THE Durban Chamber of Commerce and industry hosted a Northern Area business forum at the Beverly Hills Hotel in uMhlanga to unveil and simplify the updates on the infrastructure development plans undertaken by the Aerotropolis Management unit in the uMhlanga, Cornubia Town Centre and surrounding areas.
The Aerotropolis Mangament unit is a part of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
Gilbert Hall from the unit who presented on new road developments connecting Cornubia to the uMhlanga area, said that the aim of the presentation to stakeholders is mainly to share infrastructure projects that will kick start economic development in the northern region.
The new Cornubia Town Centre is a developing, environmentally-friendly business and mixed-use district and forms the nucleus of the inter-linked corporate business and affordable residential components, which dominate the overall Cornubia development.
According to Hall these developments are the key to economic development. Once infrastructure like roads, substations and reservoirs are built it will create jobs for the local community and will encourage investment.
“Once the area starts developing it will attract businesses to invest in property and land,” said Hall.
Local business owner, Nikhil Dhevnarian said that he knows that his business that deals in shipping containers will have a great chance at benefiting as construction companies as well as businesses will require his services.
“This kind of growth will take local business people to new dimensions and we can only hope that is it successful and is executed in the expected period,” stated Dhevnarian.
According to Hall the only challenge holding back these infrastructure developments is capital.
“Building infrastructure is costly our job is to tap into other government departments that have funding to contribute these projects,” said Hall.
