GEORGE’S PLAIN, Westmoreland — After more than two decades in the making, Jamaica’s first solid waste temporary holding area was officially commissioned here last Friday.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie is hopeful that, despite public scepticism, complaints regarding poor garbage collection in Westmoreland will be resolved within three weeks.

“…You’re still going to have people who are going to complain regardless of what, but this will go a far way in easing the concerns of the people of Westmoreland,” said McKenzie in an interview with the Jamaica Observer following the opening ceremony.

The $29-million facility, commonly referred to as a transfer station, will temporarily hold garbage collected by compactors from across Westmoreland and parts of Hanover, before it is transported to the Retirement Landfill in St James. The set-up is expected to reduce the duration and distance travelled by compactors to the disposal site, allowing trucks to complete multiple pick-ups daily, rather than just one.

Located behind a cane field near the Frome Sugar Factory, the facility is equipped with a rainwater harvesting system, solar electricity, and Starlink satellite Internet — features envisioned as a model for future infrastructure projects.

“This facility, the concept of it, was around for a long time, but people used to talk about it. Finally, we have done that [implementation], and this is a part of a holding solution until the work of the enterprise team is completed. I am sure that the purpose that we have established this for will see a significant reduction in garbage collections on the streets of Westmoreland and it will give more truck time for the truckers to do collection,” explained McKenzie.

Equipment on location at the solid waste temporary holding area in George’s Plain, Westmoreland (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

​The minister confirmed that adequate equipment, including trucks and a front-end loader, is already stationed on-site to ensure smooth operations without requiring resources from elsewhere.

Addressing the audience, the minister noted that following Hurricane Melissa, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) collected more than 17 tonnes of garbage in Westmoreland alone — surpassing the combined totals of St James, Hanover, and Trelawny.

​McKenzie also spoke at length about improper waste disposal and announced that new fines targeting litterbugs will be implemented by the end of the calendar year. While admitting that he is not entirely satisfied with garbage collection, he pushed back against potential criticisms of enforcement measures.

“When government takes action against persons for littering and other sorts of disorder, you have a section of the country that come out and say, ‘A poor people we are taking set on.’ Cleanliness is next to godliness, and we cannot, as a country, accept the level of indiscipline that is being played out across the country in some areas,” argued the minister.

​He called for bipartisan cooperation and cultural accountability, noting that Jamaicans readily follow cleanliness norms when travelling abroad.

“I hear people calling for all sorts of measures, but I am yet to hear someone coming out calling on Jamaicans to join forces against the indiscipline of being nasty…,” stated McKenzie. ​“We can’t build a country or develop a future for young people if we do not demonstrate a certain level of pride and understanding about what it takes to keep our country clean.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie (centre) in conversation with National Solid Waste Management Authority Executive Director Audley Gordon (right) and Negril Destination Assurance Council Chairman Richard Wallace. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

The minister added that the Andrew Holness-led Administration has supplied millions of dollars in trucks since 2016, pointing out that the persistent issue is “not a shortage of equipment, but a shortage of discipline”.

McKenzie said the NSWMA is investing heavily in public education and recruiting enforcement officers. He urged citizens to hold the Government accountable when necessary, but added: “You can’t be a litterbug and be a critic of the Government at the same time. It can’t work; you’re one or the other.”

Meanwhile, he commended NSWMA Executive Director Audley Gordon and his team, alongside the Westmoreland municipality and Western Parks and Markets — the regional arm of the entity — while stressing the need to expand community engagement.

A Westmoreland central supervisor working in the area in which the transfer station is located, Stephanie Ricketts, welcomed the development, noting that historical truck shortages often led to public backlash over delayed pick-ups.

“We get cussing because some persons would say a three months, a two months, a one week or so we no have no garbage truck come to the area, because we do not have the resources…but now that the station is here, it will be better because we can have the double trips, so this community [and] other communities would be picked up in the same day, instead of going to Montego Bay, they can come here, the time will be shorter, so we can use it more efficiently while we have this station,” Ricketts told the Sunday Observer.

In the meantime, McKenzie said a similar facility is being considered for Clarendon, which has a large geographical area.