As the Govt enforces safety rules: Squatters ordered out of Ogle Airport flight zone, Joe Vieira Park

The Government has begun enforcing removal notices against squatters occupying land within the Ogle flight zone, East Coast Demerara, warning that the area is a protected reserve and critical to aviation safety.
Housing Minister Collin Croal, during an episode of the Guyana Dialogue on Thursday, said officials have engaged and started relocating persons from the dam between the Ogle Airstrip and the Cummins Lodge Housing Scheme.
He emphasised that the Administration will not recognise new squatting and has made it clear that illegal occupation in sensitive zones will not be allowed to continue.
Croal said a small group of squatters, initially estimated at about eight to nine persons, were identified occupying land within the Ogle flight zone, specifically along a dam reserve near existing housing developments. He explained that the location is not suitable for alternative road routing or settlement because the dam serves as an important access reserve and falls within a protected aviation area.
He noted that the land lies between the airstrip and the Cummins Lodge Housing Scheme, where development is already restricted. According to the minister, aviation authorities have advised that no additional houses can be constructed in that corridor due to flight path safety requirements associated with operations at the Ogle Airstrip.

“Those persons, we have told them they must move. We’ve engaged them and served contravention notices. These areas are important as a reserve, and access is critical. Secondly, it’s a flying zone. For example, it’s very close to our Cummings Lodge housing scheme, where we build houses. We can’t build on a portion of land between the Ogle Airstrip and Cummins Lodge because the Civil Aviation Authority has said we cannot construct any further as it would affect the flight path.”
While many may assume that all squatters are vulnerable and unable to make ends meet, the minister said this is not always the case. He highlighted that one person in the area earns a significant income, showing that not all occupants are in need.
“Today, one of the persons addressed from that area is earning an income of $600,000. So the impression that they’re all completely vulnerable and without means is not accurate. We have engaged and are continuing to engage them. The relocation process has already begun, but if you do not approach it aggressively, those persons will continue to occupy, and you’ll see little movement,” he said.

Squatting remains illegal
Croal emphasised that the Government is not seeking to put anyone on the road but stressed that squatting remains illegal and will not be tolerated. He said authorities are actively monitoring for new encroachments and have mapped known squatting locations. Once new structures are detected or reported, enforcement teams have been authorised to move in and demolish them immediately.
At the same time, he maintained that the administration’s housing record over the past six years has been significant, pointing to the large number of housing units and lots delivered, and said the scale of development should be acknowledged regardless of political perspective.

Joe Vieira Park
In another case, the minister explained that a portion of land near Joe Vieira Park along the Demerara River, not far from the old Demerara Bridge, had individuals allegedly squatting. He said they were notified that they could not occupy the land.
“In fact, a release should have been issued sometime last year, and the NDC would have informed those persons that they need to relocate. They were required to come into the Housing Ministry, make their applications, and indicate that they are interested in moving forward because they knew they had been occupying illegally,” he said.
He added that community urban staff sometimes face resistance when visiting these areas. “When initial engagement does not yield results, notices must be formally issued. These persons were informed last week that they must relocate within a specific time period,” the minister said.
The action undertaken at Joe Vieira Park is a lawful enforcement measure executed pursuant to CH&PA’s statutory authority to administer, regulate, and protect state lands. The continued unauthorised occupation of these lands constitutes a clear breach of the laws governing public property and poses direct risks to environmental protection, land-use planning, and the orderly execution of national development initiatives. The Government will not permit the unlawful seizure or occupation of lands designated for public, environmental, or strategic national purposes.

Removal notices
Removal notices were issued on November 4, 2025, by the Malgre Tout/Meer-Zorgen NDC, formally advising occupants that their presence is unauthorised and that enforcement action would follow in the absence of voluntary compliance. The Authority’s subsequent intervention was therefore grounded in due process and consistent with established legal procedures.
Following engagement on January 13, 2026, thirteen (13) households were identified. To date, seven households have been allocated residential house lots through the ministry’s prescribed allocation system, with the remaining allocations actively progressing under a structured relocation framework.

“Today, one of the persons addressed from that area is earning an income of $600,000. So the impression that they’re all completely vulnerable and without means is not accurate. We have engaged and are continuing to engage them. The relocation process has already begun, but if you do not approach it aggressively, those persons will continue to occupy, and you’ll see little movement,” – Collin Croal