Whale watching view ‘blocked’ by concerned residents

THE Bluff community is up in arms about the proposed and newly established whale watching decks on three viewing points on the Bluff.

These decks, initiated by ward 66 Councillor, JP Prinsloo, Sodurba Tourism and WildOceans to promote the KZN coast, are located on Airlie Road, Netford Road and Finnemore Place.

Netford Road residents objected to the proposed infrastructure in their road. They are concerned that any infrastructure such as a platform or benches will be abused and vandalised, that there is no financial benefit for residents to be derived from the project, as well as rejecting the argument that the because the land belongs to council, it is entitled to do with it as it pleases. They find it unacceptable that no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted, which would have scrutinised their concerns.

READ: Scenic viewpoints to promote KZN whale coast

Netford Road resident Paul Hansen said that although he didn’t attend a street meeting about the proposed project, most of the residents seemed to approve of the plans put forward by Prinsloo and Sodurba initially. “It was only after they presented the actual proposal that we started getting concerned because it is a large deck of about 12mx6m that they plan to build as well as extend the small road to create parking which will be right outside someone’s bedroom window. It’s not what we really wanted.

“It will attract the wrong people, serving as an open invitation to unwanted social behaviour. We have two bottle stores nearby and already have people coming to the area, who are often chased away by the police. This issue will only worsen if this development goes ahead.

“We have been committed to ensuring the cleanliness and upkeep of this view site without additional assistance for 20 years. We’re not stopping anyone from coming to watch whales, we just don’t want to disrupt the peace of this beautiful neighbourhood.”

READ: The issues of whale watching amenities on the Bluff [LETTER]

The old steps at Finnemore Place leading down to the beach, which were in a deteriorated state, have been newly revamped along with a deck and public benches as part of the project. However, Bluff Ratepayers Association (BRA) chairperson, Ivor Aylward said that although this development is commendable, the lack of maintenance has caused additional issues, such as litter, illegal dumping and the attraction of vagrants and social behaviour that causes a disturbance in the neighbourhood.

“Finnemore Place residents have made contact with the BRA to complain about unruly crowds who have been using the place for public drinking at odd hours, and urinating and defecating in public. We called a meeting with residents who said that they had not been informed about the establishment of the deck. A proposal was made to move the deck to Marine Drive or the WESSA Educational Centre, which could serve as a better whale-watching facility and location,” he said.

Ivor said he is not against the development, but it should have been discussed with all affected residents and it must be maintained. “Development should be in the interest of all people, stimulate the economy and benefit Bluff ratepayers.”

Chairperson of Sodurba, Helga du Preez said their objective is to identify potential tourist attractions in the Durban South area and develop a destination where businesses can flourish and people reside. “These proposed view sites are not only for whale watching, but also to enjoy dolphins throughout the year and the magnificent view of our ocean. Our neighbourhood is already a tourist destination that gets visitors throughout the year and they cannot get enough of the view. We wish to develop our potential further. As a whale heritage site, our destination can provide visitors and locals with a very unique experience.

READ: Destiny ‘whale-comes’ KZN Whale Coast visitors

“Sodurba has been in contact with all relevant residences during our street meetings and we have taken note of their concerns. We have also informed them that we are taking their concerns into consideration and looking to find suitable solutions with the help of the city. We will follow up with more meetings in the near future with more suggestions. To make our view sites successful, we need the support and assistance from the whole community. My wish is that the community sees the potential of our area and comes together for a positive outcome.”

Cllr JP Prinsloo said three street meetings were held between community members, Sodurba and the urban design and landscaping department about the three proposed view sites. “The meetings provided us with an opportunity to share our vision for the area and the tourism route, and an opportunity to listen to concerns and suggestions.”

He said no EIA was necessary in this case because the department of coastal stormwater and catchment management (CSCM) already has standing permission within certain limits. The proposal for the staircase along Finnemore Place passed through the environmental planning and climate protection department (EPCPD) because it is in a Durban Metropolitan open space system (DMOSS) area.
“Because there was a staircase built on the site several years ago, and because of the erosion worsening the risk of a landslide, permission was given for construction. Normally any building on a sand dune would be subject to a basic assessment, but this project did not require an EIA.”

Prinsloo said certain steps were taken before any designs were finalised and construction commenced:

• A community WhatsApp group was created to report any law enforcement (vagrants and loitering) and service delivery related issues.
• The proposed view site design was shared with all residents present at the meeting.
• Residents had a week to provide comments on the proposed designs (Thursday, 22 August).
• Concerns will be assessed and solutions will be incorporated into the new proposal.
• The final proposal and design will be sent to affected parties as soon as it has been completed

“With the construction or upgrade of any public facility, there will always be an element of public abuse, but we have put in preventative measures to ensure these elements will not affect the success of these view sites. We are currently in discussions with corporate sponsors to adopt these sites and ensure that the general maintenance concerns are dealt with. We cannot shy away from developing spaces within our community, because of the fear that there may be some challenges. If this was the city’s outlook on every potential project, nothing will ever be constructed and we won’t have new parks or public spaces for the fear of loitering and vagrancy.

“My office received the petition and contacted each of the signatories to ensure that they have all the accurate information related to the project. After this engagement, a large number indicated they did not even know what the purpose of the petition they signed was. It is unfortunate that yet again an organisation supposedly representing the ratepayers will stifle or prevent any economic development that would ultimately increase their property value and be beneficial to the entire community,” he said.

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