The Cayman Islands Government announced today that Hector Robinson KC will chair the Strategic Taskforce for Action, Reform and Transformation (START) which has been set up to oversee the planning and environmental reform recommendations agreed by Cabinet as part of the Cayman Forward initiative.
In June, Cayman Forward brought together representatives from across private, public and civic sectors to establish a more collaborative and effective approach to development and environmental management in the Cayman Islands. Facilitated by independent policy and futures experts, Cayman Forward produced 13 recommendations spanning legislative, regulatory, policy and procedural reform and setting out priorities actions for the next six months. The formation of START was the first of these recommendations.
“START has a clear mandate to drive change and bridge a divide that doesn’t need to exist,” said Premier André Ebanks. “The NCFC government sees development and the environment as complementary, not competing, values, with START central to this approach. We are delighted that Mr Robinson has accepted our invitation to chair START, bringing deep expertise in legal reform and a strong track record of delivering solutions to complex issues.”
A litigator in the Cayman Islands for more than 26 years, Hector Robinson KC is the founder of Topenga Litigation and a former partner at Mourant. He is the current chair of the Cayman Islands Law Reform Commission and has served on the Grand Court and Insolvency Rules Committee, contributing directly to the development of Cayman Islands law and court procedure.
As START chair, Mr Robinson will lead the taskforce responsible for delivering the remaining 12 recommendations, which include clearer decision timelines for applicants and resolving disagreements between the planning and environment authorities earlier. Reporting to Cabinet, START does not have a legislative remit and does not replace the statutory functions of existing authorities.
Supporting START will be two sub-committees, one focused on technical recommendations for potential legislative amendments and the second on operational and process improvements. The Legislative Reform Working Group is chaired by lawyer Vaughan Carter, principal at Savannah Law and a member of the Cayman Islands Constitutional Commission. The Planning and Environment Taskforce chair is Jennifer Ahearn, Chief Sustainability Officer in the Office of the Deputy Governor who has experience in both fields as a qualified planner and former Chief Officer in the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency.
The two sub-committee chairs will also serve on START, alongside the chairs of the Central Planning Authority and the National Conservation Council, representatives from the private and civic sectors. The Chief Officers of the Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability and the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Administration, Housing and Infrastructure will be invited to attend as observers.
“Development and conservation are both essential to Cayman’s future,” said Mr Robinson. “START exists to build on common ground and to deliver results, not more discussion. I am honoured to accept this role and to help strike the balance for the people of the Cayman Islands.”
With delivery focused on the next six months, START will meet monthly to keep the Cayman Forward initiative moving at pace. For more information about START and the Cayman Forward initiative, visit https://gov.ky/web/cigpriorities/cayman-forward.