Independent Senator John Mallalieu said Government has to be conscious that it is spending public money so transparency is necessary.
Mallalieu was speaking on Wednesday in the Senate on a resolution for the compulsory acquisition of parcels of land at Trents, St James for the relocation of the Holetown Civic Centre.
“In terms of [this] compulsory acquisition . . . there has been significant transparency in the first steps of why we need this land at Trents. We know what it will be used for which will be to relocate the Holetown Civic Centre. But why this land? Being in the real estate business, and knowing Holetown and knowing some of the ownership around, I may actually agree in this particular case that was probably the closest proximity land that made sense.
“When you acquire someone’s land, we need to pay for it upfront and not when you have already started using,” the Senator stated.
He agreed that the civic
centre should be relocated and there was a better suited purpose for the land.
Mallalieu suggested that a new tourism plan was needed to capitalise on the growing numbers of visitors, especially based on last month’s arrival figures.
“We do not need any more tourists . . . We are above capacity. There are not enough tourists for the number of beaches we have. What we need to do is use the plan we have already and let us be busy six or ten months a year . . . . Imagine if we could have a January for every month of the year in terms of tourist arrivals and tourism stay?
“That could double our tourism [figures] without building one more hotel room. I believe there are ways to do that,” he told the Senate. ( NS)
