...Durban *Discussion* [ARCHIVED #1] [Archive]

p2bsa

August 10th, 2006, 06:25 PM

King Shaka International 2 B ready by 2010
...Well I sincerely Hope!

BPR
PR-AIRPORT-DURBAN
SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE - SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE - SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE
SAPA PR -- DUBE TRANSPORT AND THE AIRPORT AT LA MERCY ON RUNWAY READY
Issued by: Ministry of Transport
Attention: News Editors
For immediate release:
DUBE TRADEPORT AND THE AIRPORT AT LA MERCY ON RUNWAY READY TO TAKE OFF
I am pleased to announce the final rationalized structure for the management and ownership of the integrated Dube Tradeport and the airport at La Mercy.
The various engagements with all parties have come a long and rocky road, but we have finalized a structure that represents both certainty, cost rationalization, ease of management and implementation as well as correctly apportioning risk and responsibility. I am also pleased to announce that the airport at La Mercy will be operational, and the Durban International Airport de-commissioned in the first quarter of 2010.
The existing processes that have been performed by either ACSA and or the Dube Trade Port company will be continued to the agreed time-schedules and within the parameters that have been established to date.
ACSA shall exclusively build, operate and own the airport and the passenger terminals in terms of the procurement that is currently in process by Dube Tradeport company, and to the existing timelines agreed in that process. The key date in that process being that all construction shall be completed by December 2009. The airport will then be commissioned by the first quarter of 2010, well in time for the 2010 World Cup.
The Dube Tradeport company shall exclusively own manage and develop the tradeport, the agrizones and the cyberport, including the cargo handling terminals in the airport. The land will be transferred to the Dube Tradeport company for development for its own account. These facilities will be integrated into the existing integrated logistics system planning processes occurring at national, provincial and local level.
All developments that do not strictly fall within the narrow definition of airport business or tradeport business and all land associated therewith, shall be owned and developed within a 50/50
joint venture between ACSA and the Dube Tradeport company. Wherever possible, private sector involvement will be sought, with a particular emphasis on BEE involvement.
Masterplanning for the entire precinct and the re-development of the existing DIA site shall be done jointly by the parties, the KZN Province and Ethekwini Municipality under the leadership of the Department of Transport.
This entire project must be integrated at all levels and to ensure that, I have implemented a management structure that ensures that the development will go according to the timelines and decision-making and oversight will be effective.
The decision-making structure will be the Political Committee, that I shall chair, which will include representation from the KZN Province, Ethekwini Municipality and the ACSA Board. A Steering Committee that will be responsible for the operational management, technical issues and project management of the entire development as well as ensuring its delivery, will be chaired by the Director General of Transport and shall include senior officials and executive management from ACSA, the KZN Province, Ethekwini Municipality and the Dube Tradeport company.
It is with great optimism and enthusiasm that I look forward to the successful delivery of the Dube Tradeport and the international airport. The benefits of this integrated logistics platform, the commercial developments therein and the passenger facilities, represents a new road that will bring prosperity to the area and benefit to the country.
Issued by
Ministry of Transport

Durbsboi

August 11th, 2006, 08:03 AM

Yeh heard about this last night! great stuff! by March the interchange should be complete so trucks & construction vehicles can make there way to the site.

mike2005

August 11th, 2006, 02:49 PM

will you guys be getting direct flights from london/new york etc once this is completed?

GregPz

August 11th, 2006, 03:00 PM

London, Frankfurt, Dubai and Mumbai will initially be targeted. Possibly also Singapore and another European city.

dysan1

August 11th, 2006, 05:27 PM

And i'm sure Virgin said they wanted to route a flight from london to auckland via Durban...dont think we will see SAA coming tho

GregPz

August 11th, 2006, 05:31 PM

I'm sure SAA will compete on the LHR route once Virgin or BA start. It was always profitable for SAA, they only dropped it because passengers had no other choice.

dysan1

August 11th, 2006, 05:38 PM

will they have planes to do the route...?

mike2005

August 12th, 2006, 01:51 PM

great news for durban. Direct flights will do wonders for your international profile.

dysan1

August 13th, 2006, 06:38 PM

DB explain the "Red Revolution"

Durbsboi

August 14th, 2006, 08:20 AM

DB explain the "Red Revolution"
Read my sig now, that should explain it :D

SA BOY

August 14th, 2006, 09:50 AM

ahh he is a liverpool Indian as apposed to a man u one.
Is there any other team you guys support?

Durbsboi

August 14th, 2006, 10:16 AM

Plenty other teams, but the majority are ManU & Liverpool, there are teh few closet case Chelsea supporters out there who are coming back into the open with their chelsea kits, & there are plenty spurs supporters!

I actualy was intoruduced to the team by my cousin from Liverpool when I was 6, he brought me T-shirts & scarfs & the works, at first I was like cool T-shirt, never really knew what it all meant, but after watching a few games & seeing them reach win the FA Cup ,I have been supporting them ever since.

Great team, great manager, watch out for them

SA BOY

August 14th, 2006, 11:08 AM

been one myself for about 25years, but prefer rugby and dont actaully watch soccer anymore.
I have a great pic of my first trip to anfield when I was a kid and a even better one when I was in the KOP after fowler scored a hatrick against arsenal in 9 minutes in about 94/95 just before they knocked it down

Durbsboi

August 14th, 2006, 11:36 AM

ooo that must have been priceless, still is the fastest hatrick ever scored in the Premiership

romanSA

August 14th, 2006, 04:24 PM

Sounds yummy...

