Nassau, The Bahamas \u2013 Successful infrastructural improvements to Saunders Beach have proven to be a measure of matured governance, accountability, sustainability, and thorough planning.<\/p>\n
Environment Minister, Earl Deveaux, recently toured Saunders Beach restroom facilities to inspect the $230,000 investment in civic wastewater disposal facilities.\u00a0 The recreational facelift has restored public order to the popular landmark.\u00a0 Landscaping on the roundabout and beach areas was arranged by Four Seasons Landscaping.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone can see that beach erosion, particularly on the north shore is a seasonal matter, and Saunders Beach has been wonderfully restored in time for the summer,\u201d said\u00a0 Minister Deveaux.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tree landscaping you see here came with a little history.\u00a0 These seagrapes and coconut palms came to The Bahamas at a time when we had a severe hurricane and we had to replace many of our lost trees.\u00a0 These were held at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Research Centre for this very kind of activity in the future,” he said.<\/p>\n
The contract was awarded to Caribe Construction and the facilities should be ready for occupancy by the end of May 2011.\u00a0 Bruce Lafleur and Associates designed the building and has maintained the Bahamian character as well as the hurricane resistant building standards.\u00a0 It also has accommodations for handicapped persons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very, very pleased that the casuarinas have been replaced.\u00a0 We have a stronger vista to the sea, a wonderfully restored beach dune, and we have native plants that are able now to hold the sand in place and the evidence of people enjoying it is there to behold,\u201d said Dr. Deveaux.<\/p>\n
The Department of Environmental Health will hold the responsibility to staff the restroom facilities daily to maintain the cleanliness and required health standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith respect to the bathroom and landscaping, the Department of Environmental Health will place people here on a daily basis, whose direct responsibility will be to ensure that the bathrooms are kept clean and that supplies are kept in the bathroom\u201d, said Dr. Deveaux.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis particular beach is used widely by the public and tourist public.\u00a0 Now that it has a public toilet, I suspect the use will expand because at Goodman\u2019s Bay and Arawak Beach, you have a small toilet at Goodman\u2019s Bay and no toilet, other than private toilets, at Arawak Beach.\u00a0 So this one will increase with use and we plan for staff to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Landscaping will be low maintenance since the flora and fauna chosen are indigenously natural to the Bahamian environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe landscaping is essentially going to be very much self maintained because they were careful to select plants that are coastal in nature and don\u2019t require a lot of watering and feed and that could withstand the harsh weather of the sea environment,\u201d said Dr. Deveaux.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be annual trimming of the trees and daily raking to ensure that we don\u2019t have weed infestation.\u00a0 But in terms of fertility and livability of the plants, they were designed and picked to live in this environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
After admiring how the casuarina benches, designed by Artist Antonius Roberts, fit into the new environment, Minister Deveaux commented on why the decision to remove the casuarinas was the best decision to save the Bahamian environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cCasuarina trees are very invasive.\u00a0 They destroy beach dunes.\u00a0 They live forever and they are a pest in terms of reproduction,\u201d said Dr. Deveaux.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bench was our way of satisfying the emotional issue by making a good use of the casuarina, so people could continue to enjoy them.\u00a0 We hope to have something here, so you can have somewhere to barbeque.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Gena Gibbs
\nBAHAMAS INFORMATION SERVICES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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