We received yesterday (Wed 16) a
Government Press Release (PR) that unveiled the new and improved
plans for the controversial George Town port.

This is after our Premier, Alden
McLaughlin told the Cayman Compass (his 'happy' news outlet) we would
not get much new information until after the Referendum.

After informing us that the new plans
would be available on the preferred bidder consortium, Verdant Isle
website, I found nothing new there at all. Now all the new plans are
posted on the government’s port project website.

The consortium's President and CEO of
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Michael Bayley, said in the PR there had
been continual improvement and our premier said his government had
been listening to the people. That's nice. I thought that was one of
the reasons the government were elected.

Bayley said, “Since the announcement
of Verdant Isle as preferred bidder we have been working with the
Cayman Islands Government, and in particular the Port Authority of
the Cayman Islands, to adjust and refine our submitted plans to
better fit their specific requirements.”

So what are these improvements?

An increase of over 5% in the total
cruise facility.

A 27% increase in the cargo area.

The marine excavation volume cut by
31.3%.

The piers have been narrowed from 25
metres down to 22 metres.

There will be no dumping into the sea
of materials from the excavation for the upland reclamation.

All that sounds good and but will have
absolutely no bearing on the vociferous opposition group to the
project who are behind the Referendum.

The reefs are still going to be moved.
How successful that will be is whoever you believe, although there
would seem to be evidence that reefs do come back to life. This is
after many marine biologists predicted they wouldn't. Now there is
even studies saying 3D printing of reefs MAY save them.

Why on earth the Port Authority were
left out of the negotiations and planning, when they are very much a
player in the project, is a real mystery?

However, Acting Port Director Joseph
Wood, seemed upbeat about the new plans.

He said, “The addition of a longer
and wider pier makes it possible for the Port Authority to upgrade
its cargo handling equipment to serve larger cargo vessels more
efficiently....The new design also makes it possible to handle more
than the two ships simultaneously”.

No matter what the government does
regarding this project to improve it. the 'NO's will remain the same
and will shout even louder against it going ahead.

That is the only really true fact in
all of this Editorial.

This Editorial is new but definitely not improved.