---------------------------

R5,6bn investment boom for KZN
Greg Arde
August 14 2006 at 08:22AM

Durban is in for a R5,6-billion investment boom that should soon reverberate through KwaZulu-Natal as South Africa gears up to host the soccer World Cup in 2010.

Details of the spending spree were outlined at a Growth Coalition meeting of 150 KZN business leaders at the weekend.

At the heart of the numerous plans will be massive infrastructural projects: the new soccer stadium and the La Mercy airport together will cost R4-billion and will be built in the next 30 months.

On top of this there will be major investment in KZN harbours, railways and roads, with improvements to beaches, a public transport system, pedestrian flyovers and cycle tracks.

A series of world-class events is also planned leading up to and after 2010, including the beach soccer World Cup in 2009 and the World Swimming Championships in 2011.

The gathering heard a proposal that businesses pay a levy to help fund the cost of facilities for 2010, which might also allow Durban to bid for Commonwealth and Olympic Games in 2014 and 2020.

Premier Sbu Ndebele said: "We are on the verge of our own revival - politically, socially and economically. And what's pleasing to hear is that everyone is rolling up their sleeves and getting involved." He said the provincial administration could not develop the economy alone and was anxious to be a partner of business and civil society.

KZN Economic Development MEC Zweli Mkhize said the partnership was central to addressing the poverty and joblessness of "millions of impoverished people".

In addition to the construction bonanza, the government had been on trade missions to attract foreign direct investment, had established a growth fund for catalytic economic projects, and had increased its efforts to assist black economic empowerment and small businesses.

Mondi Business Paper's John Barton, co-chairman of the Growth Coalition with Ndebele, said the province needed a detailed plan for four years until 2010 and then a vision for a further six. "We need to set out what we have to achieve and to identify the opportunities, costs and risks of holding the World Cup."

He said business people could not simply hope to turn on the TV in 2010 and watch the game.

In the 46 months until kick-off business people should plan to take four to six weeks' leave, consider closing their firms and paying the city a levy to help towards the costs of 2010. While he did not mention it specifically, some have touted for the old regional services levies, scrapped by the government last year, to be revived.

Barton said: "Business, government, the eThekwini council and Fifa need to talk to each other like never before and it will need to be an inclusive process because it is not the sole responsibility of a few."

EThekwini Municipal Manager Michael Sutcliffe said the council's Head of Strategic Projects, Julie-May Ellingson, was leading a team preparing a business plan to detail the R6,5-billion investment required to be put in place by the national government, the province and the council to prepare for 2010.

Ellingson said the city did not always let business know what it was doing, but acknowledged it had to in the run-up to 2010, because "we can't do it alone". Sutcliffe said the city had arranged with Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Themba Ngcobo to hold a series of workshops in September "to showcase opportunities in detail".

Come 2010 a new tram system would move tourists around, pedestrian routes and cycle tracks would allow them to explore the city at leisure, and safety and security would be improved by targeting bad buildings where criminals took refuge.

A new flyover to unblock the traffic log jam at Warwick Avenue in Durban and a new train station alongside the King Senzangakhona Stadium were but some of the planned infrastructure projects.

Ellingson said Durban would continue to market itself as a sports city ahead of 2010 by hosting events like the A1 motor rally, the Fifa beach soccer qualifiers (next month) and the cup final in 2009. All this would do well to position the city to bid for the Commonwealth or Olympic games.

Sutcliffe said Durban and Cape Town were the two SA cities vying to host the widely publicised 2010 soccer draw, to be held in 2009.

Meanwhile, Ndebele announced that KZN would host a conference next month to draw on the wisdom of business and churches to help combat crime. Dubbed KZN People United Against Crime, it would be aimed at bringing the fight "back to the streets". Ndebele said people believed solving crime in SA was beyond them, but it wasn't.

"Criminals don't store their loot, they sell it immediately, so we assist and abet them. We have to start saying 'stop' when we are offered stolen goods, because somebody died for these stolen goods. If you get a stolen microwave for R100 you should puke on the food you cook in it, because somebody died for it. Schoolboys wear ostrich hide shoes worth R3 000. Where did they suddenly get those? It's difficult to stop crime in SA, but you can stop crime in your street." he said.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on August 14, 2006

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20060814031949138C703489

romanSA

August 14th, 2006, 04:41 PM

dysan1

August 14th, 2006, 04:54 PM

^^ Mo's info...

Good to hear Jerome...so the option is still open!! GOOD! As for the investement article, i read it too...sounds good, but leaves out so many of the projects! OH so much fun ahead

romanSA

August 14th, 2006, 05:01 PM

Also, the SA govt has not openly pledged support for Nigeria hosting the Games and announced as recently as a few months ago their intention to host the 2014 Games. See: http://www.sacommonwealthgames.co.za/index.php?mod=submain&SubPage_ID=24

However, I do think that if the Games do not come to Africa in 2014, Durbs or any other SA city will stand an excellent chance of securing the 2016 or 2018 games, if they were to decide to bid for it. Methinks SA (in the form of Durbs) won't put in a bid for 2014 if they suspect that bidding against Abuja will lose African goodwill towards SA *AND* if they strongly suspect that another city is likely to get the games (say Halifax). That would clear the way for SA to bid for the 2016 or 2018 games and they will likely have the full support of African and Carribean countries who would have given Abuja the chance for the 2014 games and will then feel free to back another African candidate city for 2016 or 2018 without feeling the awkwardness of dividing their vote for rival African cities for 2014.

dysan1

August 14th, 2006, 08:53 PM

umm....it only happens every 4 years jerome...so next will be 2018 after 2014.

