The signing last week of a US$224-m contract between the government and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL), to modernise the cruise shipping pier in Falmouth, Trelawny, is undoubtedly good news for residents of the parish.

For one thing, the development could significantly transform the social and economic lives of many in this rural parish.

Additionally, the signing has given the parishioners renewed hope that the project – which was scheduled to get off the ground sometime ago – will become a reality.

Under the contract, US$122-m will be utilised for harbour dredging and to build the facilities for ships to dock. The other US$102M will be used by RCCL to lease land from the Government, for the construction of all infrastructural development. When completed, the pier will accommodate two Genesis-classes RCCL cruise ships, including what will be the world’s largest ship, the Oasis of the Sea.

Each vessel can carry 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members.

The development of the waterfront is expected to generate 700 jobs in the construction phase and during the operational phase, 1000.

The importance of the Falmouth Harbour in former years is well documented.

During the colonial era when sugar was “king”, the port -then one of, if not, the busiest in the western hemisphere -enjoyed what historians call the “glory days”.

It was not unusual then, for more than 20 cargo ships to be simultaneously docked in the harbour on any given day.

Trelawny and particularly, the town of Falmouth, which is said to be the best laid-out town in the island, has the potential to provide cruise line passengers with an unforgettable experience.

Falmouth for example, has a wide variety of exquisite Georgian architecture, and in its heyday in the 1800s was the shipping port for the many sugar cane plantations spread across Trelawny.

Then there are the nearby attractions such as the Outa Meni experience, Rafting on the Martha Brae, the Windsor Caves, Horse back riding at Braco as well as the Good Hope Plantation.

But despite its rich heritage Falmouth has long been lagging behind in its quest to become a serious force to be reckoned with in heritage tourism. The proposed multimillion development therefore presents a golden opportunity to move the aspect of heritage tourism forward in the parish.

But what is the level of preparedness of the town and the parish in general, for the thousands of cruise passengers who are expected to be visiting in May 2010?

Are business interests in Trelawny prepared to cash in on the economic benefits that the project will undoubtedly allow?

President of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dennis Seivwright believes that the existing lack of communication regarding the project is making it difficult for his organisation to prepare properly.

“Communication is lacking in terms of steps and processes. We don’t know how to prepare anybody; we don’t know what is the first step to take because we don’t know what is happening,” he told this column yesterday. For example, we don’t know what the human resource demand is going to be; the various categories of skills that will be required and the amount.”

Chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council and Mayor of Falmouth Colin Gager, envisages a lot of challenges, but he maintains that if “we put our hands and hearts together” the project will become a reality.

The challenges he speaks of, include the dredging of the harbour, the construction of a new municipal market and the relocation of more than 100 squatters from the community of Dump, which lies in close proximity to the pier.

Sofar, the Port Authority of Jamaica, a major player in the project, is yet to sign off on a site to relocate those residents.

The business community, it seems, is taking a ‘wait and see’ attitude before it embarks on any substantial renovation and development of their properties.

The onus it seems is on the government and the Port Authority of Jamaica, in particular, to move post haste to address these concerns.

The present Bruce Golding-led administration, it appears, is yet to master the art of communication.