ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – Longstanding Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North West, J C Hutchinson is proposing a bypass road for the world famous Holland Bamboo, which he said would boost tourism activity in the area.

Hutchinson went public with his proposal during his recent contribution to the 2022/23 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives. He noted that extensive work is currently underway to rehabilitate and re-establish bamboo plants in the popular Holland Bamboo Avenue but expressed concerns about the continued destruction of the plants.

“The emission of fumes from vehicles plying the route is one of the main causes for the destruction of some of the bamboo. I am requesting that an overhead bypass road be constructed starting at the entrance of Bamboo Avenue from the Lacovia end and extending across the Holland property to end a little beyond Middle Quarters,” Hutchinson told his colleagues.

He also pointed to a number of projects that his constituency is proposing to be implemented which he said would “greatly improve the lives of the constituents and by extension positively impact the development of our national economy”.

According to Hutchinson, the bypass road would also provide a greater opportunity for more locals and tourists to enjoy Bamboo Avenue.

“This would mean greater economic activity for the locale and parish if the heritage site is developed and fully functional as a tourist attraction. The Holland Bamboo Avenue is recognised worldwide as one of the most pictured and picturesque natural attractions,” he stated.

Hutchinson also pointed out that adjacent to the scenic Holland Bamboo Avenue is a 2,400 acre property which is bursting with economic opportunities to benefit the constituency, the parish and by extension, Jamaica. He noted that the property is below sea level and has three springs which have water flowing from them even in the middle of a severe drought.

“This water has to be constantly pumped off the property and into the Black River. Campari, which operated the property up to 2020, said it cost between $800,000 and $1 million per month for electricity, just to pump the water off the property. Yet, with all this water the 2,400 acre property with its 122 farmers remains un-irrigated, even though several requests have been made to the National Irrigation Commission to lay pipes and build out the irrigation system,” Hutchinson lamented.

“Now it is being said that the water from the Black River adjacent to the property, will be pumped to South St Elizabeth to irrigate lands there, yet Holland, with the most fertile lands in the parish is being ignored,” Hutchinson added.

Continuing, he said: “I am requesting that a feasibility study be done to explore the possibility of harnessing electricity from the water that is currently being pumped from the Holland property into the Black River. This would be similar to what currently obtains at the Maggotty hydro-electric plant, now owned and operated by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) but on a smaller scale. I am also requesting the construction of a solar farm on the Holland property to provide solar power to operate the pumps and therefore, offset the dependency on the high cost of electricity, provided by JPS”.

Hutchinson said he was also requesting that the 20 acres of Holland lands that were transferred from the National Land Agency to the Ministry of Housing for the Middlesex squatter settlement, to be developed and sold to the 54 families that now occupy the land. He lamented that most of these families are living in deplorable conditions and as such, was asking for it to be treated as a priority.