But i do question what will happen with a bid off. I can never see Abuja getting the games anytime soon, it just doesnt seem like nigeria could be ready in 8 years time. maybe by 2022, or 2026, but not now.

I think that since 2006 was in Australia, and 2010 is in India that 2014 will go to the UK. And i think glasgow is a great candidate. My reason for this is that it has been away from the uk for a long time then (since 2002) and it seems to regualrily return. I would say Durban should go for 2014, but i think 2018 would be more realistic due to the location of other commonwealth events.

But wouldnt it be a nice to have...

Mo Rush

August 14th, 2006, 09:07 PM

Oh, and just for the record (esp for Mo), the bidding process for the 2014 Commonwealth Games is still open. Bidding opened in April 2006 and only closes May 2007. Cities that have announced their bids incl Abuja (Nigeria), Glasgow (Scotland) and Halifax (Canada). There are at least 9 other cities that have expressed interest but haven't submitted their bids yet (incl Singapore, and cities in NZ, Oz, and England). Winner will be announced Nov 9, 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

So for much for the critics saying Durban leaders were clueless that the bid deadline had passed. Not sure what info they were relying on.
this is true i was incorrect in saying its too late to bid

1. we are as far as i know stil supporting abuja
2. durban missed a very important presentation in melbourne, if durban is to host 2018 it will need to hope that glasgow wins 2014 , not sure about back to back african hosts considering africa has never hosted before..

regarding nigeria, although the quality of the bid would be questionable considering IMO the few other higher quality cities that could host...however its about politics...africa has the largest bloc of voters on the commonwealth, australia has recently come out and supported abuja, the large african support for the delhi asian bid for 2010 will result in a large "return favour" for abuja...at the end of the day its always about votes...

since RSA officially and openly supported abuja, as romanSA has said the support will be vital if any city is to pursue an olympic bid. IMO RSA should head straight into a 2020 olympic bid...hosting CWG's will def help in terms of preparation, but it wont prevent the IOC slaughtering any city that presents CWG venues and expects them to be acceptable to the IOC, ala KL after their 98 CWG's, while i belive durban is more suited to a CWG i do think that 2018 would be the best shot, but will the commitee send the games to africa again in 2018 if abuja 2014 is not that great? only time will tell..

Melbourne 2006 Chairman Endorses Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Bid
Posted 11:49 am ET (GamesBids.com)

Nigeria’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games has received the endorsement of Ronald Walker, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Chairman. He said it’s Africa’s turn to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games and that Australia is committed to helping the country win the bid.

Walker spoke with sportswriters in Abuja shortly before his visit with Nigeria’s President. He described Nigeria’s attempt as the natural right of Africa to host the Games after New Delhi, India in 2010.

He said, “this is Africa’s turn to host the Commonwealth through Nigeria, and we the people of Australia will do everything we can to make sure that Nigeria is victorious when the bid document closes next year….because Africa supported Melbourne to win the 2006 bidding right, it is only right that we support Nigeria and Africa against Canada and Scotland”.

He vowed to ensure that Nigeria received similar benefits by hosting the Games as New Delhi, who has received billions of dollars in economic benefit, participation of the crème of athletes across the Commonwealth countries, and the showcase of the country.

Abuja’s competitors for the 2014 Games are Halifax Canada and Glasgow Scotland.

In terms of facilities abuja is actually on top, glasgow just has a few "proposed" venues and designs..so in terms of sports venues abuja is most prepared...

dysan1

August 14th, 2006, 09:22 PM

Mo Rush

August 14th, 2006, 09:57 PM

i personally think the commonwealth games has much mroe of a benefit to a city than the olympics. The olympics has become too big, too costly and leaves cities with mountains fo debt and unused stadia.

The Sydney complex is all but dead, Athens will be paying for years, Montreal only just finished stadium payments, Barcelona's olympic quarter fell into ruin...stories go on and on...

i personally believe that the commonwealth provides exposure, but doesnt cripple a city.

Regards abuja...it may well win, but the games will destroy it. i dont believe it is the place, and i do believe glasgow will win

good points..but the prestige of the olympic games will always far exceed the CWG's, that said london 2012 will be an interesting test in terms of large scale projects and gettings things done and within the budget...they sydney olympic park is far from dead though and although the telstra stadium is underused, the complex or park is making a huge revival...the superdome was apparently the most succesful arena for 2005.

barcelona is a city in much better shape after hosting the games but thats only due to the way it went about planning its city and integrating the games instead of vice versa...as for athens...the olympic village is literally falling to pieces and as a friend of mine described athens after a recent visit .." a shit hole"..

i still do believe that a well planned olympic games is possible..cities need to be more willing to use temporary structures for many of the venues...athens is the only example along with montreal in "recent" times that i can think of that were truly left worse off after a games...the IOC will come a calling though in 2020 and an african city is bound to respond...cities across the world will also continue to bid for the games regardless of the many cons...expect a large field to bid for the 2016 games...

dysan1

August 14th, 2006, 10:18 PM

Mo Rush

August 14th, 2006, 10:24 PM

i dont doubt people will bid, they always will. i was in Barcelona in 2000 and the olympic area brought a tear to my eye, it was shocking. they have recently spent money, but that is the last 2 years only
friend of mine dropped out of uct after one year and moved to barcelona..the olympic area is neglected...the city though is rocking...

