St Vincent government officials have informed residents of North Leeward that a proposed project to extract volcanic material from the Richmond River area could transform the constituency’s economy.
During a recent “North Leeward Matters” community consultation held at the Golden Grove Learning Resource Center, officials described the deposits as a “gold mine” of opportunity that could generate millions of dollars for the state.
The project involves the extraction of an estimated 4.2 million cubic meters of material within a three-kilometer range.
According to the CEO of Braggsa extracting and selling just 75% of this material at regional market rates could yield over EC $73 million.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Nigel Stevenson, provided a “solemn pledge” that the revenue derived from these sales would be used to improve North Leeward’s infrastructure, which he noted has seen limited development over the last 25 years.
Beyond direct revenue, the project is expected to create immediate employment opportunities and facilitate much-needed infrastructure upgrades, including the construction of bus stops in Peter’s Hope and Rose Bank, new roads, and a bridge in Fitz Hughes.