election as quickly as possible.”

Mr McCartney suggested that the Government’s failure to act sooner, and provide Cabbage Beach vendors with an alternative access route, was responsible for two days of protests, involving temporary Paradise Island bridge blockades and the tearing down of a fence blocking the current route.

Brookfield Asset Management sold the land adjacent to the RIU Paradise Island resort, including the ‘beach access route’, to the One & Only Ocean Club’s new owner, which is headed by billionaire investor, Len Blavatnik.

Tribune Business understands that the access route, and land parcel adjacent to the RIU, is intended by Access Industries to be the site for a new convention centre. This was always contemplated as part of the deal with Brookfield, which was worth aound $140.5 million.

The political fight over the Cabbage Beach situation intensified yesterday, as Obie Wilchcombe, minister of tourism, accused the Government’s opponents of exploiting the situation for political gain.

Describing their actions as “poor judgment”,

Mr Wilchcombe argued that the Government had always protected the vendors.

He added that they would have been kicked off the beach last December had it not been for government intervention.

In the meantime, the vendors have regained access to Cabbage Beach until the Government works out an alternative solution with Access Industries. The move came following Prime Minister Perry Christie’s perrsonal intervention.

“In response to a direct request from the Prime Minister, Access Industries has agreed to permit the beach path adjacent to the RIU to remain open for a period of time to allow the Prime Minister to work personally on finding an alternative solution for the beach vendors who currently work that area of Cabbage Beach,” the Government said in a statement.

It acknowledged, though, that “the sales agreement between Access Industries and Brookfield required Brookfield to close the existing beach path adjacent to the RIU resort, and relocate to the access point located on Brookfield-owned property on Garden Drive off of Paradise Island Drive”.  

Access Industries, in a statement yesterday, confirmed the new beach access point was now available and in use. 

“In connection with approving the sale of the property to Access, the Government specifically agreed to this change, has been involved in the process every step of the way, and Brookfield has now implemented the approved plan,” the One&Only Ocean Club owner added.

While the Government seems confident that the ‘beach access route’ next to the RIU is privately-owned land, this was disputed by the Opposition yesterday, who called it a ‘public right of way’.

The main problem appears to be finding an alternative access route that does not force vendors to carry their wares a significant distance. This is what the Garden Drive acces is likely to force many to do.

Mr Wilchcombe said yesterday: “At the end of the day, I think we have to be more responsible in our responses. For political leaders to be suggesting and  causing what eventually could have negative global impact is contradictory to other things they say.

“On one hand they were complaining the other day about some of the jet ski operators, and now they are engaging in what, in my view, is just poor judgment on their part. If you’re interested in resolving this, you find out what the issues  are and seek to resolve it.”

Mr Wilchcombe added: “They sought to close this place last year, and we said this path has been used by Bahamians for decades and should continue be used by Bahamians.

“They’re [Access Industries] arguing it’s their property, they wish to cause for further development, more hotel rooms to be built, and they want to put more amenities for tourism.

“That’s all well and good, but we must remember that the vendors have been their for decades as well, and have been utilising the place to make ends meet,” the Minister continued.

“What has to happen is that we have to find a way to ensure that we are not causing people to believe negatives about us, the way we behave, our general deportment and how we serve. We have to change all of that if we are going to have any presence on Cabbage Beach.

“The problem has been not Bahamians having access to beaches; you can go to the beach, they have entrances to have access to the beach. The problem has been the vendors. That has been what this fight has been about, getting vendors to remain on the beach where they are and access to get to their workplace.”