Durbsboi

August 15th, 2006, 08:07 AM

Wasnt Barcelona's Olympic stadium the Nou Camp? & as far as I can see that, stadium is rocking it every weekend in the Spanish Premiere Liga. As for the rest of the olympic venues angaaz.

GregPz

August 15th, 2006, 10:24 AM

South Africa: Durban Set to Become Africa's 'Most Livable' City After 2010
Sunday Times (Johannesburg)
August 13, 2006
Taschica Pillay

KWAZULU-Natal is poised for a major revamp as partnerships with the private sector begin to take shape ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

According to a recent report by property group JHI, multi-billion-rand partnerships between the provincial government, eThekwini Municipality and private business could result in investments pouring into the province in the build-up to the international sporting showpiece.

JHI's 2006 SA Property Report says Durban, in particular, will be the biggest beneficiary of massive infrastructure development, making it Africa's "most livable" city by 2020.

The report, released last week, said the city would receive R2-billion to upgrade its transport system, R1.6-billion to build a new stadium, R1.8-billion for the Dube Tradeport and King Shaka International Airport in La Mercy, and R3-billion for new hotels.

JHI researcher Marc Schneider said Durban could expect an influx of investments, as it was developing in proportion to the expectations of the organisers.

"Durban has been fairly consistent with developments," said Schneider, adding that the building of the tradeport and the airport could change the geopolitical face of the city.

"The Durban airport site is a strategic piece of land. There is talk of all sorts of potential projects."

A partnership between the eThekwini Municipality and property developers Moreland is expected to create an additional R10-billion commercial and residential c entre in and around Umhlanga and further north.

The land around Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom has been earmarked to attract about R4-billion in investments for boutique hotels, luxury apartments, housing estates, a shopping centre and offices.

The JHI report said development was spreading along both the north and the south coast, with almost R4-billion earmarked for a small-craft harbour and eco-estate project on the south coast.

dysan1

August 15th, 2006, 12:30 PM

i can post the whole JHI report on durban on here...u guys want to see it?

Mo Rush

August 15th, 2006, 12:52 PM

Wasnt Barcelona's Olympic stadium the Nou Camp? & as far as I can see that, stadium is rocking it every weekend in the Spanish Premiere Liga. As for the rest of the olympic venues angaaz.
nope stadium montujic was used..

SA BOY

August 15th, 2006, 01:19 PM

Yip I wanna read it

Durbsboi

August 15th, 2006, 01:28 PM

^^Ok thanx,

no its cool Dysan, just provide a link

romanSA

August 15th, 2006, 05:21 PM

Yes please, M!

romanSA

August 15th, 2006, 05:28 PM

romanSA

August 15th, 2006, 05:31 PM

I think the JHI related news posted above is just awesome. Durban is turning into the Dubai of Africa in terms of scale of developments. TOTAL figures for all development (industrial, residental, infrastructure) in Durbs is just astounding.

dysan1

August 15th, 2006, 07:11 PM

hey guys there is no link...cos it is not publicly available yet, only to certain members of the media and industry people...but i got a copy. so i will post it here...however it will be in the form of jpeg images...hope u dont mind.

dysan1

August 15th, 2006, 07:37 PM

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn1.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn2a.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn2b.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn3a.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn3b.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn4.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn5a.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/dysan1/jhidbn5b.jpg

SA BOY

August 16th, 2006, 06:55 AM

not much in there we dont already know from other sources etc. nice and concise

Durbsboi

August 16th, 2006, 08:00 AM

Thanx Mikey

Mo Rush

August 16th, 2006, 12:01 PM

schweet mikey..

joburg

August 18th, 2006, 12:00 PM

Aengus pioneers loft living in Durban
17 Aug 2006 - Aengus Property Holdings -

Aengus Property Holdings is bringing its unique approach to city living to Durban, with the development of the Berea Lofts, an upmarket loft living experience in the heart of one of Durban's oldest suburbs.

Aengus is a major player in the urban renewal in and around Johannesburg's city centre, and the Berea Lofts project is its first outside Johannesburg. Aengus MD Richard Rubin, who is originally from Durban, said the rejuvenation of Johannesburg had received much attention, but little had been said about Durban's efforts to revive certain parts of the city. “This project will play a major role in upgrading the Berea area. We are creating 132 studio lofts that will give Durban residents the opportunity to experience stylish city living.”

According to Operations Director, Gavin Meskin, the Berea Lofts will break new ground for the city, which has not seen many high-rise commercial buildings converted into residential developments. Aengus will partner with JSE-Listed Apex-Hi Properties - with whom Aengus Property Holdings has formed a company, Aengus Lifestyle Properties - to develop the Berea Lofts as part of a R40 million upgrade of the Berea Centre. Aengus will transform the centre's 4,620 square metres of office space into lofts, while ApexHi will overhaul the Centre's 12,775 square metre retail space.

“I am very optimistic about the opportunities this city offers. The Berea Lofts development is the first of many for Aengus Lifestyle Properties,” Meskin said.

Following the successful model Aengus developed in Johannesburg, the Berea Lofts will offer a modern living experience based on the great cities of the world – Jozi, Paris, New York and Tokyo. The lofts offer raw, industrially inspired finishes, a state of the art security system with secure parking and some of the best views in Durban. “As with all our projects, we intend the Berea Lofts to become a living experience, and not just a place to stay,” Meskin adds.

