« Maldives: Atolls of Enchantment | Home | Saturday Island Movie: LOTF »
Seychelles to get Billion Dollar Golf Resort
By Islomaniac | June 30, 2007
A South African property company is planning to build a 1.3-billion-dollar golf complex in the Seychelles. Building of the resort will require the reclamation of 60 hectares of land to enlarge the island. Upon completion the island will house 144 luxury villas, 90 condominiums, a casino, a five-star hotel and a waterfront marina. Construction is set to begin in 2008 and will last approximately 4 years. I am not sure how I feel about these massive industrialized projects in small island nations. I guess I am most concerned about the cultural and environmental impact of such a massive undertaking. If you would like to read more about the project click here:
Bird Island Seychelles
Share This Subscribe to This Blog
Topics: Islands in the News |
Site Feed (RSS)
July 4th, 2007 at 4:06 am
I know how I feel about it, and it’s not pretty. First, I have to take issue with the term, reclamation … how is digging up what has always been sea bed — complete with corals and other complex ecosystems — reclaiming anything. There’s no ‘re’ to it.
Also, this will be our second huge project like this. Eden Island, the first, is also South African. How a country with a population of only 85,000 is supposed to absorb hundreds of new people without losing itself in the process is beyond me.
It’s a crying shame.
July 4th, 2007 at 4:10 am
Thank-you for your comment Sandra, its amazing that projects like this get approved. How do other locals feel about this?
July 4th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Money talks in whatever country you’re in, sadly!!!
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
This investment comes with plenty of hidden baggage the Seychelles Government cannot even start to comprehend; why? they lack the necessary professional manpower within the government to carefully coordinate and direct such development. Asking tough questions to those developers, guiding them and making sure local building and zoning codes are respected. This is how it’s all played out.
Benefits:
1) Income – the root of all evil $$$$$
2) Employment
Downfall:
1) Seychelles has recently been experiencing
water shortage
2) Major environmental destruction
A) Sand Shifting
B) Coral Reef / Fish Habitat Destruction
3) Isolate Seychellois People
4) Culture shock
5) System overload (water, electricity, sewage)
6) No sustainability design proposed
7) Real Estate cost – Increase (not good for locals)
As much as this project disturbs me, what is Seychelles to do during an economic crisis but to seek alternative investment means? In economical terms “Opportunity Cost” or economic cost, is the cost of something in terms of an opportunity forgone or the most valuable forgone alternative.
Does Seychelles seat by while other countries develop into major economical power houses or do they try to catch with the rest of the world. Investment brings several economical benefits as well as social and environmental nightmares.
To develop or not to, that is the billion dollar question.
As a Seychellois Architect specializing in sustainable design I say the project should move along but with precautions that the right style and type of architecture be integrated within the natural environments, i.e. all natural forces and elements studied in depth so that the development complements rather than contradicts. Taking a step back and improving exists systems within its context is probably the best way to start off
Interesting subject if you understand “my personal philosophy” pertaining sustainable design development in small island state.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
It is all for pure greed I have had ocean front property stolen from me by Bernard Georges one of the countries oldest practicing lawyers. This man is a criminal who has no regard for the law, he stole our ocean front land kept the money and falsified the sale for a friend. Even cancelling the sale did not stop this legal criminal that was 10 years ago he has personnally broken the law 3X all against us. Basically I had 2.8 million in realestate ocean front @ Machabee stolen by Bernard. Yet he gets a German off who was growing pot on his veranda with a dozen plants down to only a single plant as if by magic. Everything is for sale and the rule of law is a joke. They are as democratic as both China and Russia and posture the same. If you invest there you have no rights I learned that the hard way with my life savings that was stolen as if it was never ours. Many in power and even some lawyers are on the take but without democracy and accountability they remain a mess and you have no rights. They can’t even repair their water pipes and are the most endebted nation on earth per a UN observation. It is a beautifull place with great people but that beauty is being dredged and buried so a few can benefit. A total shame I pray for the good people and their suffering but see no change. Jimmy was their best shot but the SPPF could not let a democrcacy take root and
have stolen it forever.