Happy birthday/anniversary to the Hawksbill Creek Agreement
Yesterday the Hawksbill Creek Agreement was signed 60 years ago in Freeport Grand Bahama and is found in Chapters 261-265 & 30 of Statute Laws of The Bahamas.
How is this being celebrated? I guess its not much of a mile stone because there seems to be no big hoopla. I'm told that the Grand Bahama Port Authority which came from the HCA is celebrating with cake and champagne for customers/clients who come in.
But 60 years ago the agreement began with the words was, "An act to authorize the entering into of an agreement with a company to be incorporated in the Colony by Wallace Groves for the dredging of a deep water harbour and the establishment of an industrial area at an in the vicinity of Hawksbill Creek, Grand Bahama.
It was signed by His Excellency The Right Honourable The Earl of Ranfurly Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over The Bahama Island, and the Grand Bahama Port Authority, a company incorporated under the laws of The Bahama Islands.
At that time the Government promised to grant conditional purchase leases to the Port Authority for Fifty thousand acres of Crown land surrounding and in the vicinity of Hawksbill Creek as well as a conditional purchase lease of the bed of the sea underlying Hawksbill Creek; the Port agreed to purchase eighty acres of land from private owners in the vicinity of the Hawksbill Creek; the Port may purchase from private owners approximately a further fourteen hundred and twenty acres of land in the vicinity of the Hawksbill Creek; noting that the Port has made certain proposals to the Government for the dredging and construction of a deep water harbour and a turning basin at Hawksbill Creek with a view to encouraging the establishment of factories and other industrial undertakings within the Port Area; and the Government being satisfied with all these proposals, that they would be of great economic benefit to the Colony in providing for and encouraging the economic and practicable development and exploitation of the Colony's raw material resources have agreed in consideration of the covenants on the part of the Port Authority hereinafter contained to grant the concessions and to enter into this Agreement hereinafter.
The Port covenant to within three years to dredge a channel, to construct a wharf, maintain the structures and keep the channel and basin clear and free from obstruction and assume full responsibility for the provision of such navigational aids and markers as in the opinion of the Port Authority shall be requisite for the proper operation of the deep water harbour as a private portand as will comply with accepted international practice.
There are many other things the Port agreed to in this document including a lack of taxation for those living in and working in the Port Area for a certain number of years.
As was necessary there have been some changes to this document over the years. In 1960 we saw the first amendment which noting the completion of the dredging of the harbour and maintenance as was agreed and agreed that it would now build a first-class deluxe resort accommodating not less than 200 bedrooms with all reasonable amenities in the Port area.
Further the Port was asked "provide or procure the provision of primary instruction and school accommodations free of charge for all children living in the Port Area between the ages of six years and fourteen years and upwards of standards equal to those from time to time provided by the Board of Education of the Colony in the Out Islands of the Colony or such higher standard as in accordance with circumstances from time to time the Board of Education of the Colony with the approval of the Governor in Council may reasonably require and from time to time add to and extend the same so as to serve adequately all children of school age living within the Port Area and during the continuance of this Agreement operate and maintain such school rooms and educational facilities as to a standard at least equal to that provided from time to time by the said Board of Education in the Out Islands or to such higher standard as in accordance with circumstances from time to time the Board of Education of the Colony with the approval of the Governor in Council may reasonably require."
Also that this time it required medical services for the Officers and Members of the Bahamas Police Force stationed within the Port Area.
More tomorrow.
How is this being celebrated? I guess its not much of a mile stone because there seems to be no big hoopla. I'm told that the Grand Bahama Port Authority which came from the HCA is celebrating with cake and champagne for customers/clients who come in.
But 60 years ago the agreement began with the words was, "An act to authorize the entering into of an agreement with a company to be incorporated in the Colony by Wallace Groves for the dredging of a deep water harbour and the establishment of an industrial area at an in the vicinity of Hawksbill Creek, Grand Bahama.
It was signed by His Excellency The Right Honourable The Earl of Ranfurly Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over The Bahama Island, and the Grand Bahama Port Authority, a company incorporated under the laws of The Bahama Islands.
At that time the Government promised to grant conditional purchase leases to the Port Authority for Fifty thousand acres of Crown land surrounding and in the vicinity of Hawksbill Creek as well as a conditional purchase lease of the bed of the sea underlying Hawksbill Creek; the Port agreed to purchase eighty acres of land from private owners in the vicinity of the Hawksbill Creek; the Port may purchase from private owners approximately a further fourteen hundred and twenty acres of land in the vicinity of the Hawksbill Creek; noting that the Port has made certain proposals to the Government for the dredging and construction of a deep water harbour and a turning basin at Hawksbill Creek with a view to encouraging the establishment of factories and other industrial undertakings within the Port Area; and the Government being satisfied with all these proposals, that they would be of great economic benefit to the Colony in providing for and encouraging the economic and practicable development and exploitation of the Colony's raw material resources have agreed in consideration of the covenants on the part of the Port Authority hereinafter contained to grant the concessions and to enter into this Agreement hereinafter.
The Port covenant to within three years to dredge a channel, to construct a wharf, maintain the structures and keep the channel and basin clear and free from obstruction and assume full responsibility for the provision of such navigational aids and markers as in the opinion of the Port Authority shall be requisite for the proper operation of the deep water harbour as a private portand as will comply with accepted international practice.
There are many other things the Port agreed to in this document including a lack of taxation for those living in and working in the Port Area for a certain number of years.
As was necessary there have been some changes to this document over the years. In 1960 we saw the first amendment which noting the completion of the dredging of the harbour and maintenance as was agreed and agreed that it would now build a first-class deluxe resort accommodating not less than 200 bedrooms with all reasonable amenities in the Port area.
Further the Port was asked "provide or procure the provision of primary instruction and school accommodations free of charge for all children living in the Port Area between the ages of six years and fourteen years and upwards of standards equal to those from time to time provided by the Board of Education of the Colony in the Out Islands of the Colony or such higher standard as in accordance with circumstances from time to time the Board of Education of the Colony with the approval of the Governor in Council may reasonably require and from time to time add to and extend the same so as to serve adequately all children of school age living within the Port Area and during the continuance of this Agreement operate and maintain such school rooms and educational facilities as to a standard at least equal to that provided from time to time by the said Board of Education in the Out Islands or to such higher standard as in accordance with circumstances from time to time the Board of Education of the Colony with the approval of the Governor in Council may reasonably require."
Also that this time it required medical services for the Officers and Members of the Bahamas Police Force stationed within the Port Area.
More tomorrow.
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