All of Aengus' lifestyle developments are only available to rent, with the Berea Lofts specifically targeted at students attending the nearby Durban Institute of Technology. This follows research which shows that an increasing number of students are relying on private, rented accommodation. “There is a severe shortage of rentable private residential accommodation in Durban,” Rubin says. “Only one in ten students are able to find a place to live near their academic institution.”

Rentals at the Berea Lofts are around R2500 a month. Rubin says work on the project will commence in September this year, and the Lofts are expected to be available to rent by the first quarter of next year.

Aengus' first project in Johannesburg, the Braamfontein Lofts, was fully let within 24 hours. The Lofts @ 66 flagship project in the heart of Johannesburg is also fully let. Tribeca Lofts, which features 145 apartments in a building that had been abandoned for almost a decade, will be completed in October this year. Aengus is also nearing completion on the Fashion Lofts, a 230 unit development in Pritchard Street, Johannesburg.

-ends-

For further information contact:

Richard Rubin
MD – Aengus Property Holdings
011 442 1881 / 082 909 9991
richard@aengus.co.za
www.aengus.co.za

Gavin Meskin
Operations Director- Aengus Property Holdings
011 4421881 / 083 304 8833
gavin@aengus.co.za

dysan1

August 18th, 2006, 04:50 PM

hmmm...that centre needs a MAJOR overhaul, so this is good news for that part town...But it may be called berea centre and now berea lofts...but it isnt in the berea! Its umbilo/bulwer

dysan1

August 18th, 2006, 05:10 PM

Regards the apartments in Gordon road, they 1 and 2 bed, from R600k...no idea on agent at the moment, sorry.

Other dev's u might find interest in are:

Fusion - Modern Lofts in Glenwood, city views
Modena - as above

both through Hunters www.thehunt.co.za

Also:

Trident - 7th avenue - 1/2 bed - 5F from R780k
Yensa - 9th avenue - 1/2/3 bed - 6F from R820k
The Wilcon - Montpelier Road - 4F From R3,8m

dysan1

August 20th, 2006, 05:26 PM

From the paper today i read that there is a development called "Baker Street" in the cbd. It is studios, 1/2 bed apartments from only R200k. just thought i'd let u know :)

Also news on the Vic tower, developer is submitting plans to council this week.

joburg

August 20th, 2006, 05:56 PM

oooooo... :)
how many floors are Vic Tower?

dysan1

August 20th, 2006, 06:33 PM

^^ originally i was told it would be 35-45F, but that was almost a year ago, i'm sure alot has changed

dysan1

August 20th, 2006, 07:32 PM

Guys u just HAVE to check out this link!

http://www.durbanscouts.za.net/drupal/node/437

The place is called Boogies Rock and Roll diner...and Raffles nightclub is next door. its in Umhlanga where Cloud 9 and ICE used to be.

The most amazing thing is the amount of memorabila in the diner! it is one of the worlds largest collections of rock memorabilia!! check it out!

Was there last nite...the vibe is great and the place is unreal!

dysan1

August 20th, 2006, 10:20 PM

Another massive expansion project. the mill is 50km from downtown, heading south past amanzimtoti

Work begins on R3bn Sappi Saiccor project
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Construction work on the R3-billion expansion of Sappi Saiccor, the world's largest chemical cellulose plant located in Kwazulu-Natal, has started, paper manufacturer Sappi said on Thursday.

Early this month, the board of directors approved the expansion, which would increase the factory's yearly production of chemical cellulose by 300 000 t. Some 75 000 t would replace existing, higher cost, capacity.

Sappi said that all major equipment components had been placed on order and that final commissioning was expected by April or May 2008.

This project represented the company's largest industrial-development project in South Africa since the $1-billion rebuild of the Ngodwana Mill, in Mpumalanga, in 1981.

Chemical cellulose is used as a raw material in the production of a wide variety of consumer goods ranging from viscose fabric to pharmaceutical products and food additives.

“Strong market demand for chemical cellulose has ensured that the funding of the project can be done from resources within the Sappi group,” it said in a statement.

The project was also expected to boost the Kwazulu-Natal economy in general and, in particular, to boost export revenue. Almost 100% of Sappi Saiccor's production would be exported to clients in Asia, Europe and North America.

Meanwhile, the expansion would provide an opportunity for the mill to update and upgrade existing equipment and processes, which would, in turn, result in a net improvement in the overall environmental performance of the factory.

“The expansion will cement Sappi Saiccor's position as the world's leading producer of chemical cellulose. The project brings benefits to Sappi as a company, to South Africa's export economy and to Kwazulu-Natal as a viable base for industrial development. We are committed to ensuring that the project is a win-win solution for all stakeholders,” said Andre Wagenaar, CEO of Sappi Forest Products.

joburg

August 20th, 2006, 10:59 PM

The place is called Boogies Rock and Roll diner...and Raffles nightclub is next door. its in Umhlanga where Cloud 9 and ICE used to be.

I wanna revolve in Roma....!! :)

Durbsboi

August 21st, 2006, 08:01 AM

Looks funky

SA BOY

August 21st, 2006, 12:18 PM

roma is the best italian, or was the best italian, with unserpased views

dysan1

August 21st, 2006, 03:16 PM

still has great views...but nothing beats spiga d'ora!!

Durbsboi

August 21st, 2006, 04:26 PM

^^true, Roma's food is horrible, I just went the for the view, I even suggested they change there name to Roma revolting :crazy:

dysan1

August 21st, 2006, 09:55 PM

nah the food aint bad, but it isnt the worlds best...the puddings are to die for tho

romanSA

August 22nd, 2006, 02:18 PM

Okay, this is going to sound stupid but I was wondering where all the Durbs construction-related discussion was. I only visited the projects section today for the first time and needless to say, a lot of it was there. Dammit! All this lost time...

