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The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is to develop a landslide awareness programme in high-risk areas. The undertaking will be done in partnership with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and Mines and Geology. The development of the programme will follow on the heels of a collaborative study on slope instabilities with the University of Chester, Mines and Geology, and ODPEM. This was stated by Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, during his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on January 14. Mr. Williams informed that the slope instabilities study will provide progress reports and research outputs to the KSAMC, to inform land use planning and policy development. He noted that this is critical, as large sections of the municipality are impacted by landslides. Areas include sections of Shooters Hill in Eastern St. Andrew and St. Thomas. Mr. Williams said that key progress, so far, includes undertaking of the most detailed geotechnical assessment of soils and rocks for sections of St. Andrew and St. Thomas to be used for land use/spatial planning; and developing slope instability risk maps to aid land-use planning and guidelines for appropriate structures if applicable. He noted, too, that more detailed geotechnical investigations beyond the immediate active landslide in Shooters Hill have been completed to inform land-use planning and zonation. (more) KSAMC to develop…2 Mayor Williams added that further landslide susceptibility mapping has been done for the Kingston Metropolitan Area that indicates a number of areas with a high probability of failure, provided there are triggers from heavy rainfall and/or earthquake. He added as well that maps, imagery and databases created as part of the project area are available to the KSAMC for use. “Buildings in areas which are prone to landslides need to be designed and constructed with suitable disaster mitigating features. In addition, the sustainability of such structures and their impacts on the environment also demand due consideration. Land zonation and development of areas need to take into consideration the susceptibility to slope failure. “This is the position of the KSAMC; further development is restricted in these areas. Where developments are deemed important, detailed geotechnical investigation needs to be undertaken before, stabilisation measures [must be] implemented on and around the proposed development, residual risk analysis undertaken to ensure it is not transferred to adjacent areas, adhering to building codes, particularly in the design of foundations and structures highly resistant to movement,” he stated. The Mayor indicated that the long-term actions to be taken include policy directive as to the handling of new developments in the Shooters Hill area, integration of the collective data in the building and planning process, detailed cost benefit analysis of long-term stability of slopes in the area, and more detail geotechnical investigation to provide more comprehensive information to determine the best approach to mitigate landslides.
The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is to develop a landslide awareness programme in high-risk areas. The undertaking will be done in partnership with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and Mines and Geology. The development of the programme will follow on the heels of a collaborative study on slope instabilities with the University of Chester, Mines and Geology, and ODPEM. This was stated by Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, during his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on January 14. Mr. Williams informed that the slope instabilities study will provide progress reports and research outputs to the KSAMC, to inform land use planning and policy development. He noted that this is critical, as large sections of the municipality are impacted by landslides. Areas include sections of Shooters Hill in Eastern St. Andrew and St. Thomas. Mr. Williams said that key progress, so far, includes undertaking of the most detailed geotechnical assessment of soils and rocks for sections of St. Andrew and St. Thomas to be used for land use/spatial planning; and developing slope instability risk maps to aid land-use planning and guidelines for appropriate structures if applicable. He noted, too, that more detailed geotechnical investigations beyond the immediate active landslide in Shooters Hill have been completed to inform land-use planning and zonation. (more) KSAMC to develop…2 Mayor Williams added that further landslide susceptibility mapping has been done for the Kingston Metropolitan Area that indicates a number of areas with a high probability of failure, provided there are triggers from heavy rainfall and/or earthquake. He added as well that maps, imagery and databases created as part of the project area are available to the KSAMC for use. “Buildings in areas which are prone to landslides need to be designed and constructed with suitable disaster mitigating features. In addition, the sustainability of such structures and their impacts on the environment also demand due consideration. Land zonation and development of areas need to take into consideration the susceptibility to slope failure. “This is the position of the KSAMC; further development is restricted in these areas. Where developments are deemed important, detailed geotechnical investigation needs to be undertaken before, stabilisation measures [must be] implemented on and around the proposed development, residual risk analysis undertaken to ensure it is not transferred to adjacent areas, adhering to building codes, particularly in the design of foundations and structures highly resistant to movement,” he stated. The Mayor indicated that the long-term actions to be taken include policy directive as to the handling of new developments in the Shooters Hill area, integration of the collective data in the building and planning process, detailed cost benefit analysis of long-term stability of slopes in the area, and more detail geotechnical investigation to provide more comprehensive information to determine the best approach to mitigate landslides.

