Beach policy to address informal settlements
Published:Friday | February 19, 2021 | 9:41 PM
Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Gillian Guthrie, says that the proposed Beach Access and Management Policy will also address informal public beach settlements.
“The policy advocates that where these informal residential and commercial settlements have been identified on public beaches, settlers will be notified, as well as the relevant authorities for action to be taken,” Guthrie stated.
She said that informal settlements have a negative impact on the quality of beaches and limit access to some facilities by members of the public.
She noted that pollution, illegal open burning, improper building structures /building code violations and poor sanitisation practices, are among the issues likely to stem from illegal residential and commercial beach settlements.
“Illegal settlers are also at greater risk in the event of natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis and hurricanes, because they are not regulated and, oftentimes, they do not build these structures to withstand adverse weather elements,” she pointed out.
She told JIS News that the Beach Access and Management Policy will work alongside the Beach Control Act to rehabilitate and preserve the nation’s beaches.
Under the Act, the Government has established a Beach Control Authority to regulate the use of the foreshore on a fair basis by commercial enterprises in particular the hotel industry, fishermen and the public.
The Act stipulates that the right to the use of the foreshore for private domestic or commercial purposes shall only be by virtue of a licence granted under the Act.
The Beach Access and Management Policy was tabled as a Green Paper in the House of Representatives and the Senate in October and November 2020, respectively.
It addresses all beaches in Jamaica, whether owned by the State or private interests. Its scope covers public access to beaches as well as their management and regulation.
The principal objectives of the policy are to improve the standard of beaches and increase access to the foreshore by the public.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.