The Tribune

By NEILL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Hubert Ingraham yesterday urged regulators to require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and further public consultation over a controversial Green Turtle Cay project, asserting that it needs “a deeper dive” given that the proposal appears “excessive” for the intended location.

The former prime minister, who for decades represented North Abaco and Green Turtle Cay in the House of Assembly, told Tribune Business that “the least that ought to happen” is an EIA be conducted and “made public” so that residents and other stakeholders can provide comment and feedback before Reginald Curry’s Gillam Bay development is cleared to succeed.

Speaking after it emerged that all five members of the Green Turtle Cay District Council have voted against the project (see article on Page 3B), Mr Ingraham said he was “surprised” that the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) had not mandated an EIA be produced - especially as the site is “virgin land” - but he acknowledged that the law and regulations allow the agency to drop this requirement of they deem it unnecessary.

Asserting that “nothing beats local input on a decision”, Mr Ingraham told this newspaper: “The community of Green Turtle Cay is very much opposed to the project, and I’m told that the local government authority has rejected it. Second, it appears to me that the least that ought to happen is an EIA that is made public so that people can comment on it.

“They should have done an EIA so that the community could comment on it. It’s all accreted land from what I understand. The development being proposed would be substantial for a new green area. That’s all sand, much of which accreted in my lifetime. This is also an area where the Green Turtle Cay community have been picknicking for umpteen years. The least they ought to do is have an EIA so people can make representations.”

Mr Curry has received a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) from DEPP to proceed with his proposal to construct construct nine 1,900-square foot villas, a single-storey clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, an administrative office and a back-of-house facility at Gillam Bay.

But many on Green Turtle Cay, alleging they only became fully aware of the project at last Thursday’s Town Hall meeting, voiced frustration over the perceived lack of transparency and Nassau seemingly dictating, and imposing its vision, of development on Family Island communities without locals and those affected having any say.

However, DEPP officials officials told Green Turtle Cay residents that the agency determined the project did not meet the legal threshold for triggering an EIA because it involves construction on pilings as opposed to excavation, mining and marine works.

“I’m surprised in the sense that this is a new virgin piece of land, but I’m aware the director [Dr Rhianna Neeley-Murphy] has the authority to dispense with an EIA if they feel it is not necessary,” Mr Ingraham said of the decision not to require an EIA. “I would have thought this would go out for a deeper dive, then a decision would be made with public comment.

“I would urge the authorities to acquire an EIA that would go out to be made public, and public consultation to be had, and the local government authority in Green Turtle Cay to be able to put forward their point of view.

“They are very good people in Green Turtle Cay. They will make their concerns know, they will agitate and contribute to the discussion and if, at the end of the day, they cannot be successful they will accept that. But they think, on the face of it, and so do I, that the development proposed is excessive for that particular site.”

Mr Ingraham said he did not know whether “this was a deliberate decision on the part of Nassau” not to request an EIA or consult residents before last Thursday, but he added that both steps must now be taken “before any further development on this site. That’s what the community would like to see. I’ve been with them all my political life. They still call me all the time”.

An online petition launched on change.org, urging the Davis administration to maintain “the current construction pause” until all permits and compliance requirements are met, and a “legal review” conducted, had within hours gained 943 signatures by the time Tribune Business went to press.

The petition, in calling for “an independent review of the environmental assessment and approval process” and for “meaningful time and weight” to be given to Green Turtle residents’ concerns, said: “This petition is led by a collective of Bahamian citizens who believe Gillam Bay is a national treasure worthy of protection.

“It reflects the voices of Bahamians who care deeply about preserving our country's natural heritage, and who want decisions affecting our islands for generations to come to be made with transparency, accountability and respect for the law…. Once an irreplaceable coastal ecosystem is destroyed, it cannot simply be rebuilt. The decisions made today will shape Green Turtle Cay for generations to come.

“We are asking that any development proceed only if and after every legal requirement has been met, environmental impacts have been independently and transparently evaluated, and the people who will live with these decisions have been meaningfully heard. Responsible development and environmental stewardship ca - and should - go hand in hand.”

The Gillam Bay petition on change.org states: “A proposed large-scale development threatens to permanently alter this sensitive environment, and with it, one of the beauty spots that draws tourists here in the first place. Many local Bahamian citizens, longtime visitors and second home owners have expressed that this development would fundamentally change the character of Green Turtle Cay and could influence whether they return in the future.

“Plans for this development were first signalled in 2022, when a road bringing water and electricity was extended to the developer's existing business on No Name Cay. Since then, the scope has grown considerably. The broader Green Turtle Cay community first learned the full scope of the proposal during a town meeting held on July 16, 2026…

“This is to be developed on approximately three acres of Crown Land, which the developer has been granted permission to build on 40 percent [of]. Community members have raised questions regarding the process through which development rights for the site were granted, and have requested greater transparency surrounding those decisions,” the petition added.

“The sequence of events raises important questions about compliance with the established approval process and should concern anyone who values transparency, accountability and the rule of law, regardless of their position on the development itself. And if procedural deficiencies are identified after irreversible work has commenced, the consequences may be significant for the community, the developer, the environment and public confidence in the regulatory process….

“We recognise the importance of investment and economic opportunity in The Bahamas. But development should never come at the expense of transparency, local consideration and our environment. Sustainable development requires that environmental protection, community interests and economic growth exist together - not that one be sacrificed for another.

“Many local Bahamian citizens, residents and stakeholders alike have serious, justifiable concerns about whether every statutory requirement, environmental review and public consultation has been properly completed before this project proceeds. These questions deserve clear, transparent answers, and decisions of this significance should be made only after all legal processes have been fully satisfied.”