🌳 Proposed changes to National Conservation Council could undermine environmental protections

The Cayman Islands government is reportedly considering changes to the National Conservation Council (NCC) which could significantly weaken environmental protections. The government has been discussing potential amendments to the National Conservation Act (NCA) in closed-door meetings, which may have included some of the country's largest developers. The proposed changes could alter the composition of the NCC, reducing the influence of scientific and technical experts and increasing the power of political appointees. This could pave the way for development projects to be approved with little regard for their environmental impact. 🏗️

Currently, the NCC consists of 13 voting members, including the director of the environment, the deputy director of research in the Department of Environment, the director of agriculture, the director of planning and a person nominated by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. At least four of the other eight council members must have relevant scientific or technical expertise. The proposed changes could remove the voting rights of these civil servants and dilute the voting power of those with scientific or technical knowledge. This could turn the NCC into a rubber-stamping body, approving development projects without proper environmental impact assessments. 🌴

Since the NCA became fully effective in 2016, the NCC has only rejected nine out of over 11,000 planning applications. Critics argue that the proposed changes to the NCC are unnecessary and could be driven by an agenda to develop in a way that is against the spirit of the NCA. They are urging concerned citizens to contact their elected representatives to voice their opposition to the proposed changes. 📣