TCI News
Five Cays fall-out over filth and illegal construction, MP called on to resign
#Five Cays, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, May 10, 2018 – Two Five Cays titans are clashing over the cleanliness of the community; who is responsible and whether or not more should be done to clean up the small south side district.
Paula Arthur-Rigby, TV show host of the Average Joe shared her disappointment about the filth and blamed the Member of Parliament in a PTV newscast for allowing Five Cays to languish in debris and dirt and disorder some eight months after the hurricanes.
“I don’t care who feels crushed or hurt or upset; I believed in Sean with all my heart, I put my X on the line only to be disappointed.”
Arthur-Rigby was fierce in her comments as she called for her MP to resign.
The Average Joe, as she is sometimes called said she could understand ‘excuses’ when the member was in opposition, but not now that he is a part of the Government administration of the Turks and Caicos Islands and as second in command.
“You cannot tell me that Five Cays isn’t being neglected.”
Paula Arthur-Rigby is speaking of Deputy Premier, Border Control and Employment Minister and Member of 
Parliament for Five Cays and Chalk Sound, Hon. Sean Astwood. 
Arthur-Rigby believes that too many people are being allowed to take advantage of the systems established to ensure law and order, that sickness and discomfort due to pungent odors among other things are commonplace, all the while she points out, elected leaders are not ensuring the laws are followed.
“A few weeks ago, I made the statement that Five Cays is dirty. I was bashed. Every day we have new houses and buildings popping up and nobody is saying anything. It is overpopulated, it is over-crowded and it is nasty, it is filthy, it is ridiculous. There is no law for Five Cays and I am not understanding it.”
Arthur-Rigby is a well known supporter of the MP and while the tone Arthur-Rigby takes is no surprise because she is widely known for her unapologetic, frankness, the subject of her scathing comments are more startling. Paula said she has had enough…
Resident shares photo of Five Cays on day news broke about ‘filth’
“When our elected government and ministers allow people to just come in and take advantage of the system, without saying anything or doing anything, I have a problem with this..” Paula added, “Five Cays needs structure, Five Cays needs someone to set laws and police the laws. Five Cays needs to be cleaned up.”
Five Cays and Chalk Sound MP, Sean Astwood was immediately contacted by Magnetic Media about the strong statements and call for his resignation. Hours later, Astwood issued a statement to defend his record and question the motive for the passionate remarks from one of his more famous supporters.
“For over a decade, I have been organizing and participating in cleanup campaigns in my constituency of Five Cays. During these years residents consistently contact me reporting areas where persons continue to dump garbage. I have forwarded these reports to Environmental health who have always responded positively. No longer than yesterday, concerned residents sent me a picture of garbage dumped in the middle of the road, in an area of Five Cays. I reported it to Environmental health and they had the garbage removed the same day.”
Five Cays just like other areas throughout our Islands, have persons who do not care about their surroundings and will continue to dump garbage. Therefore, cleaning up of the constituency is an ongoing process.”
Five Cays was one of the worst hit communities in Hurricane Irma and has long been plagued with shanty villages and squalid conditions, which will now be subject to new building codes and regulations. The Minister agreed that there is a disregard for the law.
The constant dumping by persons with no concern for their surroundings makes it difficult to get volunteers to participate in cleanup campaigns. Following the Storms and as recent as last week contracts to clean Five Cays were issued under Public Works and Environmental Health. My Government recently passed a Bill that gave the Planning Department more powers to deal with squatters and other illegal developments where in many respects is home to large illegal dumping sites. They have also been given increased staff to deal with inspections and compliance. Both the Environmental Health Department and the Public Works Department has been given additional budgetary allotments to deal with these long standing issues.”
The Deputy Premier and Member for the District also focused on the complaining constituent: “I must say I have never seen the resident in the News clipping at any of the cleanup campaigns that I have organized or participated in over the past 7 years. This same resident is in a WhatsApp group that I am apart of and recently two issues were reported to me by others in the group, I addressed those issues and gave the Group an update the same day, and as recently as yesterday. So there was always an avenue for her to report her concerns to me or Environmental health. I find her motives highly questionable but my focus will remain on my Constituency of Five Cays and not on persons with political agendas.”
Both Five Cays natives were speaking out on Wednesday about the challenges in the community.
It is worth noting that the message shared by Arthur-Rigby is echoing from other Turks and Caicos districts where it is believed clean up and debris removal should be more vigorous or is simply too slow, especially with the Atlantic Hurricane Season being mere weeks away from officially beginning on June 1.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Crown Land Unit, with coordination and support from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise in the Five Cays area on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation and unauthorised use of Crown land.
The exercise brought together representatives from the Crown Land Unit, ISU and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force. Security for
the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Inspections were conducted across several parcels of Crown land throughout Five Cays, where instances of illegal occupation and unauthorised use had been identified.
During the exercise, a total of forty (40) Section 22 Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served in accordance with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance. The notices related to various forms of unauthorised occupation and use of Crown land, including incomplete structures, shipping containers, derelict vehicles, trailer chassis, building materials and other items.
Where persons were not present, notices were affixed to the relevant structures or items. The exercise forms part of the Crown Land Unit’s continuing efforts to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land and to ensure that identified instances of unauthorised occupation are appropriately addressed.
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands reminds the public that Crown land must not be occupied, developed or otherwise used without lawful authority.
The Crown Land Unit, supported by the ISU and its other partner agencies, will continue to identify and address instances of illegal occupation of Crown land across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Persons affected by notices issued during enforcement exercises are encouraged to comply with the requirements outlined and to seek guidance from the relevant authorities where necessary.
