Yvonne Webb
Managing director of Labidco Port Services Deo Gosine said he is happy Government has grasped the opportunity to develop a container port and ship repair facility in La Brea. He said it will become the anchor for the development of the southwestern peninsula.
However, Gosine believes the Ministry of Trade/China Harbour proposed transhipment and dry dock project planned for the neighbouring village of Rousillac will bring devastation to the wetlands and fishing communities.
He told Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie, at the first national consultation on the South Western Peninsula (SWP) Growth Pole held at Paria Suites Hotel and Conference Centre, La Romaine, that government must hold its hand on the Rousillac project as there is need for only one port in the area.
He said the Chinese project will destroy 892 acres of sensitive mangrove/swamp wetlands which have a total area of 1,262 acres to build a port which could be built instead in the approved Labidco Industrial Estate.
Gosine said dredging the wetlands would be an environmental disaster and would destroy the livelihood of fishermen in La Brea, Vessigny and Otaheite. He warned that the quality of life of people living in communities from Oropouche Junction to La Brea will be negatively affected and remedial plans must be made.
“Phase 1 of the project has an estimated cost of US$450 million. It is estimated that when all phases of the project are completed the cost can exceed US$1 billion. This is slightly less than the cost for the new Sir Solomon Hochoy from Golconda to Point Fortin and will require 3,120,000 cubic meters of fill, similar to what the highway requires.”
He said this project will saddle citizens with a huge debt to be repaid to the Chinese Government over 20 to 40 years.
On the other hand, Gosine said: “A container port and ship repair facility in La Brea is long overdue. I have been writing and promoting this idea for many years and we are glad to see that the government of the day has grasped the opportunity to develop such a facility, which will become the anchor for the development of the SWP.”
He said the project could be built and begin operations in 24 months with international and local investors. Provision could be made for China Harbour to participate on the project, he added.
Gosine said development of Brighton International Terminal, a 125 acre multi-purpose, multi-user facility in the La Brea Industrial Estate, has been in the planning stages for quite some time.
The facility will be able to handle container/transhipment, liquid/bulk transfer, oil/gas shore base, LNG bunkering as well as rig/ship repairs. It will also provide bulk raw material such as liquid sugar, grain, chemicals and other products to develop the downstream industry for animal feed, industrial chemicals and other products for export.
He said it will also have the capacity to increase the size of the existing port facility at La Brea, making it the second largest port in T&T with 9,000 feet of quay wall, as well as driving the development of the Union Estate, Guapo and others which could spur another 3,000 acres for development, similar to what the Point Lisas Port did for Plipdeco.
He said land is readily available with no need to remove mangrove and environmentally sensitive wetlands
“This project is far too important for La Brea, the SWP, and to our country as a whole, to be left to people outside the community only,” he said.