Preserve environment during Trelawny developments - Dunn

Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

CHAIRMAN OF the Broadcasting Commission, Dr Hopeton Dunn, is urging the Government to ensure that the developments taking place in Trelawny are consistent with the preservation of the environmental and marine integrity of the region.

Dr Dunn said these concerns have been widely voiced over time, and he insists they must not be ignored. Trelawny, he said, has become an exciting place for planners and developers over the past five years, as it is the target for a wide range of developments that should benefit the citizens, if properly executed and marketed.

"A centrepiece of this is the development of the Falmouth cruise pier and the redevelopment of the town as a tourism destination and employment hub, but there are issues that must not escape our attention," Dr Dunn stressed.

He was addressing a ground-breaking exercise for the construction of a community centre being spearheaded by the Wiltshire/Sidney Cove Citizens' Association in Trelawny last Sunday. The centre is estimated to cost J$12.8 million.

"We must not make the mistake of developing a tourist resort just for the outsiders and visitors. We need to make people of the town and parish be at the centre of the process. Fair wages and working conditions and respect for the rights of the citizens are essential," warned Dr Dunn.

He charged residents and workers to play their part in ensuring that the development is done in a timely manner. "I think it is already an embarrassment that the deadline set for the opening of the pier has been delayed."