The North Coast and its beaches are closely watched and treasured by locals. Any dabbling in the natural order of things can upset more than a few people.
This is the case in Salt Rock, where the Salt Rock Hotel plans to restore sections of a sea wall that was destroyed during the massive storm of 2007.
At the peak of the storm, swells as large as 8.5 metres laid waste to much of the North Coast shoreline, with Ballito and Salt Rock being particularly hard-hit. Coastal property damage was estimated at around R400 million.
The plan to restore the sea wall was approved in November by the agricultural and environmental affairs department, but this has been appealed by Coast Watch and the Dolphin Coast Conservancy.
According to sustainable development projects manager Simon Bundy, rebuilding the wall is against the law as it is a reclaim on the beach.
The sea wall was originally built in the early 1930’s and Bundy claims it has caused scouring on neighbouring beaches and interferes with the beach and sand dune sediment dynamics.
Although Salt Rock Hotel manager Evan Mitchell declined to comment, according to the final environmental impact report, the main purpose of rebuilding the wall is to protect the hotel, described as one of the first tourist destinations in the area.
In the report given to KwaDukuza municipality by Kerry Seppings Environmental Specialists, it was said that tourists associate with the remains of the sea wall and the tidal pool. Furthermore, the new sea will prevent erosion of the beach towards the hotel.
As the original seawall is over 70 years old, it can be classed as a heritage site and its repair could be viewed as the reestablishment of a heritage site.
The approval allows for the construction of both concrete and geofabric walls at sections of the wall that are damaged or destroyed. The geofabric walls are basically sand bags, and will be placed on the seaward side of the wall, while a four metre-high concrete wall will be built behind that.
Both ends of the wall will have geofabric bags to prevent scouring of neighbouring beaches in high seas.
Bundy believes the hotel is not in any real danger from storm surges.
“If the hotel is not at threat, why would you want to reconstruct the tidal pool? Their lawyer has suggested that the hotel is at threat but this, as I am sure any visitor would agree, is only likely if a Boxing Day tsunami were to arrive on our shores,” he said.
He also maintains the project goes against national and local by-laws as the structure will be built on the beach.
The original wall may also have affected beaches further north.
“The problems experienced by all properties to the north is sand deprivation, a result of destruction of the mobile sand bypass, or conveyor belt that delivers sand to the northern beaches, along with sediment from the marine environment,” said Bundy.
The appeal process is on-going and it is unclear when construction is planned to begin.
