Economy will not be better off by avoiding spending on capital infrastructure

This seems to sum up much of the local watercooler/school car park/comment thread conversation at the moment. While the timing of the great unveiling of Harbours’ plans for a new marina in the Pool could not have been more unfortunate, the fact that the project manager was unable to answer some questions from the public about funding does not mean we can’t afford it. They've been sat in their office for the past few years, putting the plans together, as instructed by superiors. Perhaps somebody who knows about funding more broadly should also have attended the public meetings, but they were probably focused on their own development plans.

It’s not just the wealthiest in our society who own boats. Some of the biggest, fanciest boats in our marinas are owned by tradesmen – builders, plumbers and electricians. We are surrounded by water and most of us are able to enjoy an enviable lifestyle here. In a place where getting a foot on the housing ladder is an unachievable dream to our young people, boat ownership is a healthy, constructive and relatively affordable way for them to contribute to our economy; much better than spending their money on fast, noisy cars, or just splurging it over a series of bars every weekend.

For centuries, and through changing economic eras (shipbuilding, fishing, export of horticultural produce), Guernsey has been an important little place, thanks to its status and location, and largely because of the shelter offered by St Peter Port harbour. The limitations for Condor presented by St Helier remind us how lucky we are, and how we need to look after what we have. Our harbour is falling into disrepair, and our importance is therefore at risk. In the current economic era, the most efficient way to generate income from every square foot of seabed in St Peter Port, which is currently under-utilised, is to turn it into a beautiful, modern, destination marina to meet the demands of the 21st century. Yes, this will cost money, but most of that needs spending anyway, to sort out our crumbling, 19th century port infrastructure.

The proposed development will also make most of our harbour much safer. The Pool’s moorings and lay-by pontoons are a long way out in a small dinghy, and in unfavourable weather this is by far the most hazardous aspect of local boating. We should ask ourselves what price we place on the lives of local and visiting seafarers, both the amateur mooring-holder and the professionals, such as fishermen, inter-island ferry crew and rescue volunteers, for whom the planned development will also provide a significant improvement in safety, as well as convenience.

People seem to think that the States has a bank account with cash in it, that they take from most of us in taxes, and spend on services for the benefit of all us. This is far too simplistic. In order for us to have a stable, balanced economy, we need our government to invest our money wisely, and by and large it does so, whoever we vote in and then turn our backs on. Our economy will not be better off by avoiding spending money on long term, capital infrastructure projects. That idea is short-sighted and plain wrong, as the UK constantly reminds us.

We may be donkeys – we may be stubborn and insular, and we may not like change. But if, as a population, we dig in our heels any further, we will quickly become ungovernable. Our economy will wither and we will become an outdated, forgotten backwater. We need to open our minds and our wallets.

DAVE HERSCHEL