Government Team to Consider Future of Disaster Stricken Caribbean Terrace Community

Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has called for a meeting of the Ministry of Water and Housing, the National Housing Trust, the Urban Development Corporation and other Government planning and development agencies, to formulate recommendations on the future of the Caribbean Terrace Community in Kingston, which was devastated by hurricanes Ivan, Dean and Tropical storm Gustav.
The team will be expected to put together a proposal and then to meet again within the next three weeks with representatives of the community. The recommendations will also form the base to inform action for residents of other communities, whose houses are being threatened by natural disasters.
A delegation from the Caribbean Terrace Community met earlier this week with Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, along with representatives of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Ministry of Water and Housing, National Works Agency, Local Government, the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). The delegation from Caribbean Terrace took the opportunity to outline the extent of the damage the community has suffered in the aftermath of the three disasters.
According to the citizens, from as far back as 2004, 15 houses in the scheme were devastated by Hurricane Ivan and another 19 by Hurricane Dean. The citizens said that undertakings had been given to them for remedial work to be done and several relocation sites for the community were proposed, but there has been no follow-up action. The citizens are calling for the area to be declared a disaster zone, or a formal ‘no build zone’.
The residents said they were willing to partner with Government to come up with a proposal that would satisfy both parties.
Prime Minister Golding, has given the assurance that following the consultations with all agencies that impact on planning and development, another meeting will be held with the representatives, during which a plan of action will be developed.