New Public Restroom Opens in Junction

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, on August 7 opened a new public restroom in Junction, St. Elizabeth.

The Minister also announced urgent plans for a drop-in centre to assist vulnerable residents in the town.

In his address to residents, business interests and other stakeholders, Mr. McKenzie said that the Government spent more than $200 million last year upgrading public sanitary facilities nationwide, underscoring the essential role of accessible, clean public restrooms in fostering healthy, functional communities.

The Minister emphasised that sanitary facilities are not optional amenities but foundational elements of progress.

“Public sanitary facilities are critical to any infrastructural development, as no town can effectively thrive without having accessible and clean restrooms for the general public,” he said.

Mr. McKenzie said the local authority has been instructed to identify suitable lands for the construction of a drop-in centre in Junction.

He described the centre as a lifeline for street people and other vulnerable groups, offering essential services and a safe place to access support.

A drop-in centre, he explained, provides basic services to accommodate street people and other vulnerable groups, offering a bridge to broader social assistance, health services, and community integration.

“The approach I take has always been to put the needs of residents first and remind you that it all starts with local government. We are about local government and community development, so our mandate is to connect with the people – the communities. We have to do right by them in everything that we do,” he said.

The Junction project and the planned drop-in centre are positioned within a wider national push to improve public amenities in urban and rural towns.

Mr. McKenzie said the upgraded sanitary facilities will serve as a model for similar upgrades across the parish and the country, ensuring that towns can attract commerce, tourism, and residents with confidence that basic needs are met in a clean, accessible environment.

Local leaders and residents welcomed the Minister’s remarks, expressing optimism about the tangible benefits the new facilities and upcoming services are expected to bring.

“People often overlook the importance of having clean public sanitary facilities,” Junction businessman, Peter Swaby, told JIS News.

“It’s a very important part of any development,” he said.