Government Members Hostile To Graeme Hall National Park
An estimated ten thousand people came to say goodbye to the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary yesterday on Monday, December 1, 2008 during the last “Free Day” before the sanctuary closes for good on December 15th. The Nation Newspaper headline again said a misleading “Hundreds” just as it misinformed last November 10th in another article that seemed designed to minimise the public support for the Graeme Hall National Park.
Opposition Leader Mia Mottley was the only politician to have attended the sanctuary yesterday. Conspicuously absent were members of the DLP Government. Not a one showed up as government members intend to develop the area for profit.
It is all over folks. The Government of Barbados will not establish a Graeme Hall National Park. The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary will close forever on December 15th.
You can expect to see residential and business development in the Graeme Hall wetlands buffer zone as declared in the official Land Use Plan passed by the David Thompson government earlier this year.
That plan showed the government’s determination to profit at the expense of the natural heritage of our country.
Here are a few photos taken on Monday…
Barbados Free Press 
The tone of this opening post and the cartoon is depressing. I do not think that all is lost yet.
The Save GHNS group in Facebook is approaching 5000 members, and various activities are still being planned.
NO DLP Politicians visited the sanctuary on either free day. BFP sees the writing on the wall and so do I.
There is talk that the government is considering expropriating the Nature Sanctuary so it can be the center piece of a condo & golf development that will be built on the wetland buffer. You watch if this doesn’t happen!
Graeme Hall Sanctuary was not created by government but in spite of government and many hurdles.
Politicians don’t like it when Barbadians come out by the thousands to express their support for precious green space and a world class eco-tourist site.
This boycott by the DLP politicians is an incredible “put down” to Barbadians and they need to know now what plans government has for the 240 acres and where The National Park fits in?
Where is Facebook in all of this political snub to the people?
Allard, you are a sickening hypocrite and Barbados is not for sale! Take your father’s dishonestly earned money and stuff it where you regularly stuff what you like so much!
Barbados is not for sale. Peter Allard, your sickening tarnishing of our country just to get what you want won’t work!
What Barbados needs is more house spots.
David Thompson knows what he is doing.
I am still hoping to get my Water Park.
Sir,
There is a sense of defeatinism and fatalism in the air over the proposed closing of the Greeme Hall Sanctuary on the 15th. of December. We should not demonstrate such an attitude. The 9/10,ooo who turned out to visit this significant heritage site recently attests to the inpact that that the ongoing campaign to develop a national park and save this resource for the nation have had.
Granted many may have visited because it was free, but that was no bad thing, it was never the less important in that possibly a significant sector of those who came may not before would of given much thought to the importance of heritage/culture and their environment. One would like to believe that post their visit they would now have begun to do so.
Many of us have been cruelly deceived that the DLP and David Thompson may have been of some significant difference from the corrupt and venal regime of the past 14years. That not one member of the present administration (as reported) could be bothered to demonstrate some solidarity with Bajan people who visited the santuary recently says much.
We have had no statement presented to the public from the government as to how this important green space could be saved and preserved for our future generations. It demonstrates the contemptuous way in which the DLP government of David Thompson is likely to treat Bajans.
The Graeme Hall Santuary/National Park can be ignored or so he thinks. It is not CLICO. He does not have to bag carry for Graeme Hall.
He doesn’t have to doff his cap and tug at his forelock, or have his addresses to Bajans in London, New York and Toronto preceded by a advertisement from CLICO functionaires flogging up market middle class homes.
But the political and commercial greed merchants and barbarians need not win, too much is at stake.
The west coast is probably lost, the south coast is being ruthlessly targeted again. So we are left with the resourses that we can deploy, we can use the power that we have by organising in any which way, target our respective members of parliament gather petitions, put forward our proposals, demonstrate.
As the late and much lamented Guyanese historian/academic /writer and fellow Caribbean son of the soil Walter Rodney reminded us, don’t mourn organise,
.
Does anyone have a Business plan for the Sanctuary.
Does it maintain itself from Admission fees?
What is it estimated to cost Government to buy it and how much will it cost to maintain it as a Tourist attraction?
Can someone on this blog give a comprehensive evaluation of the Swamp and Sanctuary as a Tourist attraction,Educational centre and Ecological heritage site?
Nuh lotta long talk.
Just facts and logic.
Hants, does anyone have a business plan for the Barbados Turf Club? The government just gave 19 million to rich race horse owners with no plan except more of the same.
That money is more than half the purchase price of Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary and we got nothing for it except more horse feed made into more manure.
Hants want “Can someone on this blog give a comprehensive evaluation of the Swamp and Sanctuary as a Tourist attraction,Educational centre and Ecological heritage site?”
There is a major study as you request here:
https://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/how-much-is-the-graeme-hall-wetland-worth-to-barbados-how-about-half-a-billion-us/
I have also made an impassioned plea, click on my link and see
@ akabozik who incorrectly states
“The government just gave 19 million to rich race horse owners”.
Not quite.
The Government forgave an outstanding debt.
They will have to pay $24 million in cash to buy the Sanctuary.
I hope the Government finds a way to make Graeme hall swamp a heritage site once and for all.
First step is to legislate that no further development should take place.
I just read Ian’s blog report.
I have a problem with a private citizen making conditions on Government.
Therefor the Government should pay him the $24 million he is asking for and thank him for his investment.
Hants, forgiving a debt and giving the money are the same thing!
Has the wool been pulled over your eyes too? Your support of the government has affected your thinking and I do not say that in an unkind way.
Hants says “I have a problem with a private citizen making conditions on Government.”
I have no problem with a private citizen making a condition that if he wants to give the sanctuary to Barbados, the country has to promise to not sell or develop on the land. I have no problem with that at all because I know that we can’t trust our politicians to do the right thing in the long run.
Also Hants, are you aware that Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary has been trying to obtain certain legal paperwork from the Government of Barbados for TWELVE YEARS?
In twelve years the civil servants can’t make the paperwork happen, and they broke the sluice gate to ruin the sanctuary.
Considering all of the above I have no problem at all with Allard not trusting our government.
When I look at some of these comments and see how some people react about Peter Allard it’s sad, what has Peter Allard Gained, owning a piece of land that for all my life just sat there holding Garbage and stink. We are a people not very good at preservation, its a laugh to think this is any different, TTH I take my Hat off to you, you certainly know how to show the true colours of the people of Barbados keep us in the THIRD WORLD RELM.
LOL
That swamp was a stinking mess until Allard spent all that money to make it into something. Then when it was made beautiful the vultures wanted it because the land around it was boosted in value immensely.
It is really very simple.
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