Minister Burch & Audubon Society On Proposal
Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch and the Bermuda Audubon Society both released statements regarding the communication surrounding the proposal for a motocross event at Coney Island.
Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch Statement
Minister Burch said, “In accordance with Section 10[1] of the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986, the National Parks Commission was invited to consider the proposal for a motocross event at Coney Island and did so on June 19th, 2024. It should be noted that the primary function of the Commission is to ‘..advise the Minister on matters affecting the long-term conservation and management of the system’.
“The Commission made recommendations to me regarding the possible staging of the event and provided in their response three [3] reasons for not recommending approval of the event.
“Notably, the Audubon Society, who is represented on the Commission and was part of this process, indicated their view that this event should not be approved. That is a proper exercise of their voice and expression of their views on the Commission.
“However, the collegiality of such public bodies is seriously injured when one party uses their position to further their narrow aims in the public domain.
“Members of the Commission are provided with confidential information to facilitate their deliberations, and fairness and best practice dictates that public confidence in the process is not betrayed in this way.
“As Minister, I have always strongly supported our young people and their initiatives to enhance community benefits. When this proposal was first presented, I felt it deserved thorough exploration, at the very least, and I met with the proponents to seek answers to the three queries which constituted the Commission’s advice to me.
“The organiser had taken their comments to heart and had gone away and secured satisfactory answers to them. I gave conditional approval so that they could seek advice and support from other stakeholders.
“Overnight, I have further researched the matter and confirmed that having consulted the Department of Planning twice, the organisers have been informed that planning permission is not required for this event.
“While I have not yet made a final decision, I am carefully reviewing all of the recommendations provided to me before doing so, as the legislation requires.
“Additionally, considering the breach of confidentiality by the Member representing the Bermuda Audubon Society, I would expect that, at a minimum, they will apologise to the organiser for the unwarranted harm they have caused to his business venture.
“In the interim, I will be considering the authority provided to me under the Bermuda National Parks Act, 1986 – Third Schedule Section 6 with respect to the continuing appointment of the Audubon Society representative.”
Bermuda Audubon Society Statement
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Audubon Society takes offence at the Minister’s assertion that we have breached the confidentiality that is required by members of the National Parks Commission. Our representative and our organization have done no such thing. On 20 September, we were approached by a reporter for a response to information that they had received from a member of the public. The reporter was told that excavation work had started on Coney Island to build a motorcross track on the site and that this was being done at the behest of Minister Burch. This was the first we had known about this activity.
“Two members of the Audubon Society went to Coney Island to discover that the heavy machinery had been removed. We were later told by another member of the public that the work at Coney Island was for a motorcross event that had been approved by the Minister. Our written comments to the press addressed the legal requirements for approval of such an event and the negative impacts of re-establishing a motorcross racetrack on the habitat and scenic beauty of Coney Island Park, as well as the negative impact on other uses of the park. No mention was made of the deliberations of the Park Commission. We do not see any breach of confidentiality.
“Furthermore, shortly after the excavation equipment was seen at Coney Island, the Planning Department was informed. They expressed concern that unauthorized work had begun and said that they would “get right on it.”
In addition, the following statement was received from a Ministry spokesman: “The Ministry of Public Works can confirm that excavation work had commenced at the site; however, it is important to clarify that a private company was carrying out the excavation project in question, not the Government of Bermuda.
“It is understood that due to a miscommunication, the contractor was initially given permission to begin excavation work. However, it later emerged that planning approval was required for the project.
“Once this was identified, the contractor was immediately asked to cease operations. They complied and have since been instructed to approach the Department of Planning to ensure the necessary permissions are obtained before any further work is carried out.”
A spokesperson added, “This would explain the rapid removal of the heavy equipment on the day in question. It seems pretty clear that Planning Permission is required for this activity. However, it would be best to hear directly from the Department of Planning as to what permissions are required to excavate the motorcross track and hold a large motorcross event in Coney Island National Park.
“We commend Minister Burch in his desire to support our young people and their initiatives. However, these activities should be in the appropriate places at the appropriate times. As the Minister of Public Works, he oversees our National Parks System. As custodian of these public, open spaces, he has a responsibility to ensure that they are appropriately managed for the short-and long-term benefit of all of Bermuda. The National Parks Act has rules and procedures that help to ensure that this occurs and they must be followed. We need to respect, protect and preserve the limited public green spaces that we have left in Bermuda for the well-being of our community and the health of our environment.”
“… further their narrow aims in the public domain”
There it is.
“the Audubon Society” (Bermuda chapter) is named after a famous slave owner. The National Audubon Society (USA) was founded by a well-known slave owner who held white supremacist views, John James Audubon. However, after calls to make a name change, the Executive Team and Board of Directors refused to change the name because it is so well known and brings in millions of dollars annually. In a country that tears down or defaces statues and renames buildings, schools, and other things even remotely connected to slavery, is this not a double standard? Keep sending in your money.
The National Audubon Society and our Audubon Society are both for bird-chopping wind turbines, which kill billions of birds annually, including endangered species, bats, and insects each year, because wind turbines will save the earth from global warming. Go figure that logic.
Who speaks for our winged wildlife? Why does such an organization even have a say in recreational activities in Bermuda? Why is the Minister of Public Works, Lt/Col David Burch, unaware of the slave-owning and white supremacist history associated with the Audubon name? It is even on the USA’s website. This thing called the Internet provides access to a lot of information. Follow the money?
And yes, I had to work very hard to keep a straight face when I wrote this because the hypocrisy is over the top.