As leaders in Nelson Mandela Bay, we are constantly exploring opportunities to grow and develop our city, its people and the local economy. The opportunity to integrate a range of commercial and domestic land uses into a mixed-use waterfront development has arisen at the Port Elizabeth harbour. This opportunity follows on from the building of the deep water port at Coega, and the agreed plan to relocate the manganese ore terminal and tank farm - allowing the port to focus on clean industry which is able to share space with non-industrial activities.
We cannot embark on this development without acknowledging and addressing some of the key challenges that we face at the harbour. Much has been in the news of late of the unacceptable levels of pollution at the harbour: oil spills which interfered with the recent national young-lifesaver Nippers competition; and the black manganese dust affecting residents in Humewood and visitors to Kings Beach. We have also seen the recent Carte Blanche programme which indicated the extent of the pollution.
We are currently addressing these challenges in an effort to safeguard and protect our residents. Transnet is the owner of the land on which these facilities are situated. The lease of the tank farm to the oil industry is to expire in 2014 and the lease to the manganese terminal expires in 2016. Neither of these leases will be renewed. It is incumbent on the oil industry to put in place a remediation strategy and decommissioning process for the tank farm; and similarly for the manganese facility. We have put strategies in place to meet with the key stakeholders of both industries to ensure the relocation of these facilities - hopefully to Coega – which was designed and built with these industries in mind.
By addressing the challenges, we also pave the way for future development.
Participating Institutions
Initiatives Underway - a)Environmental b)Legal c)Planning d)Engineering
Economic Potential of Waterfront Development
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
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Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber represents the interests of business in Nelson Mandela Bay. The Chamber has some 800 member companies, representing a broad range of economic sectors and ranging in size from small and medium businesses to large multi-nationals. As the voice of business, the Chamber stimulates economic growth and development, provides a platform for the growth of both people and businesses, and offers value-adding services to business.
The Chamber believes that it is in the best interests of the city’s economic growth, and the health and safety of its citizens, for the tank farm and the manganese ore berth to be removed from the Port of Port Elizabeth and relocated to the new Port of Ngqura outside the city. Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has acted as a facilitator and catalyst in the process of commissioning research to support this argument, and ensuring the involvement of all key role-players in coordinating actions and engagement.
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Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The NMBM represent the interests of all residents in the municipality and acts in a way which furthers its vision which is to be a globally competitive and preferred Metropole that works together with its people. Our mission is to be a global city that is governed by an inclusive and innovative Municipality, focussed on sustainable service delivery , socio economic and infrastructure development and local regional integration.
The NMBM has worked co-operatively with the MBDA, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, CDC and Transnet others to ensure that this part of the city realises it potential from a development perspective as soon as possible. This means planning the area (for mixed use including commercial , offices , residential and recreation) , collaborating with role players for the earliest removal of the tank farm and ore bins and ensuring that safety, environmental and health standards are monitored and met in the best interests of the city and its people.
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Coega Development Corporation
The Coega Development Corporation (CDC), established in 1999, offers a full range of services to investors in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) which is part of the NMBM. The CDC has undertaken a strategic review of its mandate resulting in a fundamental restructuring of the organization from a narrowly focused Industrial Development Company to a Services Group. This Services Group undertakes industrial development for the Coega IDZ in the NMBM and for the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park (NMBLP) in Uitenhage, and provides programme management services to all spheres of government as well as management consulting services to the public sector as a whole including public entities.
From the inception of the Coega Project, the potential for the relocation of the manganese export terminal and oil tank farm from the old Port of Port Elizabeth to Coega was recognised. To facilitate a new tank farm and a new manganese export terminal at Coega , the CDC has worked closely for a number of years with Transnet, the NMBM, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber and the MBDA as key stakeholders. Serviced land can be made available in the Coega IDZ to support both the tank farm and manganese export terminal initiatives. |
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