Yup, things are still cooking in Durbs. Most exciting new news for me was the proposed 28 floor hotel on South Beach.

dysan1

August 22nd, 2006, 03:18 PM

romanSA

August 22nd, 2006, 03:41 PM

SA deputy president welcomes Tata investment

August 22, 2006

By ANDnetwork .com

The South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has welcomed the R650 million (about $91.3m)investment by Indian steel giant Tata, in the form of a new plant to be built in KwaZulu-Natal province.

By Chris Khumalo

South Africa was beginning to reap the rewards in foreign direct investment, after having worked for years on building a stable political and economic climate, Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said Monday at a function for Tata’s newest plant.

Indian founded Tata FerroChrome Steel is to build its multi-million rand high carbon ferrochrome plant in Richard’s Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.

“The ferrochrome plant is of course very significant, as it is well located in an Industrial Development Zone and will assist to attract further investments, direct and indirect jobs.

“Our key objectives as government are to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. To do this we have to raise the rate of economic growth to at least six percent of the GDP per annum by 2010,” she said.

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said it was for this reason that the government welcomed and celebrated the major injection of R650 million by Tata into the country’s economy.

“We believe that this will hugely benefit our economy and contribute towards our economic objectives of growing the economy and creating jobs that are so desperately needed by our people,” she said.

She described India as a key partner for South Africa, adding that both countries were members of the tri-lateral agreement with Brazil, the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) tri-lateral agreement.

“Our political and economic relations are sound and are based on mutual respect and concern for each other’s development,” she said, adding that India was among the top ten countries investing in South Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele also welcomed the added investment and highlighted that the provincial government had garnered R5 billion in investments, halfway through his term in office.

“This (investment of R5 billion) includes and is not limited to the building of the R1.6 billion King Senzangakhona Stadium (in Durban) and the R2.5 billion for the new La Mercy Airport.

“This is together with the building of the Dube Trade Port, which for exporters will have an added value,” said Mr Ndebele.

He said the Dube Trade Port would have a cargo terminal, warehousing space, light manufacturing and an “agri zone” comprising space to grow and pack fresh produce for the export market.

“We will also include an IT platform that will connect the entire infrastructure and will serve as an electronic trading platform.

“All this is expected to be in place in the next 30 months.”

Mr Ndebele said a procurement process was due to start in seven weeks’ time for all the required services and infrastructure of the trade port.

“We hope while the power costs are cheap here, that the port’s mere logistic advantage and being the most efficient port on the African continent, will lure other foreign investors here,” said Mr Ndebele adding that its placement would lower transportation costs for Tata.

Bua News

http://finance.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/recent.fullStory&sp=l50219

romanSA

August 23rd, 2006, 05:00 PM

^^ does that excite u? even tho it aint that attractive? I like the fact that it will fill the skyline more.

Just driving around the city u see construction everywhere, which is a very good thing. every nook and cranny, even into the areas like montclair, sherwood and sydenham have apartment developments. i dont post them all, for many arent newsworthy in style or composure. But asome are sizable. some are 300 units or more in apartment blocks, but only rising 5-6F...so the middle income areas are showing the main growth

Well, the part that excites me is the proposed height and the fact that a big space will be filled, complementing the nearby highrises. That and the fact that Durban's hotel capacity will be given a boost. I do think,though, that the design should be spruced up. However, failing design make-over, I'd rather have the current proposed design become reality than nothing at all.

I agree about all the construction taking place all over the city. Can hardly wait for 4 yrs from now when a lot of it will be complete and we will practically have a new city. Come 10 yrs from now and I suspect the face and feel of Durbs will be radically diff.

romanSA

August 23rd, 2006, 05:19 PM

This was bound to happen sooner or later given the ever growing appeal of the place. One plan would be to ban traffic on Florida Road at night and operate a tram system til 3 am. Of course, even if this were to occur it would not happen anytime before 2009 at earliest. Then, they would have to establish parking spots for people on roads adjacent to Florida Rd.

These measures, visible policing, and fining noise offenders would hopefully help ease the pains of the residents.

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Not everyone loves Durban's party hub

August 22 2006 at 07:51PM

By Matt Wilson

The tragic death of 20-year-old Megan Jasmin in an alleged hit-and-run accident in Florida Road, Morningside, has added fuel to the growing concerns about the safety of pedestrians, commuters and motorists in this trendy part of the city.

For months residents and restaurant owners have warned that the popularity of the area coupled with motorists who sped along the road was a volatile combination.

Last Wednesday, Wesley Shane Aver, 27, handed himself over to police in the Berea area and was charged with culpable homicide.

'Police are never around and the drivers can be very aggressive'
The case was adjourned for further investigation and Aver will make his next appearance on October 2.

Jasmin's death has opened a can of worms as irate residents now openly speak out about the noise, dirt, drugs, speeding and parking problems which they witness on the street on a daily basis.

Jeff Smith who is the manager of Blaine House, a home for the aged in Florida Road which is situated just opposite trendy restaurants like Spiga D' Oro and Tribeca, said his main concern was the lack of parking in the area.

He believes the fact that motorists have to park far away from the restaurants and clubs they visit makes no sense and is unsafe.

"My garage faces the road and every time I go out I find a car parked in front of my garage.

