Readers speak their mind about rapid North Coast development

We asked readers how they feel about the rapid development in Ballito and surrounds: Is it affecting our community positively or negatively?

Olivia Roels Sak – Depends for who. For those who like a village atmosphere it’s a disappointment. Otherwise a huge plus. It creates so much job opportunities. Also good to see many factories and businesses are being built next to the highway between the Ballito offramp and the Umhlali offramp. More job opportunities. So from an economical point of view its a huge plus. Saying that, the town planning is not exactly what it should be around some developments.

Gill Birch – A few negatives but many more positives. We can’t stop progress so let’s be positive, work with the negatives and you can move to a small village if you don’t like it.

Allie Pearson Cournoyer – Question where are people supposed to send their kids to school? We have no options! It’s insane. It’s tough on infrastructure. Positive for us in construction but at what cost! It’s just too busy.

Eugéne Breukelman – Positive and negative. The increase in traffic and infrastructure issues as well as the increase in litter are all negatives. The positive is that we don’t have to leave Ballito for anything as pretty much all one’s needs are catered too. Despite the negatives I still think it’s the best place in KZN to live.

Wayne Prumdeen – Well as a property owner since 2018, property bought for investment purposes, its had been nothing but negative, cannot get the ideal rent total amount to cover bond etc, property has grown 50 000 rands in six years – its also within a well know estate, owners there have theirs on the market for over a year in some cases and no takers.

Marinda Dyer – Negative, Ballito’s infrastructure cannot handle all these new developments

Lynne Goswell – There are far too many multi-blocks of flats, etc, in the centre of Ballito built by one company. There are far too many blocks on one piece of land, and the roads are not able to handle these developments!

Skye Coulter – More people, means more litter and our beaches are looking dirty. And more problems concerning taxis and their behavior

Lorrian Bekker – Rent has skyrocketed with the properties often not worth the high rent being asked and salaries are not increasing proportionately. Traffic has become reminiscent of Joburg traffic. There has been a massive influx of people because the quality of life is appealing, but unfortunately it is just changing the town into what people were trying to get away from.

Susan Friedman Van Niekerk – Infrastructure cannot cope.

Sandra Smit Freegard – Maybe take a trip to the nearest shacks and then count your blessings.

Privi Makhan – There are certainly way to more positives than negatives. The impact to the local economy by way of development and investor confidence in the region is unparalleled from a perspective of job creation. While the negative aspects to the rapid growth remains that of constrained infrastructure, there is still a lot that is being done by developers and local government to fast track infrastructure projects that will seek to make the region more lucrative for further growth.

Louis Jacobs – Big negative! 15 Years ago when I bought, it was a nice “village”… now traffic jams and overcrowding.

Janet Macgregor Naude – A huge negative as far as I am concerned, is that there are few public “green” spaces. Any piece of open bush gets chopped down, and buildings erected. I assume that there are walking and play areas for people who live in estates. But few parks for the rest of us.

Val van der Linde – Development is growing at a rapid pace but no extra roads for all the cars. Look how many apartments behind Junction and roads in and out are still the same.

Nicola McGinley Tempest – Sandton by the sea, cost of living has skyrocketed. It’s lost its village feel unfortunately.

Kevin Frank Reynolds – Great for the capitalists but quality of life has taken a knock.

Naomi Van Der Merwe – Negatively, moved here 10 years ago and now suddenly it feels as if we back in Pretoria! To busy, to much traffic, rent ridiculously high, youngsters can’t afford to move out, list goes on and on.

Sandy Mey – We bought a house in the beautiful quiet safe village of Salt Rock in 1978, now 46 years later it’s become overcrowded with Estates providing into pigeon hole size homes to the multitudes. Negatives.

Jayanthi Laldas – It’s too busy and hectic. The traffic is too heavy at all times.

Wessel Pieterse – Lack of local bylaw policing/manpower means our small communal parks are overcrowded by those who wish to drink from the trunk of their cars and over power the residents with thumping music. This is resulting in lower holiday appeal from our inland tourism, and it is also having a dramatic negative effect on property prices. So for the ratepayers of prime seaside properties, the lack of local bylaw policing is the biggest obstacle affecting what could have been boom years for property and our local economy.

Daniel Opperman – Positive. Opportunities galore! More options. Boost for our economy. Great increase in factories, construction, churches, housing developments, projects like Club Med,the list goes on. More jobs, growth, prosperity, which means a full stomach and less crime. Great security from dedicated providers. More rates and funding available to upgrade infrastructure and services.

Alister Varden – Negatively because of the traffic on the roads. Positively for businesses, I see alot of businesses are actually staying open now instead of closing down after a few months.

Delia Jordaan – I really think the municipality needs to take better decisions with regard to approving new projects. Many of our roads cannot be expanded and yet more and more estates are being built.

Glenn Middleton – It’s called growth and development. Can’t stop a wildfire.

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