Durban beachfront needs attention, says DA
"I know there have been contractor problems but the beachfront needs some improvement as we approach the end of the year." - Nicole Graham
THE beachfront needs better care than what it is getting. This is the opinion of Democratic Alliance (DA) eThekwini caucus leader, Nicole Graham, who has asked the municipality for action to clean up the area.
Graham, who recently brought the state of the Amphitheatre Sunken Gardens to the attention of the municipality, said the Snake Park beach bushes, stretching towards Suncoast, were strewn with litter. She added that the grass at Battery Beach’s was almost completely covered with sand, and some of the benches were even buried under it.
“I know there have been contractor problems but the beachfront needs some improvement as we approach the end of the year,” she said.
Graham said she was pleased to see some attention had been given to issues highlighted at the Sunken Gardens, such as the fragility of the infrastructure, and mentioned danger tape had been installed on pillars, and some of the ponds had been emptied.
ALSO READ: Concerns raised over state of Durban’s popular Sunken Gardens
“Maintenance seems to be okay, and the areas are relatively clean, bar a few places like the bush by Snake Park. I have raised this issue with relevant departments. There needs to be maintenance of the dunes, and I have asked the coastal engineer to look into this, as the sand is over onto the grassed area, and there has been no management,” she said. Graham said the roof of the lifeguard towers also needed to be fixed.
“I have been told a new Public Space Management contract has been awarded in the last week to address infrastructure issues at the beachfront, and this will be active in the next six weeks. There is a lot of work to be done, and overall the picture is still bleak and the beachfront is not looking good,” she said.
Graham said the contract seems to be all-encompassing, dealing broadly with management of the beachfront across the board, and she hopes to receive a list of what is to be done at the beachfront, so she can keep an eye on the progress.
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