‘The Place Looks Dirty!’ Walwyn Wants Litterbugs Barred From Belongership

Litterbugs should be denied residency or Belonger status, face tougher penalties and have derelict vehicles removed without notice, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn proposed as he condemned the BVI’s dirty condition.

Speaking in the House of Assembly on Thursday, October 22, the Opposition member said abandoned vehicles, waste oil and discarded appliances were blighting communities at the beginning of the tourist season.

“We go out and we advertise that we are a luxury destination. We say it with our mouths, but the actions do not support what we say,” he said.

Walwyn called for stronger enforcement against people who litter, arguing that the conduct of applicants for residency and Belonger status should carry consequences.

“If you have persons living in this country who litter and they’re coming up to get their residency or their Belongers, don’t give it to them. Do not give it to them. Because we want our country to be clean,” he said.

For those born in the territory, he called for ticketing, "The ones who are born here you cannot do nothing with them, you got to ticket them."

Walwyn compared the approach to littering with steep traffic penalties, including $500 parking fines, questioning why similar seriousness was not being applied to people dumping waste.

He also demanded long-discussed legislative changes to address derelict vehicles, rejecting the need for 21 days’ notice before removal.

“I wouldn’t have given you no notice at all. For the minute you drop it down, I’m picking it up, because there’s no reason for it to be there,” he said.

While acknowledging the minister’s efforts, Walwyn said the discussions had continued for years without sufficient action.

“I want to see the derelict vehicles moved out of my district. Everywhere I turn, they are there,” he said.

He described waste oil accumulating beside bins, including in the centre of town, and refrigerators, stoves and other bulky items being dumped overnight. He also alleged that some people paid to dispose of business waste were instead leaving it at the nearest bins.

Walwyn renewed his call for a better-designed waste disposal system, pointing to Bermuda as an example the Government should examine.

"....Why we can't get rid of these green bins? And then nobody is respecting the country."

Our country is filthy

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader and Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn echoed the concerns, saying the territory’s condition fell short of its reputation as a tourism destination.

“The territory is filthy. If we’re honest with ourselves, if we look at what’s happening around us, our country is filthy,” Penn said.

While acknowledging that the tourism minister had reason to celebrate the BVI’s recent accolades, Penn said the territory also had a responsibility to care for its attractions.

He said the Opposition had pressed for funding through a supplementary appropriation to be transferred to the Tourist Board for clean-up efforts.

“We have done much more with much less over the years. And with half a billion dollars in budget, this is what we’re looking like,” he said.

Penn singled out Trellis Bay, which he described as a gateway to the BVI’s high-end tourism product, citing old vehicles, pallets, cement bags and used oil associated with boats and restaurants.

Recalling a recent visit with someone who questioned the surroundings, Penn asked: “Is this what we are presenting to our tourists?”