Parottee test

THE Government is preparing to use the planned relocation of Parottee residents in St Elizabeth as a test of whether vulnerable Jamaican communities can be moved out of harm’s way without sacrificing their livelihoods, dignity, or sense of community.

Signalling the urgency of that effort, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has ordered the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) to make the project a priority.

Speaking during Tuesday’s official launch of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC) at Jamaica House, Holness said relocation would be an unavoidable part of Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa rebuilding effort, particularly for communities where development has taken place in areas exposed to repeated disaster risks.