<B>Paula Zoio Labat? Sales Director of Pam Golding Properties (Mauritius) </B>

?It?s been now 17 years since I first migrated to Mauritius, and I must say that after all I came to love many aspects of this island. However being actively involved in the real estate / property development for the past 16 years, there are some other aspects about living on this island which makes me feel a bit nostalgic towards my European background. I firmly believe that we are all, somehow, conditioned by our living environment and if the area we are living in ends up growing to a completely disorganized, badly planned and unhealthy area, it will certainly reflect back on the individual living in such areas. I do understand that there has been an awareness about bringing out more strict legislation on property development, either by the Government or the NGO?s?but with great sadness Mauritius seems to keep on ruining its environment by some unscrupulous development in certain areas (specially near the coastal regions). In my opinion the Village Council / Municipalities should have more implication in the planning of their respective areas. For example a property development ?Project? should not only be limited to its content, but also to how it could affect its direct environment and moreover, what other features could be added to it to embellish its direct area. I recall when I was still a little girl and how my parents used to take me for walks in the various parks with all its flowers & trees, the various libraries available to the public etc? These are the kind of things that contributes to making people?s life so much more equilibrated and whole. This was my very first impression when I landed on this island, the lack of distraction & cultural structures made available to the public, and the poor landscaping. It saddens me that, as professionals and part of the property development chain, the authorities or developers do not consult Estate Agencies as well in order to have the ?clients? perspective view of what he would also expect back from such developers. Mauritius is such a beautiful island with great potential and wouldn?t it be nice if every single villages, town and residential areas made a collective effort to embellish their respective areas with more esthetic planning, more flowers & trees? Not only would the visiting Tourists be touched by it, but the Mauritians themselves would probably live in more harmony.?