The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

GREEN Turtle Cay residents yesterday voiced relief that the Supreme Court has granted an injunction halting construction work on the controversial Gillam Bay project until the challenge to its environmental approvals is resolved.

They said the November 11, 2026, injunction issued by Justice Franklyn Williams KC has renewed hope among opponents that construction will be halted at the environmentally-sensitive site, although they have yet to understand the full scope of the Supreme Court’s Order or whether it will ultimately bring the project to a complete stop.

Giselle McIntosh, a Green Turtle Cay Council member, said the Council welcomed the development, viewing the injunction as an indication that the proper legal and regulatory procedures were being observed.

“Obviously we’re happy about it,” she said. “I think it shows that they’re paying attention to the rules and laws of how things are supposed to be processed. So we’re happy about the injunction, and ultimately it’ll be great to just see nothing happen out there. So I guess we’ll see what happens next.”

Ms McIntosh said the Council had not heard from Reginald Curry, the Seashells at Gillam Bay developer, despite mounting opposition from residents, adding that she had expected him to reconsider the project given the strength of community resistance.

“Personally, I thought that he would kind of take into consideration that it’s the majority of the island that is against this, and maybe change his mind, but obviously that didn’t happen,” she said. “I’m not sure if the injunction is going to change his mind or not, or he’s just going to continue on or fight that. So I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

Ms McIntosh said the Council had only received news of the injunction and has not yet reviewed the relevant court documents, leaving it unable to confirm how long the Order will remain in effect or precisely what activities it prohibits.

Carol Jean Lowe, owner of Kool Karts, a golf cart rental business on Green Turtle Cay, said residents were encouraged by the court’s intervention and hoped it would lead to the development being stopped altogether. She said opponents were continuing to build their case against the project, particularly over its potential environmental consequences.

She added that an independent environmental study had been commissioned by opponents after concerns that additional research was necessary, despite the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) previously determining that a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not required for the proposed development.

“It was one of the studies that the DEPP said that they didn’t need,” Ms Lowe said. “But they do need it. So we independently did it.”

Annabelle Cross, another Green Turtle Cay resident, said the injunction was encouraging because it meant the development would not simply proceed without further scrutiny. “I think that people are pleased that at least it’s being looked into, that it’s not just going to go ahead without some more checks and balances,” she said.

Ms Cross said residents wanted greater clarity about how the developer obtained permission to proceed with the project, although she cautioned that she did not yet know the specific restrictions imposed by the injunction.

“At least something is going on that it’s just not moving ahead without being looked at to see how they came about to get the permission to build there,” she said. “But I can’t say, you know, because I don’t know the details of what that injunction stops or does. I can’t really say.”

Wade Cash, a Green Turtle Cay resident and Council member, also welcomed the injunction, pointing to the return of migratory birds to the area as another reason residents want the site protected.

“You wouldn’t believe all the birds that are back over there right now,” he said. “This is the time of year they come to Gillam Bay. And you got the piping plover that’s got the beaches covered out there right now.” 

Mr Cash suggested the dispute had further strained relations between the developer and members of the community. “I think he’s pretty p***** off with everybody that’s been involved in it,” he said. 

When contacted by Tribune Business for comment on the injunction, Mr Curry declined to elaborate. “Nothing to say about I,” he said. “Just let it play itself out.” 

The injunction marks another significant development in the dispute over the proposed project, which includes nine villas, a clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, administrative offices and support facilities on approximately three acres of Crown Land.

The development was unanimously rejected by the Green Turtle Cay Council, but Mr Curry subsequently sought approval in Nassau to move forward with the proposal.

The project has generated considerable opposition from residents, who argue that Gillam Bay represents one of the island’s last remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems and should be protected from construction. The Save Gillam Bay Collective has been leading the campaign with a petition.

The group has called on the Government to halt construction until all legal and regulatory requirements have been satisfied, release the project’s environmental documentation and commission an independent review of the approval process. It has also urged authorities to consider protecting the remaining undeveloped portion of Gillam Bay through the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).

Opponents have raised concerns about the potential effects of construction on mangroves, wetlands, bonefish habitats, marine life and migratory birds, as well as the site’s ability to serve as a natural buffer against storms and coastal erosion.

Mr Curry had previously obtained a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC), with DEPP maintaining that the proposal complied with applicable legal and environmental requirements. The Department also said a full EIA and public consultation were not required because the development did not meet the statutory threshold.

The group has also raised concerns about the proposed development’s location on shifting sand accretion, arguing that the site’s characteristics warrant additional scrutiny over long-term stability, storm resilience and potential effects on the surrounding coastline.