Cautious optimism over beach upgrade plans
THE first round of public participation meetings for the upgrade of the South Durban beaches is almost complete, with residents both wary and excited about the plans.
At the first two meetings on the Bluff and in Merebank last week, Yusuf Patel from Architects Collaborative said there were no pre-conceived ideas for the beaches; that all plans would be made with the results of the public participation meetings in mind. “We have had meetings with key community stakeholders to take note of problems and maintenance issues, but no plans have been set for the upgrade yet. Each beach has its own character, with fantastic diversity and each will be tackled on its own merits.”
The gathered group at the meetings – about 60 on the Bluff and about 100 in Merebank – was eager to voice their opinion on the first upgrade of Ansteys, Brighton, Treasure and Cuttings beaches in over 40 years. Consultant from SMEC Engineering and Development Consultants, Paul Brink said they were looking for ideas about what people wanted from the beaches in the future. “We have noted the infrastructure failures and the maintenance issues and we will deal with those, now we want your opinion on what is needed in the area.”
A bicycle path; skate park; surfing competition staging areas; improved picnic area, visible policing, erosion prevention; increased parking; restaurants; tourism stalls; family-oriented entertainment; better access for disabled people and viewpoints were some of the requests made. Many residents were also determined the area remain ecologically sustainable and that it not become a ‘concrete jungle’. Ward 66 councillor, Duncan Du Bois requested that Brighton Beach be connected to the sewerage line.
“There is a major problem with congestion on our beaches, especially on Ansteys and Brighton during the festive season. Should there be any problems, emergency personel would struggle to reach people in need. I suggest Foreshore Drive be connected to Grey Park Road and from there to Marine Drive to provide two access points to the beaches and an easy flow of traffic,” said Bluff Ratepayers Association chairman, Ivor Aylward.
Residents, who believe the municipality has not been forthcoming with public participation in the past, were concerned they would be ignored again and that the upgrade would be pointless if maintenance continues to be an issue. Themba Msomi, eThekwini Municipality’s deputy head of Economic Development said no plans would be made without them. “This is a three phase project and you will be consulted throughout and we will not go ahead until we ensure the public is happy. No budget has been set yet, because we don’t want to be confined by a set monetary value for the upgrade until we know what you want. We have noted the maintenance problems that have plagued the area in the past and will include as many low-maintenance solutions as possible to ensure we don’t have the same issues.”
Investigations will be conducted on the beach fronts over the festive season to determine traffic flow problems and tourist numbers. Thereafter the second round of consultation meetings will take place in the first quarter of the year. A draft plan will then be drawn up and presented to the communities later in 2014, whereafter applications for a budget will be made.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 19 November at the Austerville Community Centre at 6.30pm.
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za
