Construction delay triples JDF barracks bill for half the units
Soldiers battle termites, asbestos in dorms; chief grateful for new accommodation
A DELAY in constructing the Lathbury Barracks at the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) Up Park Camp headquarters in St Andrew has resulted in taxpayers being asked to fork out three times the original estimated cost for half the number of buildings,
The project to construct new integrated accommodation and office and storage facilities at Lathbury Barracks was estimated to cost the Government $500 million back in 2004 for 12 buildings, but the construction delay means that the project will now cost the Government $1.5 billion for only six buildings. Four have been completed and the remaining two are under construction.
Speaking at yesterday’s opening ceremony for the commissioning and dedication of the four buildings, Chief of Defence Staff Lt Gen Rocky Meade said the new barracks have been a long time coming, having been conceptualised over 15 years ago when Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin was the chief of defence staff.
“Then, ground was broken when [Major] General [Antony] Anderson was the chief, and by the time he completed his tenure, we only got half of one building finished by 2016. So in three years, we got half of a building,” Meade said.
Many of the current barracks at Up Park Camp need rehabilitation work. Some are infested with termites, with others being asbestos traps.
“Some of these buildings are technically condemned, but we have to continue using them. This is, therefore, a very good start, and what I am happy with is that is bipartisan. The project took over 15 years, spanning governments from different parties, and so I am happy for that.”
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged the need to improve the physical infrastructure of the country’s main military bases so that members of the JDF can deal with the plethora of emerging “unconventional threats”.
“We see the JDF as an important tool in dealing with what I call the unconventional threats to our national security … . So what you are seeing here is a manifestation of the support of the Government. We are not just going to ask you [to work] without providing you with the tools to do it,” said Holness.
BOOSTING MORALE
The prime minister said that with local gangs skilfully recruiting and strategising, it was important that the security forces – and the JDF, in particular – be provided with the proper infrastructure and that the new barracks would aid the soldiers in boosting morale.
“You now have other threats, for example the growing and entrenched deviance in our society that is expressed in the formation of criminal networks, not just for economic gain, but also almost as a form of social and cultural expression – the gang culture.
“The conventional threats for which we stand at the JDF would not be sufficient in terms of preparation to address the new, emerging threats that face Jamaica. So yes, we need to have a defence force for civil defence to address some public-order issues,” Holness stated.
“Then you have the growing maritime threats as a result of where Jamaica is located, where the major trafficking routes pass within close proximity. So we face all the potential fallouts from that. So we have to rethink the role of the JDF, and part of that would have to be the recruiting of or young men and women into legitimate activities and, therefore, we developed for example, the National Service Corps,” said Holness.
The Government will be spending $2.58 billion in the 2019-2020 financial year to continue construction and improvement work of the JDF facilities.
In addition to works at Up Park Camp, two buildings are being constructed in St James, near the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. One has already been completed.
Meade said that additional lands were acquired in Montpelier, St James, to permanently base one battalion.
“We really want to base about 1,000 troops in the west permanently, and the accommodation we have put up so far can house about 200. So I am hoping that with Montpelier, we will be able to build out some further accommodation in the west as well some buildout in central Jamaica.