Cape Town - Public Works and Infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille says plans are in place for the further development of Hout Bay Harbour.
The harbour was part of the department’s small harbours repair and maintenance programme aimed at the redevelopment of the 13 proclaimed fishing harbours in the Western Cape.
The programme was expected to be fully completed by March 2022.
DA MP Samantha Graham wrote to De Lille enquiring the amount spent on the Hout Bay Harbour as part of the Small Harbours Unit initiative and the details of the expenditure.
Graham also asked whether there were any plans in place for the further development of the harbour.
In her response, De Lille said the total amount spent in Hout Bay as part of the small harbours unit repair and maintenance initiative was R89.87 million.
She said the marine infrastructure upgrades included removal of sunken vessels, dredging of harbour basins, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements and electrical kiosks to jetties and quays, and equated to R57.88m.
“The land infrastructure upgrades included fencing of the harbour precinct, new harbour masters office, new compliance building, new ablution facilities, upgraded fish flecking area, new guard houses, entrance control and internal fencing, CCTV and security apparatus equated to R31.99m,” the minister explained.
De Lille told Graham plans were in place for the further development of Hout Bay Harbour in line with the department’s Spatial and Socio-Economic Development Frameworks (SEDFs).
The minister said the SEDF allowed for the phased development of Hout Bay Harbour with the works mentioned above completed.
“Phase one to three comprise the further development of Hout Bay Harbour by developing economic-specific precincts in the harbour and include new multi-use buildings, marine support services, reconfiguring and adding of marine infrastructure, small-scale fishing facilities, harbour administration facilities and bulk infrastructure upgrades,” she said.
De Lille said there were 34 tenants occupying premises within Hout Bay Harbour. There are 30 tenants on month-to-month leases and four with their remaining terms ending in two to seven years, she said.
Earlier this month, De Lille’s department said the removal of sunken vessels programme was being completed with a total of 29 vessels removed at various harbours; 15 of those vessels were removed at the Hout Bay Harbour.
It said the opportunity at the Hout Bay harbour removal of sunken vessels project allowed nine informal divers, including one woman to be trained as class 3 commercial divers to assist with the work.
“The removal of sunken vessels project in Hout Bay alone created a total of 110 jobs and empowered 11 SMMEs to the value of approximately R4.5m.”
In May, De Lille said during her department’s budget vote debate that the R501m repair and maintenance programme to the 13 proclaimed fishing harbours included removal of sunken vessels, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements, security, civil and electrical infrastructure upgrades.
She also said the project included upgrades to the Saldanha Bay slipway, which increased the slipway capacity from 600 tons to 1 200 tons, enabling much bigger vessels to be slipped and maintained in the Saldanha Bay.
De Lille had said the small harbours repairs and maintenance programme had created a total of 925 jobs, of which over 500 were youth, and empowered 142 local SMMEs to the tune of R116m.
Cape Times