DURBAN SOUTH AFRICA
ISI'BUBULUNGU COAST NEWS
OCEAN ACTION
WHALES
August'07

The whales arrived in July and have
been providing great spectacles along
the Isi'bubulungu Coast!
The Whales & Dolphins are sighted
everyday along the Isi'bubulungu Coast.
I have noticed the Dolphins swim south
at about 6 to 6:30 every morning off the
peninsula and return at about 8:30 to 9
which is perfect timing for our late rising
guests at breakfast - they get a full "live"  
show just about every morning. The
Dolphins go screeming through the
waves and leaping out the back of the
waves while in the background there are
huge explosions a bit further out as  the
Hump Backed Whales are also jumping
clear of the water and landing with an
almighty slash!
How blessed we are to live on the
Isi'bubulungu Coast! .
EXCITING TOURISM
PROJECTS FOR
ISIBUBULUNGU COAST
The ICAA team have been hard at work
planning Tourist Attractions to take
advantage of our magnificent coastline.
Some of these projects are:
Trade Mark & Products
Development IC -
10 Million  
Cultural Centre Development -
30 Million
Heritage Park Development -
50 Million
It appears that Transnet and
Commonground have conducted similar
meetings with several other stakeholders
e.g. Merebank and the businesses along
Edwin Swales Drive.
The Bluff meeting was informed that
Merebank had refused to listen to what
they had to say until that community had
clarity regarding the Metro’s plans for the
Clairwood and Merebank areas. Transnet
however, seemed genuinely concerned to
address issues raised by these various
groups. They did suggest that the
feasibility studies etc. might result in  the
development not occurring, but were at
pains to inform all those there, that it was
vitally important that it should take place.
They stressed that the Port of Durban has
strategic importance, not only for Durban’s
immediate vicinity, but also South Africa
and Africa as a whole. Obviously, the City
Fathers are chasing materialistic gods as
a huge container depot will be worth some
astronomical figure financially.














The final item on the Agenda was to elect
two representatives from the Bluff as
members of a Stakeholder Forum. These
members will have the responsibility of
raising the concerns of residents and
businesses alike at future meetings held
to discuss the Port Expansion. In the
absence of a Bluff Ratepayers Association
(or suchlike), the ICAA has been tasked
with this function. This is an onerous and
important task and the ICAA will set
about consulting with various groups in
the area to carry it out as effectively as
possible. Watch the local press, the
Southern Sun, for details of these
meetings. Let not the usual Bluff apathy
enable the “powers that be” to negatively
impact our environment.
Let us not impede progress but let it be
“negotiated” and acceptable to all
concerned.
EXPANSION OF THE PORT
OF DURBAN

WHAT ABOUT
ISI'BUBULUNGU COAST?
50 Million
for the
Care of the
Isi'bubulungu
Coasline

Read the reports,,,
CLICK HERE
The plan layout of the proposed new
Container Terminal up to Edwin Swales VC
Drive.
At the public meeting held on 31st July
2007 Transnet presented the proposed
expansion of the Port of Durban up to
Edwin Swales VC Drive.

This extensive plan will affect every Bluff
resident even more than the current traffic
congestion on, onto and off the Bluff. This
congestion is already a very sensitive
issue. This became abundantly clear at
the public meeting held to discuss the
“Proposed expansion of container
handling in the Port of Durban”. The
effects Bluff residents are currently feeling
is from the 2005/6 increase in the
handling of containers from 1.6 million to
the current 2.4 million containers. The
new plan is to further increase container
handling from 2.4 million up to a
whopping 8 million. Bluff residents need
to engage in the Environmental Impact
Assessment of this major project in order
to negotiate an outcome which is going to
be a win- win situation for all. The ICAA
intends to hold a series of workshops to
organize the Bluff Community to ensure
amicable solutions.

The negotiators appointed by Transnet, a
company called Commonground,
together with two Transnet employees,
tasked with feasibility studies, informed
those present of the proposed
development. This session was then
followed by a question and answer
session in which the public were invited
to raise their concerns and ask the
representatives of Transnet to respond.
Some of the concerns raised involved the
impact on the environment, bird life,
property evaluations, safety on, and the
compromised condition of the Bluff roads.
Where the Transnet representatives were
unable to respond satisfactorily,
Commonground undertook to investigate
and send responses with the minutes of
that meeting to all those who had signed
the register.
ICAA to represent the Bluff
Community on the Port
Stakeholder Forum
BLUFF ENVIRO TEAM
SAPREF PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT –
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

At a recent meeting of the Bluff Enviro Team the
ongoing SAPREF Project was discussed and the
following points were noted
•        The Bluff road network has been disrupted by
the pipeline projects for years with constant
deviations bumpy temporary detours and poor
signage, roads littered with trashed hazard
equipment, sandbags, pipes, broken equipment
etc.  ........ CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Next BET Meeting
Tues 30 Oct'07 @ 6pm
St Georges Church
Admiral Rd, Bluff
AFTER A NUMBER OF e-mails
TO COMMON GROUND
- STILL NO SIGN OF THE MINUTES OF
THE BLUFF PUBLIC MEETING!