Video: Minister Roban & Minister Darrell
[Updated] Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban and Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Owen Darrell are holding a joint press conference this afternoon [Feb 23] to “discuss their Ministry’s budget initiatives.” You can watch the live video below and view all our coverage of the 2023 Budget here.
Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the replay is below
Update 3.50pm: Minister Darrell’s remarks:
The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport continues to be proud of its role in our community.
Since becoming Minister last year, I have been extremely heartened by the enthusiasm and dedication from the team in the Ministry who work tirelessly to ensure that our culture and heritage is preserved; that our young people are nurtured; and that our next generation of elite athletes are supported.
Our Ministry remains committed to ensuring that it continues its focus on supporting those critical programmes which contribute to the enrichment and betterment of our people.
Our Budget allocations are designed to progress the pledges that we made in the Government’s Throne Speech.
With that, I wish to provide a brief overview of some of the areas my Ministry will focus on in this upcoming fiscal year.
The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport’s budget for this year is around $13.718 million, which represents an increase of 7% over last year’s budget.
There will be an opportunity to go into depth regarding specific and detailed allocations during the Budget Debate which gets underway next week, but we wanted to share some of our programme focuses this year, which are as follows:
The Bermuda Government, through the Department of Youth Sport and Recreation values the values the importance of sport in Bermuda, as well as nurturing the development of our young people.
To this end, I am excited to announce that during this upcoming fiscal year, we will provide additional support to high performing and elite athletes to ensure that our athletes continue to dominate on the world stage.
As it relates to our National Sporting Governing Bodies [NSGBs] we will continue working with their leadership in the development of their Long-Term Athletic Development [LTAD] plans.
Our objectives in this regard are to educate those NSGB’s about the importance of a LTAD; to further educate and enhance those NSGB’s already familiar about LTAD principles; and to encourage organizations to think analytically about their sport and how it can be improved.
We have increased funding for our very popular Summer Day Camp and Afterschool Programmes. This will help in increasing the number of available spots for our young people.
The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation is also providing investment grants this year to assist young persons who wish to pursue their recreational passions in areas including art, oration, culinary arts, science, technology, engineering and math [STEM].
Turning to the Department of Culture, our signature programmes include the Bermuda Day Parade, the Gombey Festival, and National Heroes celebrations.
Today, I am pleased to use this opportunity to formally announce that this year’s Heritage Month theme is “A Bermudian Renaissance”.
We chose this theme because we recognised that Bermudians have always had to be resourceful.
Even though we hail from a small, isolated island, we have always found inventive ways to redefine who we are.
Our artists redefine what it means to be Bermudian in public art, in spoken word, in music and in dance. This Heritage Month, we look with a renewed interest at the talents and identities that continue to shape and evolve our national identity.
Department of Culture will also be creating the second part of a short film series, “Gold Bermudians”, that highlight the accomplishments of Bermudians who have “punched above our weight” on the international stage.
The first set of films [to be premiered at the end of March] feature the stories of Earl Cameron, Lance Hayward, Katura Horton-Perinchief, Michael Frith and Clarence Hill.
The Department is also providing a series of workshops under the banner of our “Culture Lab” series, empowering creatives to further hone their craft and the way they present themselves when auditioning.
And we are partnering with Ministry of Education to provide “Tradition-Bearers in the Schools”.
This programme supports a local Master Artisan who offers workshops to primary and/or middle school students on how to create and build uniquely Bermudian items, structures, and art pieces.
Currently, Mr. Milton Hill is working with groups of students at Whitney and Clearwater Middle schools to construct a traditional wooden fitted dinghy.
So far, the feedback has been very encouraging, and we are stepping up our plans to expand this signature programme.
In closing, my Ministry intends to continue to develop and celebrate our people through a variety of cultural, creative and youth focused initiatives.
We will continue to dedicate our efforts to sports development, by supporting elite athletes, our national sporting bodies, and youth organizations.
Thank you.
Update 6.01pm: Deputy Premier and Minister Roban’s remarks:
Good afternoon and thank you for coming.
Today, I am pleased to share information on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ plans and initiatives for the 2023-2024 budget year.
For the fiscal year 2023/24, the Ministry of Home Affairs has received an estimated budget allocation of $18,376,000, which is $401,000 or 2% less than the fiscal year 2022/23.
The Ministry’s budget includes the following Departments:
- Ministry Headquarters
- Registry General
- Department of Planning
- Land Valuation
- Environment and Natural Resources
- Energy
- Land Title & Registration
This year, significant attention of the Ministry of Home Affairs will focus on projects delivered through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources:
Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or DENR, is responsible for managing and regulating fisheries, marine conservation, marine heritage, terrestrial conservation and nature reserve management, pollution control, agriculture, animal and plant management and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
This year DENR will continue to focus its efforts on protecting our environment, increasing local food production and assisting the industry in reducing local production costs – which will translate into increased food security and reduced cost of living for our residents.
DENR and the Board of Agriculture have developed and will implement an integrated agriculture strategy that includes reviewing the National Crop Strategy 2016-2021, the draft Dairy Strategy and completing new livestock, poultry, honey and aquaculture components.
DENR will also update the Agriculture Act 1930 and its attending regulations, including registering farmers to help prevent the selling of crops stolen from our hard-working farmers.
We will also provide direct support to farmers via a highly experienced consultant agronomist, who, supported by a local trainee, will prioritize addressing the sector’s needs. The individual will have specialized expertise in critical issues such as soil management, pest and disease surveillance, procurement of seeds and supplies, and developing a trial variety program. DENR will also assist farmers by implementing measures to reduce “nighttime farming” of crops through better surveillance of fields and improved enforcement.
Concerning protecting our environment, traditionally, the Department engaged several local entities to undertake specialized studies, specifically the Ambient Air and Water Quality, the Amphibian Research Project, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also known as SPCA.
I am pleased to advise that funding for the Ambient Air/Water quality monitoring programme, the Amphibian programme and the SPCA have been reinstated. The SPCA grant of thirty thousand dollars [$30,000] will assist with the delivery of their programs and help the Department of Environment and Natural Resources manage the island’s dog population.
A grant of fifteen thousand dollars [$15,000] will continue the effort towards identifying persistent organic pollutants impacting our ponds and other parts of our environment. Also, to ensure DENR can meet its monitoring requirements as mandated by the Clean Air Act 1991 and Water Resources Act 1975, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] will receive a grant for two hundred and thirty thousand dollars [$230,000].
Over the next fiscal year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources focus will be on achieving these objectives. However, it is important to note other ongoing initiatives of critical importance, which include:
- Introducing legislation towards the elimination of most single-use plastics;
- Creation of the Marine Development Plan; and,
- Introducing the Energy Regulatory Sandbox and Green Energy Environmental Justice Fund.
I assure all of Bermuda that we will continue to seek opportunities that positively impact the future well-being of our country and guide us on our path to continued economic growth.
I will provide a more fulsome report of the Ministry’s budget plans during the Budget Debate in the House of Assembly.
Thank you.
