In November of 2023, MP for Gros Islet Kenson Casimir held meetings with residents of Gros Islet, who expressed concerns over noise pollution.
For some time now, many residents had been at odds with the perennial issue of loud music emanating from places of entertainment and during live concerts and events, which often went on until the wee hours of the morning.
The MP also met with Gros Islet’s commercial, tourism, and entertainment sectors to find a compromise regarding the noise levels.
After that, Casimir told reporters that the Attorney General’s Chambers was looking at existing laws “to find a modern and inclusive way to tackle noise pollution.”
In September of this year, the MP promised that the Attorney General’s chambers would have been ready to present a Bill on noise pollution at the next sitting of Parliament, adding that he welcomed comments from the public on the measure.
While the proposed legislation did not make it to the House then, during the last sitting of Parliament in October the legislation was presented for its first reading.
“…and so the document is ready for public consumption, everybody from the media can actually read through it,” Kenson Casimir told reporters Monday.
“What you will see is some sort of legislation, when it comes to decibel levels, which is what most of Saint Lucia is interested in,” he explained.
Casimir says, however, that he does not expect the bill to be popular.
“You can well imagine no other MP before me touched it, they left it. Because it is something with dire consequences, you may lose political influence, because you may be affecting one sector and being perceived as gravitating to another. But for me as MP, I didn’t come just to make popular decisions, I came to make decisions, so I will always speak my mind. I will always do what I think is best for the majority of people,” he expressed.
The Gros Islet MP urged the media and Rodney Bay, Bonne Terre and Cap Estate residents to review the bill.
Moreover, he indicated that the legislation was not just for Gros Islet but for all of Saint Lucia.
“But I am happy that we took the lead on it and now we finally have it as first reading in Parliament and so the debate will ensue,” he said.
According to Casimir, no legislation is perfect, and he has concerns about it. “You will hear from the opposition and some of my colleagues expressing some concerns but it is something we had to do and legislations are always there to be amended,” he noted.
The MP is hoping that the legislation goes through its second and third stages in Parliament so that, as he puts it, “everyone can have a peaceful Christmas.”
