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UBP calls for Fabian clean-up strategy

Government should properly map out how it will go about completing Fabian clean up operations, the Opposition said yesterday.

And the party called for an extra push to get the parks and beaches back in tip top condition.

UBP Leader said that a communication strategy and a plan for cleaning up the beaches and parks over the next six months should be developed.

His call came following comments from shadow Tourism spokesman David Dodwell expressing concern that signs warning of dangerous beaches were not explicit enough, and some of the facilities were still in poor shape.

?It worries me that some of this product is not in the right condition,? he said.

?Make the signs more explicit. Tell people what happened even if we hand it to them at the airport.? He said some repair work was due before Hurricane Fabian. And he suggested that Government enlist young people on vacation for the summer for Fabian cleanup and repair jobs.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister warned that Fabian was the most severe storm in years should not become an excuse for complacency about the urgency of the remaining work to be done. ?Fabian left both physical devastation and quite frankly mental and emotional devastation,? he said.

?The real question is how do we as a country tackle the question of the recovery of our parks... If it was left to the staff then we are going to be here for some time to come. I want to hear what we are going to do.?

He said : ?We are a business and our storefront has been damaged. We have an obligation to our customers.?

Finance Minister reminded the House that the Emergency Measure Organisation had been having meetings and some recommendations were being made.

?I?m asking everybody to be patient,? said Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield. ?Everybody?s working hard, it?s costly and we want to do the best we can do.?She added that she had showed up to volunteer for cleanup duty at Coney Island and not one member of the public turned up.

To which Mr. Burgess replied : ?It?s our storefront. It?s our stock in trade. And I?m not leaving it to some volunteer who may or may not show up.?

Dr. Gibbons demanded to know how much more money will be need to clean up the parks. Ms Butterfield said she did not have the figures at hand.