Local News
Crown Land Management Act Enforcement Leads Mid-Year Environmental Review
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.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force has confirmed that Tarik Aaron was arrested shortly before midnight on Friday, April 17, on extradition orders issued by authorities in the United States Virgin Islands, and has since appeared before the Magistrate’s Court.
According to police, the arrest was carried out in connection with a request from USVI authorities, though further details have not been disclosed.
Aaron appeared before the Magistrate’s Court today and was denied bail.
Further updates are expected as more information becomes available.
The Civil Registry and Passport Office has announced an increase in fees for United Kingdom passports, effective April 8, 2026.
According to the office, the revised fees apply to new, renewal and replacement passport applications, as well as other related services.
Under the new structure, the cost for a new, renewal or replacement adult passport has been set at £116.50, while the fee for a child passport is £75.50. Adult frequent traveller passports will cost £130.50, and child frequent traveller passports £89.50.
The fee for changes to an existing passport will also be £116.50. In addition, a delivery fee of £14.32 will apply.
The Civil Registry and Passport Office advised that the updated fees are now in effect and apply to all relevant applications submitted on or after April 8.
A bill proposing wide-ranging changes to the Virgin Islands’ electoral system was introduced in the House of Assembly today, Tuesday, April 22, by Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley.
The proposed Elections (Amendment) Act, 2026, is based on consultations with stakeholders and recommendations from observer missions, as well as input from the Deputy Governor’s Office and the Office of the Supervisor of Elections.
“This is the Elections Amendment Act 2026, following extensive deliberations with a number of entities, including a committee of the House who looked at recommendations of various observer missions that came to The Virgin Islands,” Hon. Wheatley said during the continuation of the Second Sitting of the Third Session of the Fifth House of Assembly.
He said the bill also builds on work undertaken by the previous House of Assembly. “Also, the last House of Assembly looked at a number of recommendations that were forwarded through the Deputy Governor’s Office and the Office of the Supervisor of Elections,” he said.
Hon. Wheatley said the proposed amendments were developed through discussions on changes to the Elections Act. “We had very extensive discussions about amendments to the Elections Act, and of course, those recommendations were used to make this Amendment Act. This received its first reading some time ago, and now we are here to debate this Elections Act, so that it can therefore become law,” he said.
The bill introduces several reforms to the electoral framework, including expanded access to voting through mobile and curbside options for individuals with physical limitations and the formal use of assistive technologies for voters with disabilities.
It also provides for the establishment of a Department of Elections and an Elections Advisory Committee to oversee voter registration and election administration.
Additional provisions include a formal Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates, along with new rules governing campaign donations and political financing.
The legislation also proposes restrictions on the announcement of major public grants or projects shortly before an election, aimed at addressing potential incumbency advantages.
The bill has already received its first reading and is expected to be referred to a committee when the House of Assembly resumes on April 30, 2026, at 10 a.m., where it will undergo further review as part of the legislative process.
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