Act Defines Crown Land to Include Seabed, Foreshore and Affixed Property
Enforcement of the Crown Land Management Act, which took effect Jan. 31, was placed at the center of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change’s 2025 Mid-Year Review, with Permanent Secretary Dr. Ronald Smith-Berkley outlining reforms to strengthen land governance.
The Act, passed in 2024 and assented to by the governor in August of that year, established a framework for managing the territory’s crown lands, including seabed, foreshore, and land permanently affixed with structures. The legislation was introduced in response to longstanding calls for greater transparency, including recommendations from the 2021 Commission of Inquiry.
Dr. Smith-Berkley said the Ministry has rolled out updated application forms and business plan templates to streamline access to crown land. He added that the proposed Crown Land Advisory Board, created under the Act to oversee allocations, is awaiting Cabinet approval. At the same time, the Land Use and Rental Policy is under review.
Strategic land acquisitions have also been made at Hannah Hill, earmarked for water reservation, and at Sage Mountain, designated for agricultural development. Dr. Smith-Berkley said revisions to seabed rent and lease frameworks are underway to improve transparency and to ensure long-term sustainability.
In addition to the legislative changes, officials are developing a public Crown Land Allocation Register that will list applications, approvals, acreage and costs, a measure intended to build public confidence in the system. Public consultations on the Crown Land Policy have already taken place in Tortola and Virgin Gorda, with additional sessions planned across the territory.
The Permanent Secretary said the reforms represent a shift toward more accountable land management, noting that crown land allocations will now be closely tied to economic development, environmental protection and sustainable use.