KSAMC To Develop Landslide Awareness Programme

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is to develop a landslide awareness programme in high-risk areas. The undertaking will be done in partnership with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and Mines and Geology. The...

Law Strengthened to Ban Electronic Devices in The Prisons
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith

Bill to Tighten Regulations on Trust and Corporate Services Passed in the Senate
Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, pilots the Road Traffic (Amendment, Validation and Indemnity) Bill, 2021, during a special sitting of the House of Representatives on Friday (November 5). The legislation allows for the updating of fixed penalties for offences under the Road Traffic Act.
Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, pilots the Road Traffic (Amendment, Validation and Indemnity) Bill, 2021, during a special sitting of the House of Representatives on Friday (November 5). The legislation allows for the updating of fixed penalties for offences under the Road Traffic Act.

Parliament approves amendments to fixed penalties in the Road Traffic Act
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, addressing the Upper House on Friday (Oct. 8)
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, addressing the Upper House on Friday (Oct. 8)

Senate Passes Bills To Allow Appeal Against A Verdict of Acquittal

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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, opens the debate on the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act 2021 in the Upper House on Friday (September 17).
JusticeSenate

Sensitisation Sessions to Be Held on Sexual Harassment Act

The Bureau of Gender Affairs has commenced sensitisation sessions to educate Jamaicans about aspects of the proposed Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act 2021. This was stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith while opening the debate on the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act 2021 in the Upper House on Friday (September 17)....
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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, speaks in the Senate on July 9.
Senate

Senate Approves Amendments To The Casino Gaming Act

With the approval of amendments to the Casino Gaming Act in the Senate, the Government is aiming to attract investments in the country and increase economic activity as part of recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the tourism sector. Piloting the Casino Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2021 in the Senate on July 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign...
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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, stresses a point while piloting the Legal Aid (Fees) (Validation and Indemnification) Act, 2021, during the sitting of the Senate on Friday (July 2).
Senate

Senate Passes Bill To Validate Payments To Attorneys-At-Law

The Legal Aid (Fees) (Validation and Indemnification) Act 2021, which validates payments that were made to the 42 attorneys-at-law involved in two high-profile trials, was passed in the Senate on Friday (July 2). The payments were made to attorneys-at-law who provided legal-aid services in the Queen v Uchence Wilson and Others as well as the Queen v Carlington Godfrey and...
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President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Thomas Tavares-Finson (right), greets the new High Commissioner for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Dr. Maureen Tamuno when she arrived at the Senate on Friday (July 2). Dr. Tamuno met with Senator Tavares-Finson before attending the meeting of the Upper House as the special guest of the President.
Foreign AffairsSenate

PHOTOS: New Nigerian High Commissioner Visits The Senate

President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Thomas Tavares-Finson (right), greets the new High Commissioner for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Dr. Maureen Tamuno when she arrived at the Senate on Friday (July 2). Dr. Tamuno met with Senator Tavares-Finson before attending the meeting of the Upper House as the special guest of the President.
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Leader of Government Business in the Senate and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, speaks in the Senate, recently.
Senate

Senate Passes Bill To Empower Council Of Community Colleges Of Jamaica

The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (Amendment, Validation and Indemnity) Act, 2021 was passed in the Senate, recently. The Bill seeks to expressly empower the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) to grant and confer academic awards and distinctions and to rescind such awards and distinctions where the Council may have good and sufficient cause so to do,...
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