A workman affixes a hinge to a new door for a shed in the Rae Town fishing village. - Photo by Sonia Mitchell

The Central Kingston political directorate has sought to assure residents and business interests of Rae Town - the fishing village suffering from infrastructural and environmental rot - that an overhaul of the community is on the cards.

Member of Parliament Ronald Thwaites said an accord had been reached - in conjunction with the Rae Town Fishermen's Coopera-tive and youth clubs - to renovate the fishing facilities. He said the facelift could help restore the coastline village to a hub of food, fun and music, thus boosting its community-tourism potential.

"Digicel had (forged a) partnership with the Rae Town cooperative to help with the development of the community, and plans are under way to start from the Rae Town fishing village via Michael Manley Highway up to the General Penitentiary prison (Tower Street)."

Residents have complained about deteriorating facilities at Rae Town. They have also cited a police clampdown on breaches of the Night Noise Abatement Act, which stipulates a 2 a.m. cut-off time for dances and music festivals - as a chokehold on income.

Thwaites, who swept to power in the 2007 general election, had a prior foray in the constituency from 1997-2002. The MP, who conceded that the conditions were deplorable, told The Gleaner that the renovation of sheds and toilet facilities was part of the refurbishment drive.

Under threat

Thwaites said fishing - the mainstay industry for Rae Town - was under threat from pollution. He argued that the fish population in the area was in decline, attributing that to sewage and other debris dumped in feeder gullies from as far as Constant Spring in upper St Andrew.

Thwaites said the industry had suffered a multimillion-dollar hit to potential earnings.

The main remedy, he said, was "if we can divert the waste that is coming into the entrances of the harbour, which could result in a potential loss of $500 million in revenues to this industry, and cause the residents to be in a far more devastated state than they are now."

Thwaites said the installation of a mesh barrier might be a temporary solution for preventing solid garbage from entering the gully and, in effect, the Kingston Harbour.

Ann Morrison, caretaker and councillor for the Rae Town division, told The Gleaner that a portion of the Constituency Development Fund - a pool of $40 million - would be allocated to bolster community development. She, however, declined to crunch out the numbers.

The Ministry of Agriculture has allocated $5 million for renovation of a new building for the fishermen's cooperative, The Gleaner has learnt. Repairs are currently under way on some of the sheds.

Thwaites said plans have been drafted to give the Rae Town playing field a facelift and to install proper seating facilities for patrons.

He also disclosed that he has forwarded a proposal to Minister of Education Andrew Holness for the defunct Machado cigarette factory, located at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and South Camp Road, into a secondary school to ease student overcrowding at schools in or near the community.

sonia.mitchell@gleanerjm.com