Prime Minister Gaston Browne has ordered action to address unsanitary conditions at the Point Fisheries Complex, accusing some users of treating the government facility and surrounding area like a landfill.

Browne said the complex, which was developed with assistance from the Government of Japan, has been allowed to deteriorate because of indiscriminate dumping and poor sanitation practices.

He made the comments on Saturday during the Browne and Browne Show after photographs showing conditions at the facility were raised during the programme.

The Prime Minister said the area should support the fisheries sector while contributing positively to the appearance and economic development of the Point community.

Instead, he said, discarded material, fish waste and other forms of garbage have created an unhealthy and unattractive environment.

Browne warned that people who fail to maintain acceptable sanitation standards should not be permitted to continue operating from the facility.

He said instructions had been given for some activities to be relocated to the Cooks area as part of the clean-up and reorganisation process.

The Prime Minister also warned that abandoning derelict vehicles and other items along public roads would be treated as indiscriminate littering.

The Government has been considering stronger enforcement against illegal dumping, including substantial fines intended to deter residents and businesses from using public spaces as disposal sites.

Browne said the condition of roadsides, communities and public facilities affects residents’ quality of life and the country’s image as a tourism destination.

He urged residents to take responsibility for their surroundings instead of expecting the Government to repeatedly clean areas that individuals continue to pollute.

The wider Point community is expected to be included in the clean-up campaign.