Ara Macao developers are going on an all-out media campaign to promote the mega-development on the Placencia peninsula. Today they held a briefing to explain what the development is all about. While it was intended for the media, some activists from the peninsula citizens for sustainable development managed to get in and we spoke to Mary Toi, who even after an hour long presentation is still not convinced.
Mary Toi, Placencia Resident
"One primary concern is the sheer size of the development, not only the number of hotel rooms, but the development will include a 100,000 square foot casino, it will include an 18 hole golf course, it will include a large marina that we are very very concerned about in terms of down shore erosion and sand starvation because we don't believe that the environmental impact assessment adequately analyzed that potential impact and if that happens and we lose our beaches south of this development, then we will be destroying many many businesses and homes and lives of people that have taken many years to build up on the peninsula."
Alfonso Noble,
Why are you stopping other people from coming in?
Mary Toi,
"We are not going to stop them from developing this land, that's not the position. We are not opposed to just development. What we are opposed to is development that's completely inappropriate for our peninsula and that may in fact harm the peninsula because if you develop a mega-resort and all it does is replace jobs that are already here and replace the tourist attractions and the tour guides and all that with one big mega-resort, what are you getting. You are not getting any net gain. We are not trying to stop their development, we are trying to get it to be in a position where it will help us and not hurt us.
One of the things we've asked in all our correspondences with the Department of the Environment, we've had our own experts analyze the EIA and they say there is insufficient evidence in many many cases to be able to get a good idea of what environmental effects this will actually have. So we'd like to have someone do a proper EIA so we can evaluate what the effects are going to be. Maybe 500 units will be fine. Maybe they wouldn't but we don't know and the EIA is supposed
to give us that kind of information. And we are especially concerned about the marina, we need some hard evidence before any of us is going to sign on to that one because nobody wants to lose their beach."
Despite the fact that we were at the Radisson at a briefing held by Ara Macao Director Paul Goguen. He declined an interview with us today. But one man who did have a comment was Minister of the Environment John Briceno. Briceno responded to a question asked by a UDP representative and said that the Ara Macao Project has not been approved as NEAC has asked the developers to provide more information. He gave the assurance that community concerns will be taken seriously.
Hon. Johnny Briceno, Minister of the Environment
"It is a large development and we must ensure that every effort is made to address the concerns of everyone involved. During the first consultation in Seine Bight, several serious concerns were raised and I have made it clear to the technical people in my Ministry that I wish to have each of those concerns addressed adequately. Also, based on some of the issues raised by the National Environmental Appraisal Committee, NEAC, I will call for further consultations with all relevant parties.
In the case of the Placencia peninsula, we are talking about a fragile ecosystem and as such we must not only be careful but also vigilant in ensuring that any form of development that occurs in the peninsula takes fully into consideration the vulnerability of the area. We must be entirely clear in how any project in this area will impact the water source, the topography of the land, access to public areas such as the beach, waste management, and protection of marine life. Any development in Belize must be sensitive, not only to its impact on the geography and the national environment of the area, but also on how it will affect the lives of the people who live and survive in the surrounding communities."
Briceno said that he will go to the peninsula himself to hear issues raised by residents.
