By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Senator Maxine Seymour is calling for transparency from the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority after it exceeded its 2024/2025 budget by $7m despite reports of deteriorating public parks across New Providence.

The Tribune visited several recreational sites, including Flamingo Gardens Park, Goodman’s Bay, McKinney Park, Saunders Beach Park, Silver Gates Community Park, and Southern Heights Park yesterday. In some cases, the conditions were dire. In others, the parks appeared fine.

At Flamingo Gardens Park, playground equipment was visibly dilapidated. A slide had collapsed, leaving only the tunnel entrance behind; a gaping hole posed a serious safety hazard. Swings hung loosely from rusted steel frames, while children played amid broken structures.

Benches were in disrepair, with chipped wood, protruding nails, and in some cases, entire seating areas missing. Trash, including plastic bottles and food containers, was strewn across the grounds.

The sports facilities were equally degraded. Cracked pavement made the tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts hazardous to use. Fencing around the tennis court was rusting and deteriorating.

Ten-year-old children were seen turning away from swings with missing or broken seats. One young girl told The Tribune she had hoped to play but found the swing unusable.

Rashad Amahad, a tennis coach who frequently uses the Flamingo Gardens court, called the park a “safety hazard”.

“The cracks in the pavement can cause injury,” he said. He also cited scattered pieces of heavy iron and said the country should do better, especially considering the millions allocated for parks and beaches. “The overall infrastructure could be significantly improved,” he added.

Mr Amahad further noted that the lights at Tom “The Bird” Grant Park in Yellow Elder have been out for more than three years. He said he had previously raised concerns about nighttime safety with the authority but received no response.

The authority was allocated $24m for the 2024/2025 fiscal year but spent $31m between July 2024 and March 2025. For the new fiscal year starting July 1, the government has increased its allocation to $29m.

Despite the significant overspend, executive chairman of the Authority McKell Bonaby has yet to publicly address the issue. The Tribune made several attempts to contact Mr Bonaby for comment, but he could not be reached.

The Nassau Guardian also reported on deteriorating park conditions this week, citing South Beach Park on Bougainvillea Boulevard as having shattered tiles, broken urinals, and unusable restrooms.

At Goodman’s Bay Park, The Tribune observed stained swings, torn baby seats, and exposed nails.

Senator Seymour emphasised the public’s right to safe, clean communal spaces, whether for exercise, children’s recreation, or relaxation.

She said she has encountered unhygienic restrooms and crumbling equipment in public parks.

“He’s the director of Public Beaches and Parks, and he needs to be the one to clarify for the public where the excess $7m went,” she said.

“If it’s on a justifiable expense, then that’s fine, let us know. But it’s our money that was spent. As far as I can see, I don’t know where it was invested, because the beaches of our island and the parks on our island do not reflect that an excess of $7m was spent.”