Official Launch of Contract 2002 Remarks by Phenton Neymour Coalition + Labour Candidate for South Beach Wednesday April 23rd, 2002 My focus Ladies and Gentlemen, is on two major areas: The Environment, and Transportation Among the most major priorities of our Coalition+Labour party is the protection and enhancement of all of this country’s natural resources. The kind of environment that people live in plays a significant part in determining the quality of life that they will enjoy. Therefore, it is important that the environment is protected and enhanced so that present and future generations in The Bahamas will enjoy the quality of life that they deserve. In order to promote sustainable development for our children and for future generations, we will develop the policies, enact appropriate legislation, inform, educate and instruct our people and establish an environmental agency with compliance and regulatory functions. These tasks we must do in consultation with the community and relevant agencies. In this area, a Coalition+Labour Government proposes to do a number of things, like my colleague this morning, I will highlight only a few: We will: Establish an Environmental Protection Department to oversee the protection and further enhancement of the environment Establish and vigorously enforce clear rules and regulations governing the use and disposal of all potentially environmentally hazardous materials Protect our limited reserves of fresh water by implementing modern sewerage facilities throughout the country Develop Enterprise Zones to reduce the possibility of industrial and commercial activities negatively impacting residential communities Monitor, closely, the mining and harvesting of both renewable and non-renewable resources such as rock, sand, aragonite, timber to ensure that environmental damage is minimized. Commission local engineers and researchers to find suitable forms of alternative energy such as solar, wind and wave energy to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels Implement an aggressive pre-cycling and recycling programme that reduces the amount of waste produced Enact and enforce laws that ensure public access to beaches Provide increased resources for the protection of wildlife, especially the endangered species Devise sustainable programmes to eliminate the stray dog problem Institute measures to protect our fisheries and other marine resources Commission completely independent environmental impact studies to assess the effect of any development, which threatens environmental safety Provide funding to establish a research and development unit to monitor Marine life, air quality, geotechnical integrity of sub-surface/underground environs, wild life and forestry Other areas of particular relevance to our plans for the environment that you can read more of in our Contract with you the people, include a comprehensive Urban Planning initiative and the establishment of a National Emergency Response and Management Agency (NERMA). Turning to transportation, our principal goal in our transport objectives is to link the entire Bahamas, through most effective and efficient means. Transportation is a necessary service that facilitates the economic and social activities of a society. This is especially the case in a rapidly developing nation like The Bahamas with a mobile population that is scattered over many islands. To ensure that the current and future transportation needs of our society are met, a Coalition+Labour government will properly develop air, sea and land transportation. We will: For Air Transportation Ensure that all airports are properly maintained and that they meet the required national and international standards. Install Periphery Booster Radio Services equipment where absent and repair non-functioning communications equipment to enhance air safety, especially in Bimini, Eleuthera, San Salvador, Crooked Island and Inagua Further improve safety with the installation of navigational aids and runway lights in every major Family Island including Exuma Provide properly functioning safety equipment, including fire engines, and with appropriately trained staff at all airports in the Bahamas, especially those receiving commercial flights Lengthen the air strips and construct control towers at the airports in North Eleuthera and Marsh Harbour Abaco, and refurbish the unsafe airstrips in South Andros, North Eleuthera, Greta harbour cay and Rum Cay Establish domestic air policies that will encourage the development of smaller domestic airlines to regularly service national routes thereby providing opportunities for local aviators as well as reducing the role of Bahamasair in the domestic market. Establish a Hub in the Central Bahamas to cater to the air travel needs of the Central and Southern Bahamas. This will provide for more regularly scheduled flights at reduced cost (in money and time) to both the travelling public and airline operators. Equip the National Flag Carrier (Bahamasair) with the capacity to service international air travel between The Bahamas and foreign destinations to ensure that travel to and from our country meets the needs of residents and tourists and that air travel is not largely based on the policies of foreign airlines. Promote increased passenger travel (especially foreign tourists) between the islands of our country by using both a reliable domestic air service. Implement Air User Fees for foreign aircraft using Bahamian airspace. This is potentially a great source of revenue, which can be used to upgrade and maintain these facilities and preserve and ensure safety For Sea Transportation We will facilitate the establishment of Fast-ferry Services throughout The Bahamas to provide safe, reliable marine transportation, to promote trade and commerce between the islands and to facilitate daily movement of the general public, tourists, workers and students. Develop a large scale sea port of entry in the Southern Bahamas to facilitate regional trade, increase tourism and to reduce the over reliance of the Central and Southern Family Islands on New Providence. For Ground Transportation Improve the ability of pedestrians to quickly and safely travel along the streets by introducing several initiatives including the construction of pedestrian overpasses in heavy traffic areas (such as on school routes over busy streets). Pursue diligently the creation of an island–wide bus corporation for New Providence and Grand Bahama that provides affordable transportation services in a professional manner without disenfranchising present bus operators. Reinstate the duty exemption on vehicles for taxi cab owners Provide a framework against which taxi drivers and their unions could take full advantage of opportunities in the tourism industry, including the establishment of island-based co-operatives, tour company operations etc. This Ladies and Gentlemen represents only a snapshot, of what a Coalition+Labour Government can do for you.

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