War of words over racecourse development
ABOUT 80 incensed residents attended a meeting on Tuesday, 22 October to discuss the development of Clairwood Racecourse into a logistics hub.
The meeting, which included representatives from the company that bought the site, Capital Property Fund (CPF), the environmental management specialists who conducted the impact assessments and other key stakeholders, quickly turned into a confrontation, as residents voiced their fears.
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance chairman, Desmond D’Sa said the community was not adequately included in the impact assessments and believes a logistics hub will endanger the lives of residents.
Gold Circle currently has a lease with CPF to continue its operations until the end of August 2014, whereafter the site will become a logistics hub aimed at catering for the proposed port expansion. Community members at the meeting said the racecourse was one of the last remaining vital green lungs in the area and that viable alternatives were not properly considered as the bias was towards development for the proposed port.
“Hundreds of children are threatened by this development, as trucking will increase in the area. Emotion is running high in the community, as was evidenced with 14 schools represented at the meeting. They want to know what impact this will have on the safety of their pupils. Once again the problem we all have is around a lack of transparency and information given to the public,” said D’Sa.
The possibility of chrome contamination was also discussed, but Tony Smith of Lanxess was on hand to confirm that plans had been agreed upon to ensure there was no danger. In 2004, a chrome leak was discussed underground in Merebank, adjacent to the racecourse. The situation was quickly under control and is monitored frequently to ensure the safety of the community.
“The area is already so heavily polluted and this logistics hub, which they are treating as a ‘fait accompli’ will only add to this. We were not properly consulted during the sale of the land and have not been since. The people involved have a lot to answer for and we are not seeing any answers,” said D’Sa.
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za
