“Unless it is open and transparent, the Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) structure will not be viable.”
UIP CEO, Brian Wright’s words rang true throughout the UIP public meeting held at the Ballito library on November 21, as he showed the impressive successes, through graphs and photographs, achieved by the UIP in Umhlanga.
More than 25 people attended the meeting and the attitude was incredibly positive.
“We want Ballito to go up and this it the way to do it”, said ward six councillor, Colin Marsh, while commending Wright for his efforts.
How will the UIP achieve this? By creating desirable public spaces in Ballito.
There are many factors to this goal, but one of the most crucial is safety.
“We have to know what is happening around us and we need to encourage the police, security companies and car guards to work together and help each other. Continual communication is a must in order to keep abreast of problems relating to safety,” said Wright.
Achieving open public spaces for children is especially important and rewarding, because when parents feel at ease with their children playing in an open area, it means it is a safe area and therefore a desirable one.
“A big mistake people make is to think that location determines value, when in fact it is the management of a location that determines value,” he explained.
Most UIP skeptics raise the concern that they do not understand why they should pay extra for the UIP, when they pay rates and taxes already.
For Wright the answer is simple, “It makes financial sense, as you invest in your own future well-being. Only money raised in your area can be used for your area, therefore your contribution will make an impact on your direct surroundings.”
“I have seen the decay in Ballito over the last decade”, said Thomas Groenewald, a timeshare holder at La Montagne, “I sometimes wonder if I will be safe during my 16 day stay in Ballito, so I am definitely for the UIP initiative, as I want to enjoy my timeshare investment.”
If everything goes well, the UIP should be able to start working and making a difference by February 2015.
“We have come very far, but we still have a long way to go, therefore we need continual, growing support”, said the director of special projects, Siyabonga Khanyile.
