uMhlanga tidal pool plans may be sinking
Ward councillor believes the proposed tidal pool for uMhlanga's main beach is dead in the water.
THE R30-million tidal pool proposed for uMhlanga beach (Granny’s Pool) looks to be on the rocks, with the process coming to an abrupt halt. uMhlanga ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, said residents, hotels and stakeholders in the area see the tidal pool as wasteful expenditure, despite specialist studies pointing to a loss of sand on uMhlanga’s beach.
The proposal for a tidal pool was first mooted about eight years ago and has resurfaced because coastal engineers have determined that uMhlanga’s beaches are losing beach sand at a rate of one per cent per annum.
De Boer said the latest findings of the Basic Assessment Report (BAR) may mean the end of the tidal pool. While he acknowledged the findings do not mean the end of the proposal, the number of fatal flaws found may sink the project.
“In my opinion the whole system was flawed with the municipality not exploring other sites made in the application. A tidal pool in uMhlanga never made sense and to spend such an amount of money on a project that is really nothing more than interference with nature is absurd,” he said.
“There were a number of issues with the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) conducted by the municipality. Firstly it doesn’t take into account the fact that public transport in and around the beach area which will lead to an increase in traffic.
“The TIA concludes that the tidal pool will have a minimal impact from a traffic perspective, yet it is reasonable to assume that in creating a new bathing area, will attract more beachgoers to an area that is severely constrained from a parking perspective, traffic will automatically be exacerbated in the area.”
De Boer added that there was no consideration for the existing pump station on the beach as well as the addition of ablution facilities and the loss of revenue for hotels.
“At this stage, unless the environmental consultants from the municipality are able to overcome these problems, then I don’t see the project going ahead. Credit has to go to Trevor Edwards and Dudley Horn and the other residents who stood united against the proposed project. Their solidarity in the matter was key in defeating the proposal,” he said.
