The discussion was tense on Wednesday because the proposed NCL tourism port is such a big deal for all involved. But perhaps the situation has been exacerbated by a perception that the project is already a done deal…that the consultations are just for show and the project has already been given a green light by the Department of the Environment and the Government of Belize. Unfair assumption or not, it’s not one that is going to go away.
Placencia Resident
“What guarantee can we say that this environmental thing is not a rubber stamp so that you can get your stuff done, expedited. Things in Belize take a very long time for it to get done, but this particular thing seem to be zooming faster than a Ferrari. My advice is the EIA, proper consultation is required. This is not a rubber stamp meeting. Please don’t think we are going to take this and say yes you have done your homework and this is rightly consulted. Your Ts are not drawn across and your Is are not dotted. You need to do your homework good. Please don’t consider this a rubber stamp meeting and let the record reflect that the majority of people here do not accept your project.”
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, Community Activist
“I was at the EIA hearing in Toledo and what was said is that you put your suggestions in the box, you give your feedback and you will take it into consideration and get back to the people. I know many people including myself who have put in suggestions there and once you walk out of this room, no one hears back from you. Come on you have to stop take us for granted. It is the fact.”
Herbert Haylock
Herbert Haylock, President, B.T.I.A.
“I would hope that is not evidently the road that we do take. I think we have come where we should be at a position in terms of development in this country where we are putting things through the proper process; that we are not side-stepping any particular protocol or objective in terms of ensuring that a project has the level of benefit that it will bring and we do the proper assessment to determine that the cost doesn’t override the benefits that may be purported in the project, or may be presented in the project.”
Hugh Darley
Hugh Darley, Art Director, NCL
“We don’t really see this as a green light. We still think there is a lot of hurdles and the challenges in these projects are always very deep. So our job is really to stay due diligent and make sure that we get the project built that should benefit the community.”
The National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC) will meet on January twenty-ninth; that body will determine whether the project proceeds. But in any case, it is well-known that NCL has the backing of the government.
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