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More public/private partnerships needed for green spaces - Hon Penn

- calls for upgrades & maintenance to existing recreational facilities
Leader of the Opposition Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8), says with the Government's new Green strategy plan as part of its 2020 budget, more Public/Private partnerships will be needed to get the mandate going for the creation of green spaces in the territory. Photo: HoA/Youtube
Noting that the budget was lacking funding for recreational parks across the territory, Hon Marlon A. Penn called for more green spaces in the Virgin Islands (VI) specifically for people to play in with their children and for existing facilities to be repaired following the Hurricanes of 2007. Photo: GIS/File
Noting that the budget was lacking funding for recreational parks across the territory, Hon Marlon A. Penn called for more green spaces in the Virgin Islands (VI) specifically for people to play in with their children and for existing facilities to be repaired following the Hurricanes of 2007. Photo: GIS/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Marlon A. Penn (R8) says with the Government's new Green Strategy plan as part of its 2020 budget, more Public/Private partnerships will be needed to get the mandate going for the creation of green spaces in the territory.

Hon Penn was at the time speaking at the December 13, 2019, budget debates of the Second Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) when highlighting a number of strategies currently being implemented and existing facilities in need of repairs.   

'I'm being accosted daily now about green spaces, everybody is impressed with the work being done at the waterfront... as you pass Baughers Bay going towards town, everybody is excited to see what is going to materialise there," Hon Penn told the House. 

He said the whole idea of green spaces is something that is needed in the territory, urging Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) to develop more initiatives including fixing damaged facilities. 

More Green spaces needed - Hon Penn 

Noting that the budget was lacking funding for recreational parks across the territory, Hon Penn reiterated his call for more green spaces in the Virgin Islands (VI) specifically for people to play in with their children and for existing facilities to be repaired following the Hurricanes of 2007.

This he said, will "ensure that the people of the community have a good and safe place to play with their children and kids and there need to be some upgrades to the playground equipment as well." 

According to Hon Penn, "That's something that I think we need to partner on, something that I think we need to move forward with, to ensure that it maximises the best possible benefits to the people of our community."

14 Responses to “More public/private partnerships needed for green spaces - Hon Penn”

  • watcher (28/12/2019, 10:16) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where were his plans for the past 8 years...boy go sit down
  • lol (28/12/2019, 10:33) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    The BVI is already green space---The bushes pulling you out of the buses and the government only do bush cutting easter, aug and xmas
  • school children (28/12/2019, 10:56) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    The only opposition member I got ears for is Fraser... The rest could go sittdown.
    • @ School Children (28/12/2019, 12:23) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
      I agree in fact the rest of the 4 have no credibility for how they destroyed the bvi with NDP
    • I will say (28/12/2019, 12:52) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Fraser and Vanterpool is the two most experienced opposition’s.
      • @ I will say (28/12/2019, 13:31) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        You point is what? Marlon not giving up his opposition leader’s post tho
        • I will say again (28/12/2019, 16:24) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
          And who is asking him to give up his post? Marlon have to step up his game. He have to find a way to step away from the NDP stigma.
  • Upkeep (28/12/2019, 14:20) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    There are enough recreational grounds. Hon. Penn, what you wanted to say is, let's get those fixed. Wasting money in building a new kne, when you can fix what you already have. Please think about other things that are on a territorial scale and not petty stuff. In times like these I miss the bald head rasta
    • Quiet Rebel (28/12/2019, 18:03) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      @Upkeep, concur. The territory must repair, rehab, maintain, reconstruct....etc the facilities it already owned before it runoff and build new ones. Take care of the infill. The world over governments cannot properly maintain the facilities currently in their inventory yet for political reasons they want to build new ones. In short order, the new ones fall in the same deteriorated condition as the old ones. No worry for politicians though, for they got the political mileage from the new construction. Politicians normally don’t get news headlines/ photo op for good maintenance; they do for new construction. Moreover, fix the E. Walwyn Brewley Softball Park, the premier softball field in the territory. By the time it gets fix, if ever, softballers would have lost interest in the sport, people would have lost their skill levels, and the last rights would have been read. Does the government no longer have interest in softball? Sad, embarrassing, sorry and disappointing. Do we need to talk agriculture, a dead horse, a central library......etc? Dat MECSYAF is too large to be effective; another unconventional nonsense that will equate to one-term. With a $1B GDP and $414M budget, we can do more better.
  • E. Leonard (28/12/2019, 15:16) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Many of us fling the term “green” around as the hottest buzz word. But what exactly does ‘green’ mean? To me, green may apply to environmental preservation and protection, and economic resiliency and sustainability. However, so that everyone is reading from the same music sheet and singing from the same hymnal, a public education and outreach programme is needed. Further, so that BVI does not end up a concrete jungle green spaces are needed as buffers between areas; grass, trees, shrubs.......etc are set aside for recreation purposes, ie, parks, gardens....etc and to present a more aesthetically pleasing environment. No doubt going ‘green’ can reduce the carbon footprint, lower cost, protect health, boost the economy, and protect and preserve resources for the next generation of Virgin Islanders.

    Undoubtedly, Public Private Venture (PPV) or Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a source for the public sector to fund and meet projects/needs. However, it must be a Win-Win for both parties——public and private. For example, a sample PPP project could be the improvement of both the air and land sides of TBLIA. For funding the TBLIA upgrades, the private entity may get to operate the airport (collecting most of the revenues) for 20-25 years; the territory will get an upgraded airport. Clearly, there will be an opportunity cost. In regards to Hon Malone’s proposal for a PPP for green spaces, a Win-Win agreement still has to be developed, discussed and decided. Will the private sector be permitted to improve national parks and operate them for a number of years, ie, The Baths on VG? Ok. The Baths was just thrown out as an example for discussion.
  • 4 more years (28/12/2019, 21:11) Like (2) Dislike (4) Reply
    Green for me is the green and white team vip all the way
  • Santo (29/12/2019, 07:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    When is the big wedding?
  • We got this (30/12/2019, 21:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    For those of you who think agriculture is dead, local farmers got news for you. Take a look around and see. Even in the face of total neglect after the hurricanes local farming has rebounded. It is evident that the powers that be are beginning to realize that financial services is the real dead horse and that we need to go back to our culture. What is the government planning for real agriculture....I'm talking about food the staff of life not medical marijuana. Why you guys never give someone with a vision for reality an opportunity to make a real contribution to the well fare and well being of this country and people. Do you realize where we are... with all the boasting and bragging those with eyes to see know that we are probably the worst off country on the planet when you get right down to it. All we do is talk a good game but in reality there is nothing there. Time for our elected representatives to come down to earth and face the seriously critical issues that we must deal with. This is no time for pie in the sky fantasy and freaking out. Please take a serious look at our situation and realize that agriculture has
    always been and will always be the foundation and bedrock of our existence.


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