Significant Investments to Safeguard Public Beach Access

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government is making significant investments to safeguard public beach access across the island.

“The first major investment was in the Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay. That saw close to $1.5 billion being invested to create a public beach park,” the Minister noted, as he spoke at a townhall meeting at the Consulate General of Jamaica’s office in New York, United States, on Friday, September 25.

Mr. Samuda pointed out that the Government will be establishing similar beach parks in each parish.

“You will see that two procurements were advertised – one for the Success Beach Park, which is on the Eastern end of St. James, very close to the Trelawny boundary, and the other for Priory Beach Park… . That will see over $1 billion invested in creating two new public beach parks,” the Minister informed.

He noted that in addition to these developments, design work is nearing completion for Pagee Beach in St. Mary and the Negril Beach Park in Westmoreland.

Mr. Samuda pointed out that the craft vendors at the Negril Beach will not be displaced.

“We’re actually designing them into the space to create a completely modern beach park… with an amphitheatre for entertainment, with craft vending stalls and with a dock that will allow the fisherfolk to also provide tours going into the Royal Palm Reserve,” he outlined.

In the case of Bob Marley Beach, in St. Andrew, the Minister noted that a proper access road will be constructed.

“We’re going to put a road in there. We’re going to put in the lifeguard stations. We’re not going to change the essence of the beach but we have to ensure that there’s safety along our coastline for people to consider it a public beach,” Mr. Samuda said.

Addressing ongoing debates over access fees, Minister Samuda pointed out that public beach management carries substantial operational and capital costs that are covered by taxpayers.

“It’s not free to you as a taxpayer because you have to have lifeguards. You have to have security. You have to have parking. You have to have emergency response. You have to have lighting for those who access it either early morning or late evening…Whether you pay it in an access fee or you pay it in your taxes, it’s not free,” he outlined.

Meanwhile, he refuted claims circulating online regarding public beach availability, dismissing assertions that only one per cent of the coastline is accessible.

Minister Samuda explained that 70 per cent of Jamaica’s coastline consists of rock and cliff formations, leaving approximately 30 per cent that qualifies as beach terrain under standard geographical definitions.

“Jamaica has approximately 30 per cent of its coastline that in a geography textbook could be considered a beach… . Within that number, Jamaica has commercialised nine of the 30 per cent in beaches for tourism investments and other investments. So, 21 per cent of the country’s coastline is licensed public beach. Of that 21 per cent, 17 of 21 is free. That’s a statistical fact,” he affirmed.

Mr. Samuda pointed to Long Bay Beach in Portland, Bob Marley Beach in St. Andrew, Jackson Bay Beach in Clarendon, Alligator Pond Beach in Manchester, and Negril Beach in Westmoreland as examples of major public beaches across the island.