Fee increases vital for park upkeep, says Flax-Charles

Shereen Flax-Charles, a former legislator, has defended moves to raise entrance fees at the National Parks Trust, arguing the territory lacks the resources to keep its attractions open and clean without them.

Speaking on the National Democratic Party's radio show Let's Talk, We're Listening on October 28, Flax-Charles said she had long pushed for higher fees during her time in the House of Assembly. She acknowledged public resistance to the increases but stressed the financial reality: "The parks cannot operate without money. Some persons are unhappy about the increase."

The Trust manages 22 parks across the territory, including The Baths on Virgin Gorda. Flax-Charles outlined the operational costs that drain the budget: staff wages, cleaning products and regular upkeep of public restrooms. She illustrated the problem bluntly: "The minute the bathrooms are closed, persons are going to start to complain. They have to be clean. You need supplies to clean them with. You need people to clean them."

A recent closure underscored her point. A visitor facility in Trellis Bay shut down for a week after an electrical fault. Flax-Charles learned of it only when someone heading to Virgin Gorda contacted her about being unable to use the bathroom. She said the Trust should have notified the public: "Let us know what is going wrong. Let us know what is closed. Let us know when we expect it to be ready so that persons can plan."

During her tenure in the legislature, Flax-Charles repeatedly raised the Trust's funding shortfalls at Standing Finance Committee meetings. The organisation's money troubles stretch back years. In 2023, then-director Dr Cassander Titley-O'Neal flagged staff shortages, inadequate maintenance budgets and the low $3 entrance fee of that time.