By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government will soon resume demolishing unregulated structures in New Providence as part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on illegal settlements, Works and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting said Wednesday.

Two sites on the island, both previously issued 30-day demolition notices, will be targeted first.

“The first community would be one that we already demolished, and they had, I think, around four structures constructed there, so we’re going back there to deal with those, and then we’ll go to the next site,” Mr Sweeting said.

He added that the government’s task force recently conducted assessments on Eleuthera, visiting communities such as Tarpum Bay, Palmetto Point, Blackwood, and Russell Island, issuing notices as needed.

“The team should be in Andros next week to assess the shanty town there,” he said.

Mr Sweeting reiterated the government’s no-tolerance policy toward unregulated developments.

“From when we started dealing with the unregulated communities, every time I spoke, whether it was in the House of Assembly or on the news, I provided those residents with a notice that we were serious about dealing with unregulated communities, with a no-nonsense approach,” he said.

He also responded to criticism over the 30-day notice period, emphasising that his frequent public remarks on the issue serve as ongoing advance warnings to residents.

“This is a first administration that has actively dealt with shanty town communities. So, it’s not if, it’s when so you know you gotta be prepared. So, when persons say, when we give them the notice, 30 days isn’t enough, this is the notice,” he said.

“Every time I speak, this is your notice. Try to get a proper community, a regulated community, part of society within the Bahamas, and that is how communities in our cultures and our countries grow.”

The demolition of shanty towns has been a contentious issue. Successive governments have cited health concerns, illegal land use, and building code violations to justify the removals, yet critics argue the approach lacks compassion and fails to address housing shortages.

Since ramping up efforts in November 2023, the Davis administration has reported the demolition of nearly 500 unregulated structures across several islands.

In New Providence, communities such as Kool Acres, All Saints Way, and parts of Coral Harbour have been cleared. In Abaco, officials identified more than 500 illegal structures — over 150 of which have been removed, with roughly 240 remaining in one settlement. On Eleuthera, 184 out of 216 structures have been cleared, leaving 27 on Russell Island.