President of the NGO Citizens for Conservation Rudylynn De Four Roberts has expressed horror at the state of Banwari Trace, site of the remains of a 7,000-year-old civilisation. Roberts said the site, which is well recognised internationally, can be used to promote local tourism, but the National Trust has failed to promote the development of the sacred site at Penal. “What was done to Banwari Trace is ridiculous,” Roberts said in an interview with the T&T Guardian.
“They built a toilet in the middle of the site. There was absolutely no proper planning. We wanted a design that was suitable for sustainable development of the site. “What happened is that some monies were allocated and they built that structure without consultation or proper planning.” She called on the Government to set up a heritage fund, one of the stipulations of the 2013/2014 budget, adding it was also time for Government to appoint a new National Trust.
“I know that they are about to appoint a new team. Names have gone to Cabinet for approval for the new council,” she said. Once a team is appointed, Roberts said the new members must immediately take steps to protect many of T&T’s heritage sites, including Banwari Trace. “The new council will have to get organised to set up themselves as a statutory body and take ownership of its powers in the act,” Roberts said.
T&T’s National Trust is one of the most powerful statutory bodies in the Caribbean, she said, but under the last council there were only two research assistants with a small office in the National Museum. For the National Trust to operate effectively, she said Government must establish a heritage fund. “The National Trust must function like a business. We can develop heritage sites and use it to generate income, which can then be used to protect and preserve other sites.”
Roberts added that if this is done, the trust will not have to go begging government for money. She also noted that preserved buildings must be continuously maintained. “What happens in the United States and Canada is that they use heritage properties to earn revenue to preserve other heritage sites.” Roberts added that once the fund is established there can be better management of T&T’s heritage sites. “We must also encourage community tourism,” she pointed out.
In the 2013/2014 budget, several fiscal initiatives were outlined, including the establishment of a heritage restoration fund to be used for the restoration of historical and heritage sites. It was proposed that the fund would function in a similar way to the Green Fund, under which a percentage of taxes are levied from newly established multinational businesses. Alternatively, a percentage of the revenues from the National Lotteries Control Board could be allocated for the establishment of the fund.
An e-mail was sent to National Diversity Minister Rodger Samuel asking an update on the National Trust and the state of the fund. However, he is yet to respond. Banwari Trace is the oldest pre-Columbian archaeological site in the West Indies dating back to 5,000 BCE.
What is Citizens for Conservation?
Citizens for Conservation was established in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens, including architects, engineers and private citizens, who began lobbying for protection of T&T’s heritage.
In 1985, following the public outcry over the intended demolition of the "George Brown House" along the Queen's Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, Citizens for Conservation was formed to provide an official voice for the protection of T&T’s natural and manmade heritage. Through open discussion they sought to sensitise the public to the importance of conservation and preservation.
Through the group’s efforts, the National Trust Act was drafted and passed by Parliament in 1991 and enacted in 1999. On its Web site, the group says its present aim is to provide support for the National Trust and other interested groups for the protection and preservation of T&T’s heritage.