HOUSES BEFORE PLANTS AT ST. AUGUSTINE NURSERIES

ST. Augustine Nurseries, one of the region’s largest and most diverse sources of planting material, is to lose a large acreage to public housing – and former critics have become muffled. 

The Ministry of Housing has resumed the project of converting part of the 20 hectares of fertile farm lands into North Grove Housing Development. 

The project was halted in 2018, after heated criticisms from the Agricultural Society, opposition politicians, nearby residents, other stakeholders, and an online petition. 

But now there is active construction works, with little dissent from the previous opponents. 

St. Augustine Member of Parliament Khadijah Ameen has remained largely muted on the project, which would convert lands with citrus orchards, shrubs, ornamental plants, herbs and spices, fruit trees and germplasm.  

The nurseries provide a wide variety of plant stock to the farming community, and, over the years, millions of dollars have been spent on upgrades and on expanding the genetic variety. 

This s one of four similar “stations” operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, which has termed the resource “prime agricultural land.” 

The housing development is expected to accommodate more than 100 families. 

Current residents of the community have said the addition of more houses would add to traffic bottleneck and to congestion in accessing goods and services, including school places. 

Environmentalist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh is one of a few current critics of the housing project on the arable agricultural lands. 

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) received Cabinet approval in 2017 for construction of the housing units. 

In 2018, the HDC hosted a mandatory public consultation on the project on “Fantastic Friday,” on the eve of the Carnival celebrations. 

Critics claimed the time was chosen while the public’s attention was diverted to the national street festival.