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The decision to prioritise spending on the controversial Tortola Pier Park helped leave the Territory with the water problems residents face today, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley has charged.
Speaking recently on Virgin Islands Voice, Wheatley accused the former National Democratic Party (NDP) government of making virtually no investment in water distribution during its two terms in office between 2011 and 2019.
He said spending was instead concentrated on the hospital, then Peebles Hospital and now the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, and the controversial Pier Park development.
“In the prior administrations, the priorities were the hospital and the pier park. That's where we spent our money,” Wheatley said.
He questioned whether the Government should have spent the sums committed to Pier Park, suggesting private investment could have been pursued.
“I would say it's debatable as to whether in particular the pier park we should have spent $80, $90 million dollars doing that when perhaps maybe you could have gotten money from the private sector to be able to invest that money.”
Wheatley alleged that the project diverted funding from essential infrastructure.
“And we literally took money from our infrastructure, including our sewage to be able to do the pier park. And that was a decision, a national decision that was made. And I would say as a result of that decision, we have the results that we have today.”
Mark Vanterpool, now leader of the People’s Leadership Movement (PLM), served as Minister for Communications and Works during the NDP’s eight years in office. His ministry led the Pier Park development, which officially opened in February 2016.
The cruise pier expansion and adjoining shopping development attracted controversy over its reported $82.9 million cost, approximately $30 million above original projections, prompting scrutiny and a review by KPMG.
Vanterpool has himself criticised the handling of the water crisis. Last month, he described fixing it as “not rocket science”, questioned the reliance on the Paraquita Bay plant and called for operational plants serving individual communities. He also criticised leaders for lacking the courage to implement solutions.
Wheatley acknowledged that some work had been done to increase water production through Biwater and Seven Seas, but maintained that distribution had been neglected.
“Virtually nothing was done to invest in water distribution. And the distribution system is aged, it is old, it needs to be replaced,” he said.
The Premier said Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer inherited a difficult situation and lacked sufficient funding to address roads, water and sewerage. He also noted that the administration’s early work involved considerable attention to the Commission of Inquiry.
Wheatley said securing the $100 million loan was intended to fund infrastructure investments that had been lacking for years.
He warned that rebuilding the water system would take time and involve further disruption for residents.
“You're not going to be able to rebuild your water system overnight,” he said. “It's going to take a lot of time. And in some instances, it's going to be very painful.”
Connecting pipes and repairing reservoirs would, he explained, leave some residents without water while the work is carried out.
Speaking recently on Virgin Islands Voice, Wheatley accused the former National Democratic Party (NDP) government of making virtually no investment in water distribution during its two terms in office between 2011 and 2019.
He said spending was instead concentrated on the hospital, then Peebles Hospital and now the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, and the controversial Pier Park development.
“In the prior administrations, the priorities were the hospital and the pier park. That's where we spent our money,” Wheatley said.
He questioned whether the Government should have spent the sums committed to Pier Park, suggesting private investment could have been pursued.
“I would say it's debatable as to whether in particular the pier park we should have spent $80, $90 million dollars doing that when perhaps maybe you could have gotten money from the private sector to be able to invest that money.”
Wheatley alleged that the project diverted funding from essential infrastructure.
“And we literally took money from our infrastructure, including our sewage to be able to do the pier park. And that was a decision, a national decision that was made. And I would say as a result of that decision, we have the results that we have today.”
Mark Vanterpool, now leader of the People’s Leadership Movement (PLM), served as Minister for Communications and Works during the NDP’s eight years in office. His ministry led the Pier Park development, which officially opened in February 2016.
The cruise pier expansion and adjoining shopping development attracted controversy over its reported $82.9 million cost, approximately $30 million above original projections, prompting scrutiny and a review by KPMG.
Vanterpool has himself criticised the handling of the water crisis. Last month, he described fixing it as “not rocket science”, questioned the reliance on the Paraquita Bay plant and called for operational plants serving individual communities. He also criticised leaders for lacking the courage to implement solutions.
Wheatley acknowledged that some work had been done to increase water production through Biwater and Seven Seas, but maintained that distribution had been neglected.
“Virtually nothing was done to invest in water distribution. And the distribution system is aged, it is old, it needs to be replaced,” he said.
The Premier said Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer inherited a difficult situation and lacked sufficient funding to address roads, water and sewerage. He also noted that the administration’s early work involved considerable attention to the Commission of Inquiry.
Wheatley said securing the $100 million loan was intended to fund infrastructure investments that had been lacking for years.
He warned that rebuilding the water system would take time and involve further disruption for residents.
“You're not going to be able to rebuild your water system overnight,” he said. “It's going to take a lot of time. And in some instances, it's going to be very painful.”
Connecting pipes and repairing reservoirs would, he explained, leave some residents without water while the work is carried out.
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