Home News Haags Bosch landfill site not a threat to new Govt Office Complex...
The Government is currently constructing a massive office complex on the East Bank Demerara corridor to accommodate approximately 6,000 staff members.
The complex will occupy 20.8 acres of land in the vicinity of the Haags Bosch landfill site at Eccles, EBD, and Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill has assured that the landfill would not affect the building or its intended staff.
“That entire area, as far as we are concerned at the Ministry of Public Works, has been deemed safe and adequate for the kinds of development that (are) taking place,” Edghill told the National Assembly on Thursday morning as he responded to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Annette Ferguson, who asked whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been done.
“I don’t think it has ever arisen at any time during the development of this project – or any other projects and activities that are being done – that there was some issue for a need for an EIA,” Edghill said as he explained that the activities at the Haags Bosch sanitary landfill facility are being completed within strict guidelines to guard against negative impacts to the surrounding environment.
The office complex facility was initially set to be built on a block of land measuring 1089ft by 400ft (10 acres), but this has been upgraded to 1458ft by 600ft by 874,800 sqft (20.8 acres) following the link of the East Bank Road network to the East Coast at Ogle. Minister Edghill has said that, so far, works are at an advanced stage.
“The entire site has already been cleared. Tonnes of sand have already been done for the landfilling. All of the geotechnical boreholes have already been completed. The soil sampling and everything (has) been completed. The mobilization of equipment is on-site. The contractor has also submitted his new design based on the location and layout, and that is awaiting the response of the supervisory consultant,” he explained. He added that the Government has hired a supervisory consultant this year to oversee the project.
According to the minister, this practice is being employed by the Ministry to “the best possible skills to supervise the work that is being done,” to manage the projects properly.
The total cost of the project is $15,874,143,300, and the project has been awarded to Caribbean Green Building Inc. So far, $2.6 billion has been paid out in mobilisation fees in 2022; $4 billion in 2023; and $1 billion in 2024.
The complex will feature four towers, and is intended to consolidate some of these Government agencies into one location, thereby improving the delivery of services.
