Relocate them! - Warmington suggests abandoning remote communities where few people reside

A senior government minister has suggested the relocation of persons from remote communities where "very few people" live as an alternative to expending billions of dollars to fix the infrastructure leading to these areas.

Everald Warmington, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, made the hair-raising suggestion following a tour of sections of St Thomas Western yesterday. He said that his comments were "not necessarily" aimed at areas in St Thomas, even as he stressed that "Jamaica needs to have a discussion and think about where we live".

"There are needs for infrastructure in some very remote areas. Some of these communities, very few people live in them. So we have to face reality and start having discussions among ourselves [about whether] it's necessary to spend billions of dollars to put roads and the other infrastructures into these communities, or is it best to relocate people," Warmington said.

"There are areas we build bridges for maybe three or four families to go across the river. But is it wise doing that, or should we think of relocating these people?," the minister wondered aloud.

"We have to start having discussions on whether it is easier or less expensive, or we can put the taxpayers' money to better use to relocate people than building infrastructure for those living in very remote communities," Warmington added.

The Government spent approximately $5.3 billion on road maintenance and repairs last fiscal year and another $637 million was on flood mitigation works. The 2022/23 budget for roadworks is approximately $4.5 billion.

For his part, James Robertson, the member of parliament (MP) for St Thomas Western, said Warmington's suggestion has merits.

"What the minister is speaking about is real," said Robertson who has been MP since 2002.

He continued: "Discussions must take place, but thank God, Hagley Gap and Pennlyne don't fall into that category because we have thousands and thousands of persons living on coffee lands," Robertson said.

Warmington yesterday led a tour of St Thomas Western where he observed the poor road conditions, which included broken bridges, several breakaways and riverbed-like arteries. Government officials made stops in Llandewey, Ramble, River Head, Richmond Gap, Albion Mountain, Mount Vernon, Bethel, Nesscastle, Hagley Gap, Pennlyne Castle and Mahogany Vale.