News
BermudAir Launches Service to the Turks and Caicos Islands on October 26th, Expanding Air Connectivity Ahead of Winter Season
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 22nd, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes BermudAir as the airline begins its service to the destination on Monday, October 26th, marking the start of a wider expansion that will connect us with additional cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
BermudAir’s service will begin with a new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Providenciales. The flight will depart from the Howard Hamilton International Airport at 8 am on Monday morning and arrives at 7.40 pm. Aboard the inaugural flight will be a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands led by Experience Turks and Caicos and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), and will include Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Anya Williams, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, as well s representatives of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the board of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Authority, Invest TC and local media.
BermudAir will operate the Fort Lauderdale–Providenciales route three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, through May 3rd, 2027. making it easier for business travellers with the schedule offering the potential for same-day return trips. The airline is also launching nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Belize City, Belize, on the same schedule, offering travellers in South Florida direct access to both destinations.
The new service introduces BermudAir’s premium leisure inflight experience to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flights will operate on Embraer E190 aircraft configured without middle seats, giving every passenger a window or aisle seat, alongside complimentary snacks and beverages.
Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Zhavargo Jolly, welcomed the airline’s arrival, noting the importance of expanding airlift to support the continued development of the destination’s tourism industry.
“Air connectivity remains one of the most important factors in the continued development of our tourism industry. BermudAir’s expansion represents an opportunity to strengthen our connections with key international markets while opening new doors for our sister islands. I am particularly encouraged by the planned direct service between Newark and South Caicos, which speaks directly to our vision of expanding tourism opportunities across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our objective is to ensure that improved connectivity translates into greater economic activity, stronger local businesses and more opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders to participate in and benefit from tourism.” said Minister Jolly.
Commenting on the significance of the new route for the country’s development, the Honourable Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development (PPID), stated: “The introduction of BermudAir’s new service is a testament to the continued growth and development of our aviation sector. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, remains dedicated to enhancing our airport infrastructure to accommodate increased airlift. We are committed to working to ensure that our facilities provide a seamless, world-class experience for all incoming passengers and we warmly welcome BermudAir to our shores.”
The Fort Lauderdale launch is the first of several new services BermudAir plans to introduce to the Turks and Caicos Islands for the 2026–
2027 winter season. Additional connections to Providenciales are scheduled from:
- Bermuda to TCI and Grand Cayman: Beginning December 18th, 2026
- Anguilla: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Boston, Massachusetts: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Toronto, Canada: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Beginning December 20th, 2026
- Newark, New Jersey to South Caicos: Beginning December 20th, 2026
- St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida: Beginning December 21st, 2026
- Baltimore-Washington: Beginning December 24th, 2026
The expansion will give travellers more options for reaching the destination during the winter travel season, while broadening access from established and developing source markets. The additional routes also create opportunities for tourism stakeholders to reach new audiences and encourage visitors to explore more of the islands.
For flight schedules and bookings, visit www.flybermudair.com.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 22 October 2026: The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) joined the global observance of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on October 13th. Various initiatives were held throughout the islands to bring awareness to the public, including panel discussions, community engagement
activities, school visits, essay writing and an original video submission from the Eliza Simons School in Grand Turk.
Disaster Risk Reduction is a people-centred endeavour; it emphasises that policies, systems and investments must be designed around the needs and capabilities of individuals and communities, according to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Each year, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), as the implementing agency for the Sendai Framework, issues a call to action encouraging individuals, communities, and countries to become resilient.
The 2026 IDDRR theme, ‘Resilience Starts at Home’ seeks to bring global and national awareness of the core role of households in disaster risk reduction, advocating for stronger governance and investment in resilient housing, reducing housing-related risk and empowering households to take risk-informed actions to protect themselves and strengthen community resilience.
The Turks and Caicos Islands, in an effort to reduce disaster risk, seeks to observe the concepts and core principles of the Sendai Framework
2015-2030. Throughout the years, many initiatives have been taken through the various stages of the disaster cycle from preparedness to recovery in an effort to strengthen the resilience of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Initiatives such as the creation and consistent updating of building codes, the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Housing Project following major hurricanes such as Ike in 2008, the creation of an early recovery framework, as well as strengthening CCRIFF insurance were all implemented to ensure that the Turks and Caicos Islands were on the path to build back stronger and better.
This year’s theme underscores the roles governments, the private sector, and individuals play in ensuring communities and homes are safe and more resilient. The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has made significant strides in ensuring that homes are constructed through the use of risk-informed planning, land use planning and construction practices. The Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Housing Project, which facilitated the construction of twenty-four (24) completely rebuilt homes and repaired thirty-four (34) homes, provided a baseline for future housing initiatives such as Programme 3. This programme includes community renewal and infilling under the National Housing Policy and seeks to repair property that has sustained physical damage for vulnerable people.
Residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands are reminded of the individual role that they can play in ensuring that their homes are resilient.
- Ensure that you obtain the proper approvals from the Planning Department before building.
- Ensure that you utilise the standards and building codes of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- Include proper drainage systems and other methods to reduce flooding and water pooling near your home.
- Update your family emergency plans and ensure that everyone in your household is aware of its contents.
Let us all do our part in ensuring that all homes across the Turks and Caicos Islands are resilient.
Highlights from IDDRR can be seen on the Official DDME Social media accounts: Facebook @ddme.tci_official and Instagram @ddm.tci
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