Virginia proposal rejected
Durban North residents rejected a proposal for a R6 billion development to be built on the Virginia Airport site.
|||Durban - Residents from Durban North who attended a meeting on Wednesday night rejected a proposal for a R6 billion development to be built on the Virginia Airport site.
The plan, which would see upmarket residential accommodation, a hotel and leisure amenities being built on the site, is being proposed by SeaWorld Investment Holdings, in an unsolicited bid made to the eThekwini Municipality.
The proposal document states that the city was in negotiations with SeaWorld for two years before the plan was released for public comment earlier this month.
The development would be privately funded and the land would be owned by the city.
As part of the proposal, another, larger airport would be built at Scottburgh.
Durban North ward councillor Shaun Ryley, of the DA, held a public meeting at the airport site last night to discuss the plan with residents.
Ryley has been critical of the plan and has argued that the construction would affect residents and require a massive infrastructure upgrade, which would cost the municipality R400 million.
He also asked city manager S’bu Sithole to provide documents, some of which were missing from the proposal document, minutes of meetings between the city and the proposed developer and information about whether any other proposals were made before October 31.
Ryley urged the residents to make submissions to the eThekwini Municipality about the proposal and to sign a petition that would also be submitted.
Some residents suggested that legal action be taken to compel the municipality to provide more information about the proposal.
It was also suggested that residents hold a “rates boycott” to force the city to hear their concerns, but this idea was rejected by the DA’s Rory Macpherson, who said it would be against the law.
One resident said Durban North ratepayers paid high rates, but got nothing in return.
“What about building something that we want, like a civic centre, because this development is going to affect us, but we won’t benefit.”
Airport tenants, who have mostly rejected a move to Scottburgh, were also present at the meeting.
One operator said while the city might view the airport as “elitist” it was playing an important role in tourism.
“Flights from here go to Phinda game reserve and to Mozambique. My aircraft are also used for fire-spotting. If the airport moves to Scott-burgh, it will make no commercial sense to operate,” said the operator
The proposal can be seen at www.durban.gov.za and the closing date for comments is November 7.
The Mercury
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