THE HAGUE--The stabilisation of the cliff and the erosion near the airport in St. Eustatius are a high priority in the reconstruction phase. A total of ten million euros from the joint Reconstruction Fund for St. Eustatius and Saba will go towards the stabilisation of Statia’s cliff at Fort Oranje.
Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops stated this in a letter he sent to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Thursday in which he addressed developments in the reconstruction of the Windward Islands.
The Dutch Government decided on November 10 to reserve an amount of 67 million euros for the reconstruction of St. Eustatius and Saba after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This amount is separate from the 550 million euros that have been reserved for St. Maarten’s Reconstruction Fund.
For St. Eustatius, the stabilisation of the cliff at Fort Oranje and the erosion at the rear of the runway are a high priority. Erosion has caused the cliff to become unstable, while the recent hurricanes have worsened the situation.
“Geo-technical research has shown that stabilisation measures are necessary in the short term to secure the safety of people, buildings and infrastructure,” stated Knops, adding that the cliff was also of importance due to Fort Oranje’s cultural-historical value. The Statia Government has already issued an emergency decree to guarantee the people’s safety.
The total cost of the cliff stabilisation project will amount to 15 million euros, of which 10 million euros will be covered by the Reconstruction Fund for St. Eustatius and Saba. The remaining five million euros will be paid for by the Ministries of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science OCW and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management I&W.
The erosion at the back of F.D. Roosevelt Airport became much worse as a result of the hurricanes. This issue will be addressed by the Ministry of I&W in 2018. In Saba, the repairs to the Fort Bay harbour have priority. The Ministry of I&W is assisting with this project.
The Governments of St. Eustatius and Saba have each been allotted two million euros to help cover the cost of reconstruction involving projects that fall under the local government, such as repairs to public facilities, government buildings and private homes.
The allocation of the two million euros for Saba will be channelled through the regular budgetary process.
Another system has been put in place for St. Eustatius due to the political, administrative and financial situation. The Acting Island Governor will submit the project proposals to the Ministry of BZK, which will then assess them.