'They should give us a reduction in rates'
"I actually have the Metro Police number on my cellphone and have to call them constantly. The police are never around and the drivers can be very aggressive."

Smith has lived in the area for almost nine years and likes the road and its vibe.

However, he would like authorities to put "eye-level no stopping and parking signs in areas that are particularly bad".

He also finds it unfair that restaurants take up all the sidewalk space from pedestrians.

"I've seen a woman with her baby walking in the road in the rain because of the restaurants taking up space. I've been to Europe and the street cafés are very different to the ones in Florida Road," said Smith.

A man who lives in a block of flats near the Elephant and Castle (a popular pub in the road), said the noise levels caused by speedsters were so bad that he felt like he had to wear ear plugs at night to get to sleep.

"They should give us a reduction in rates. There is also often broken glass on the road and certain car guards are selling drugs, I've seen them hiding it in bushes. Often I feel too scared to speak up against this sort of thing because they might throw a brick through my window," he said.

"The one thing I'm very glad about is that they decided to stop having New Year's Eve parties because the road was in utter chaos," he said.

Another Florida Road resident, Kyle Branch, liked living in the hub of activity yet also complained about the noise being "constant".

"It's hard to get to sleep at night. But parking issues are not much of a problem for us since we have our own lot, yet people have tried to break in and steal cars and some of the double parking can be unsafe for pedestrians".

Probably the most irritated of all the residents was a woman who said the road has become almost impossible to live in.

She has been a resident in Florida Road for 35 years and says the road has changed a lot in recent times.

She also believes that people are using the road to sell drugs and was shocked at how little was done by the police to catch drug dealers.

"I like the road. It's convenient and the restaurants are nice, yet sometimes I feel I need thicker glass on my windows to get to sleep," said Abbey.

"The noise is terrible and the nightclubs go on till about three in the morning. We pay very high rates and we are entitled to privacy.

"Also there is no parking. I wonder how the restaurants get to use up all the streets and who is giving people the licence to do so. Parties get particularly bad when they are on the road. On Fridays they have live bands at the pub across the street and it can be really loud.

"Hillcrest had the same problem, yet the municipality made businesses close their doors.

"Here they do nothing of the sort. You've got to live with the times and I can understand a young person wanting to have fun - it's just getting out of hand.

"We even had a meeting in my block and everyone had the same concerns, young and old," she said.

This article was originally published on page 6 of Daily News on August 22, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060822101428345C552456

dysan1

August 23rd, 2006, 09:14 PM

^^ council have actually developed a framework plan for florida road in consultation with the residents and businesses...they havent implemented anything yet...but they said it was radical and would majorly alter the area for the better

romanSA

August 23rd, 2006, 11:21 PM

I wonder what that could be? I'd like to say more visible policing but that's not RADICAL.

Durbsboi

August 24th, 2006, 08:38 AM

Its nothing to laugh about, but that girl that got knocked, a silver nissan 350Z roadster (convertible) knocked her, & "eye witness's" said they saw an indian guy get out of the car & quickly jump back in & drive away.

Now my cousin (who's a doctor) has the exact same car , so everyone should look at him funny, whilst the suspect was still at large, & he was down from Cape Town for a short holiday & he had no idea why people should look at him like that, until he read the paper, lol, it was funny.............but they later when the guy turned himself in, it turned out that the guy wasnt indian.

Durbsboi

August 24th, 2006, 09:13 AM

Dont know if anyones posted this, but here it is
We’re on track for 2010

17 August, 2006

A revamped Metrorail train, of the kind which should be operating in Durban come 2010
By Michelle Govender
The municipality this week unveiled an ambitious transport plan which should ensure eThekwini is ready and able to host the 2010 World Cup.
eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) officials said they are confident that with “adequate planning” and “attention to detail”, we can pull off the greatest soccer show on Earth. Already the city’s 2010 business plan is nearing completion and is to be finalised in the next fortnight, before being submitted to the National Treasury for scrutiny and approval.
More than R3.7 billion has been budgeted by the Treasury for transport projects for 2010 and the ETA has prepared a compelling case for a substantial part of this to be directed to Durban. The city is hoping to receive between R1.5-billion and R2-billion and will use the money to tackle critical issues, ranging from planning to infrastructure upgrades, including rail upgrades.
The planning process thus far has followed a structured approach with a five-year rolling programme. The demand and possibilities of the World Cup will determine most of the transport needs which will centre around the following staggering statistics:
About 370 000 visitors to the country;
Thirty-one days of soccer;
With 64 matches;
Nine matches expected to be played in Durban, including semi-final matches; and
There is a strong possibility that the opening ceremony will be held in Durban.
Deputy Head of the ETA, Logan Moodley, said transport would have to be provided for: The Fifa family; media; visitors and tourists; as well as the transportation of fans to the stadium and back.
“According to global trends, on the busiest or peak days of the World Cup, 17 000 people are expected to arrive in the city by air, 6 000 by road and 6 500 by rail,” said Moodley.
“These demands are a challenge for all modes of transport within the city. Therefore careful planning to cater for these scenarios will ensure we are not caught off guard. Over and above this we are anticipating a significant number of attendees at the fan fest venues and are also planning around these events,” he said.
Several projects have been identified for funding. These include, the people mover, rail station upgrades, an intelligent transport system, an elevated overpass in the Warwick Junction area and a public transport service from the airport to the CBD.
The proposed routes for the people mover system span from SunCoast Casino to uShaka Marine World and will cover parts of the CBD. The interim people mover is expected to begin running soon in the form of luxury bus liners until a more sophisticated mode and system comes into effect for 2010.
One of the larger, more ambitious projects will be the elevated overpass in the Warwick precinct, which will ease congestion within the city centre and direct traffic out of the city. The focus of the project is to create a safer and efficient public transport interchange in the area.
The upgrade of the railway system, which will happen in conjunction with the national Transport Department will make for more comfortable seating, improved safety and more sophisticated electronic ticketing. It is also expected to increase the current capacity and make way for a new station near the new Senzangakhona stadium.
Electronic
The intelligent transport system will re-direct motorists, through electronic signboards, during instances such as accidents. These signboards will be strategically placed all over the city and are expected to mimic the success of the autobahn in Germany.
Transporting visitors, dignitaries, including Fifa members, and soccer teams from the airport to their accommodation and directly to the stadium are what officials are considering logistically. City officials are working with the Airport Company of South Africa and the province on a new airport at La Mercy and its inevitable impact.
Airport capacity issues are being addressed and visitors using air travel are expected to be met with an efficient public transport system. The infrastructure will consist of a rail link and a road-based system. About 13 buses will service a road-based public transport link from the airport to the CBD and hotel belt.
“We are now in deep negotiations with national government to secure funding for the projects mentioned and once we get the go-ahead, almost all projects will begin simultaneously to meet the tight deadlines.
“We are ready to be just as prepared as the Germans were and need the support."

