• Cruise line, not DEPP, announces public consultation details

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Environmental advocates yesterday voiced concern that Royal Caribbean is "setting the tone and beating the drum" after the cruise line - not the Government - unveiled the date and time for the public meeting on its Paradise Island project.

Eric Carey, the former Bahamas National Trust (BNT) executive director, who is to review the cruise line's environmental submissions for Atlantis, told Tribune Business he was "somewhat taken aback" that details on the upcoming Royal Beach Club consultation had come from Royal Caribbean and not the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP).

The cruise giant, in a statement yesterday, said the public consultation will be held "in conjunction" with the DEPP on June 8 at 6.30pm. "The consultation will provide the community the opportunity to ask questions regarding [the] 17-acre Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island as part of the process defined by DEPP," Royal Caribbean said, noting that the Government's National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the project 'in principle' subject to a favourable assessment.

Mr Carey, though, told this newspaper that he remains concerned over the "vagueness" caused by the lack of details surrounding the public consultation. He added that this "again begs the question: Who should be providing the public this information - DEPP or Royal Caribbean? My view is that this should come from the Bahamian regulators, not the developer, otherwise it appears that they are driving the process and not DEPP".

While acknowledging that the "commitment to a date" was positive, the ex-BNT chief said he was "hearing this for the first time" as a result of Royal Caribbean's statement. Given that the environmental groups had followed the request by Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, to communicate all their concerns to the DEPP, Mr Carey said he "assumed" that all updates would have come from the agency and not the cruise line.

"It is surprising," he told Tribune Business. "They seem to be driving the process. It's unfortunate and surprising. It should come from the DEPP. The DEPP is the agency responsible, and the public has asked questions to the DEPP. I would have expected a response from the DEPP, and not the developer. I would not have expected the developer to be setting dates and how they expect dialogue to take place.

"There is a bit of a concern this comes from them, and not the DEPP. It's a bit surprising, and a little bit more concerning the more I think about it. I'm pleased there are timelines for the consultation, but I am somewhat taken aback that it is coming from Royal Caribbean and not the DEPP. I'm confident that the DEPP is still in charge, and this is not Royal Caribbean directing the process.

"This must just be interpreted as a mishap. I still have confidence in the DEPP, and our laws and regulations, and that due process will be followed, but it's a little bit concerning that Royal Caribbean seems to be setting the tone and beating the drum."

Royal Caribbean's $110m Paradise Island project has faced renewed controversy ever since the Davis administration announced that the project has been approved in principle subject to obtaining a favourable environmental review. While direct hostilities with Bahamian entrepreneur, Toby Smith, have ceased after the cruise line withdrew its competing demands for the same two-acre Crown Land parcel, other concerns remain.

Atlantis has been among the leading voices raising questions about the potential environmental impact to western Paradise Island. Its concerns, and those of others, have ranged from how solid and waste water will be disposed of and managed to whether the 17-acre site can properly accommodate the average 2,750 visitors it will take per day. There are also fears that the Royal Beach Club will suck tourist spend away from Bay Street and other local businesses.

Mr Carey yesterday said it will be "key" for Royal Caribbean to release more details of its plans to the public in advance of the consultation so that all interested parties have sufficient time to review them, and develop questions and opinions ahead of time.

Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, in yesterday's statement said it is "eager to address the environmental questions raised" by Bahamians and promised that further details regarding the public consultation meeting will be announced "in the coming days".

Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's chief product innovation officer, said questions already raised by the community will be addressed. He added that any discussions before the NEC’s conditional approval would have been premature.

Once the public consultation period has closed, according to the DEPP process, Royal Caribbean will publish a detailed Environmental Management Plan (EMP) that outlines how the cruise line will "restore the long-neglected stretch of land on the western end of Paradise Island".

“The majority of the 13 acres we have purchased is far from pristine. There are remnants of abandoned and neglected buildings and houses — many built more than half a century ago with no restrictions on infrastructure. Today, what remains are crumbling structures, protruding rusting metal rebar, broken glass, furniture that has been tossed out and exposed to the elements, and debris and trash along with overgrown invasive vegetation,” said Mr Schneider.

While clearing and clean-up will be one of the first steps taken, Royal Caribbean promised it "will go above and beyond the requirements of the environmental management process related to land use and marine life by monitoring bird activity, noise levels and regular reporting of coral reef health".

“We are looking forward to creating a beach experience that will be a beautiful, environmentally conscientious experience owned in part by Bahamians and operated and enjoyed by Bahamians. The Royal Beach Club will dramatically restore and enhance the western stretch of Paradise Island and we invite others who seem concerned to follow us on our journey of restoration and inclusion,” said Mr Schneider.

Royal Caribbean said it has already released its "six environmental pillars" for the Royal Beach Club, which it added "go above and beyond any other land-based tourism development in The Bahamas". These include zero waste-to-landfill, 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, best-in-class wastewater treatment, no dredging and no overwater cabanas, protecting the surrounding habitat and local environmental monitoring.

The Government and private Bahamian investors will own up to 49 percent of the Royal Beach Club via a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The project also will create opportunities for local businesses and entrepreneurs to manage the vast majority of the experience, as well as hundreds of jobs for Bahamians across its construction and long-term operation.

The 17-acre beach club will be made up of 13 acres of land owned by the cruise line and four acres of Crown Land. The Crown Land will be contributed as the Government's equity in the new venture to ensure a share of the profits return to the Public Treasury.