THIS really is a case of ‘one man’s trash being another man’s treasure’.
Lebanon is now planning to export its waste thousands of kilometres across the sea to… Pennington!
At a profit of $1 a ton, that’s nothing to turn one’s nose up at.
(No, this is not another April Fool’s prank as it was reported in our sister newspaper, the Mid South Coast Rising Sun, on Wednesday, April 13.)
We all know there’s a lot of ‘sh…t’ going on in Lebanon, but only a financial genius could come up with a cash-for-trash plan like this. Based on estimates, Umdoni Municipality expects to make an annual profit of about R4.6 million.
The ‘big dump’ is expected to take place in about 18 months if all runs smoothly, say Umdoni mayor Siyabonga Khwela and speaker Sykes Naidoo.
The load will comprise about 52 percent organic, 12 percent plastic, 16 percent paper, 6 percent metal, 4 percent glass and 10 percent ‘other’, all baled and wrapped for shipping.
Lebanon being a war zone, some are a little nervous about the ‘other’ hidden in the mix, but it seems Umdoni can really make a bomb out of this.
Now, why didn’t Hibiscus Coast Municipality also jump onto this waste disposal ‘wagon’? It’s money for… well, err… ‘jam’.
In fact, our stretch of coastline is far better suited as the dump ships will be able to unload directly at Port Shepstone or Hibberdene, depending on when or if either of the long promised harbours materialise.
Jokes aside, why is it that the South Coast is not a ‘prime position’ or ‘location’ for development?
This question came up at a recent Ramsgate Ratepayers’ Association AGM.
These are some of the reasons ratepayers put forward: Crime, no job opportunities, airport too small, no highway to the Cape, two-home ownership a thing of the past, high rates and development costs, Eskom and Ugu and slowness of getting plans passed.
Whether these are all valid reasons is a matter of opinion, but surely the powers that be can come up with something more scientific?
We desperately need some sort of development – like the multi-billion rand Music City which municipal manager Max Mbili says is still on the cards. Without a massive injection of investment in Music City or something like it, coping with ‘urban creep’ is going to get more and more difficult.
HCM needs to find money to build RDP homes, it needs to maintain the coast properly so that we don’t lose out on our bread and butter – the ‘Venter trailer brigade’ from upcountry – and it needs to make it easier for businesses to grow and employ more people.
Does anyone out there have any contacts in China? Their trash would be worth billions!
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
