ONR Head Tours Rocky Point and Portland Cottage

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), Danville Walker, this morning (Thursday, September 23) toured the Rocky Point and Portland Cottage communities in Clarendon, with a view to identifying sites for the relocation of the residents affected by Hurricane Ivan.
Mr. Walker told JIS News that the Portland Cottage community should not only be relocated, but that remaining structures should be demolished to prevent a return by some residents to that particular location. “The majority of these homes are board homes, but there are also some significant dwellings here, by way of structure and I believe the community is going to have to move away and leave those,” he said.
“The difficulty I have is that if these homes remain they will become a catalyst for the return of the rest of the residents.we need to demolish, so that people don’t come back and re-inhabit this area,” he added.
Stressing that Portland Cottage ought not to be inhabited again, the ONR Head said that “if that happens, it’s just a matter of time before we’re here again”.
On the matter of assessors out in the field, the CEO noted that in another week or two, these assessments would be completed, and that the data entry exercise should be completed shortly thereafter. “Once that is in, we will have a better figure assessment as to the global figure to provide assistance.”
The ONR co-ordinates the work of all Government Ministries, Departments, Statutory Boards and Public Sector Agencies that need to be involved in the discharge of their functions and responsibilities, pertaining to the repair and reconstruction drive.