The Tribune

Long Island residents are calling for redevelopment of the island’s main airport to be accompanied by investments in port facilities, banking, healthcare and other essential services to unlock its economic potential, create jobs and reverse population decline.

These issues will likely be discussed at the upcoming 12th annual Long Island Business Outlook conference, which will be held on Thursday, November 19, at the Long Island Harbour Club in Salt Pond.

Organized by The Counsellors under the theme “Strengthening foundations for long-term prosperity’, the event will bring together government officials, business leaders and residents to examine obstacles to economic growth and opportunities for development.

Ramona Ritchie-Taylor, a Long Island businesswoman, said expensive and inconvenient air travel continues to discourage regular travel and potential investment.

“A round-trip ticket to a Family Island should not cost almost $400; that price alone is inaccessible for regular travel,” Ms Ritchie-Taylor said.

“The priority should be to make Long Island commercially viable for sustained private investment,” she added, calling for improved accessibility and greater economic diversification to support businesses and employment.

Retired N.G.M. Major High School principal, Endal Adderley, said the island’s diverse economic base has helped protect it from the sharp fluctuations experienced by tourism-dependent destinations, but has not generated comparable growth.

“We have fishing, we have farming, we have sponging, we have tourism, we have construction. We are able to almost survive when one thing goes down,” Mr Adderley said. “But it does not give us that kind of explosive kind of boom that you see in the other islands.”

He welcomed ongoing infrastructure improvements but said a deep water port, upgraded harbour facilities and an international airport would strengthen the island’s prospects.

Mr Adderley also called for more skills training, incentives to rehabilitate family homesteads and better elderly care to encourage former residents to return. “Our population growth is still in decline, say, over the last 30 years or so. But more and more people want to come home,” he said. “I don’t think right now, with the lack of opportunities, that you will see large numbers returning.”

He identified the proposed Calypso Cove and Diamond Crystal developments as potential catalysts for southern Long Island. “With those two projects, I think the island would boom,” Mr Adderley said.

Holif Fox, project manager and site engineer for the $20.8m runway upgrade and infrastructure project for Deadman’s Cay airport, cautioned that these improvements alone will not address the transportation and freight challenges facing investors.

“One of the biggest issues after you get the airport up and running, and it gets to international standards, is going to be a proper port, like a container port,” he said. “When people come to invest, they’re going to want to bring their stuff in. Shipping out of the United States can be challenging at times.”

Mr Fox said existing facilities at Clarence Town have limitations, while inconsistent freight schedules complicate business operations. He also identified better healthcare and ambulance services as priorities.

He acknowledged progress in water distribution and roadworks, estimating that running water is available across around 85 to 90 percent of the island. “They’re working on paved roads, and that’s a good thing. A proper airport, proper port of entry and proper healthcare are needed,” Mr Fox said.

He also suggested that the proposed cruise port in the south could generate jobs, and called for a Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) presence on Long Island so young people could learn trades without leaving home.

Other residents have highlighted the absence of commercial banking services, which requires some customers and businesses to travel to Nassau or Exuma for transactions that must be completed in person.

They are also calling for a medical facility offering emergency treatment, X-rays, laboratory testing and around-the-clock access to a doctor, alongside a dependable, dedicated mailboat operating on a published schedule between Nassau and Long Island.

Additional proposals include targeted investment incentives, apprenticeships and support for entrepreneurs and returning residents.

The Business Outlook programme will address several of these issues. Leon Lundy, minister of transport, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address following welcome remarks by Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins.

Maxwell Jones, Commonwealth Bank’s vice-president of marketing and business development, will outline the bank’s short and long-term plans for Long Island.

A sustainable infrastructure panel will include representatives of the Water and Sewerage Corporation, Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), Bahamas Hot Mix and Rowdy Boys.

An aviation panel will feature Dr Kenneth Romer, deputy director general of tourism and director of aviation; Tracy Cooper, Bahamasair managing director; Sarah Swainson of Hocher Holdings; Bethsheba Gibbs of Southern Air; and Julian Lockhart, general manager, Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort and Villas.

Other sessions will examine agriculture and fisheries, economic diversification, business resilience, co-operatives, entrepreneurship and investment.

The Long Island seminar concludes the 2026 Business Outlook series organised by The Counsellors, which convenes public and private sector stakeholders to discuss economic priorities and opportunities across The Bahamas.

For registration and more information, visit tclevents.com or contact Annalise Thompson at 322-1000 or athompson@tclbahamas.com.