Jis Excellency Governor Peter Waterworth

"Montserrat is no longer in crisis," is the ‘catch-power phrase' emanating out of a meeting of the National Disaster Preparedness and Response Advisory Committee (NDPRAC), appearing in a Government House Press Release on June 3, 2008, and endorsed by His Excellency the Governor Peter Waterworth.

The Governor speaking at his third major press conference at the end of his first year in Montserrat and immediately before he departs on a three-week vacation, responding to a Reporter question as to whether this was an economic statement, said: "it is not an economic statement."

The Governor said the statement was made in the context of the volcano management. He reminded that from the beginning he did not, "regard Montserrat as being in a state of volcanic crisis."

"Montserrat has a volcano that needs to be managed and it needs to be addressed in a long-term context and that language is about that," he said.

He explained what came out of the NDPRAC meeting which assessed  among other things the last SAC Report. "I regard the volcanic situation as a crisis or an emergency.  So what we are trying to do is to look at the impact the volcano is likely to have over the coming years and set out some strategic guidance and measure the future in that context," he concluded on that issue.

Soufriere Hills volcano on a clear day

The Governor further explained his reason for the ‘crisis' statement. He said that "somewhere about Nantes River, the north would not be regarded as hazard at all...and that could be communicated internationally, e.g. through the Foreign Office travel advice," adding also that he sees that will start to impact on tourism, on developers or insurance and all those sorts of things.

Montserrat progresses
The Governor had preceded his explanation of this statement by referring to what he considered not his successes but rather "progress" for Montserrat in which he had expressed interest at the beginning of his post. He referred to the activity in Little Bay and the Harbour Study which has moved ahead pretty quickly over the last few months.  "You know, a harbour won't grow out of the water instantly but that's going ahead," he said.

There is talk about renewable energy, geothermal being worked on through the cooperation of DFID and the Foreign Commonwealth office. "Everybody is sort of lending their weight to that particular wheel so I think those things are moving ahead quickly," He pointed also that Sarita Francis' appointment, "...is a stepping stone on the way to a Deputy Governor, it has been important; that delegating authority to Montserratians to make decisions that affect Montserratians."