Source: www.durban.gov.za

romanSA

August 24th, 2006, 11:02 AM

Thanks for posting. This is the article I was referring to in the WC 2010 thread about Durbs hosting 9 events and the 'strong possibility' of the opening ceremony.

dysan1

August 24th, 2006, 12:10 PM

Yeh i that sounds like the one in the ez metro paper...

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 11:39 AM

Is it just me or was this site unavailable for the last couple of days?

In any event, back to Durbs-related news.. Lots to catch up on.

I thought this one was interesting - a massive undersea landmass the size of Germany off Durbs! Now if that landmass were ever to rise (not that this is possible)...

--------------------------

SA all at sea over a new land grab

August 24 2006 at 10:42AM

Most people are unaware that South Africa, together with every other nation that borders an ocean, has the opportunity to expand its boundaries, providing it can show that the floor beneath the ocean alongside is a natural extension of the continent.

With this undersea land grab foremost in their minds, Professor Mike Watkeys of the School of Geological Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, together with two post-graduates, Matthew Brayshaw and Zane Thackeray, spent seven weeks earlier this year searching for new land.

The area of particular interest was the Mozambique Ridge lying 400km offshore of Durban, covering an area the size of Germany.

The Mozambique Ridge has been an enigmatic feature that has caused problems when trying to refit Africa, Antarctica and South America together.

A series of traverses up and down the Mozambique Ridge and the Mozambique Channel revealed both good and bad news for South Africa.

The bad news is that the Mozambique Ridge is unequivocally oceanic in origin.

A possible explanation for the samples of continental rocks dredged from the ridge is that they are thin slivers left along faults as the continents moved apart.

The good news is that modelling of this ridge reveals that it was originally an archipelago of volcanic islands, some as high as 2km above sea-level that extended seaward from the coast of Africa.

On these grounds, it might be argued that it is a natural extension of the land into the ocean, and so South Africa may be able to claim the ridge. - Staff Reporter

This article was originally published on page 7 of The Star on August 23, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=vn20060823234736268C217988

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 11:42 AM

Car plant boost for Durban

August 25 2006 at 07:14AM

By Suren Naidoo

A new R40,8-million truck assembly plant by Swedish automotive giant Volvo in Durban - officially launched on Thursday - is set to further boost KwaZulu-Natal's burgeoning automotive sector.

In a move by Volvo to increase efficiency, lead time and because South Africa is its main market in Southern Africa, the plant relocated from Botswana to Umbogintwini, south of Durban, earlier this year.

The 12 879m2 state-of-the-art production facility has a staff complement of 60 - of which about 50 are newly employed local people. It has been custom-designed for the production of Volvo trucks and buses for the Southern African market.

"Last year, we decided to relocate our factory to improve the efficiency in production and also reduce lead time significantly. This we have done in setting up here in Durban," said Leif Hultman, President of Volvo Global Manufacturing. Logie Naidoo, eThekwini Deputy Mayor, welcomed the investment in Durban's automotive sector at the launch. "This has been a great month for the automotive sector in KwaZulu-Natal.

"It is a sign that the region is becoming the preferred automotive cluster city in South Africa," he said.

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on August 25, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20060825025228338C459130

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 11:44 AM

No let-up in Dbn property demand
25/08/2006 11:35

Durban - There appears to be no let up in the demand for housing in the greater Durban area. According to a recent market study, the fastest growing area in the region over the next 20 years for both residential and commercial/industrial property will be Mount Edgecombe.

Planners are looking to densify the area because it puts less pressure on the infrastructure, with smaller sites and more people.

All units in a cluster housing development, near the Assagay Hotel, that is close to completion have been sold. The units merge the best of the countryside with the benefits of urban living.

The one, two and three-bedroom simplexes, duplexes and free standing houses in the development went on the market for between R700k and R1.2m.

Bruce Winship, CEO of the Grid Group in charge of construction, said the 125 units would be ready for occupation towards the end of this year.

The construction group has also been busy with several residential developments in the New Town area at Umhlanga Ridge. The insatiable demand for residential property in New Town Centre continues with four apartment blocks, one already completed and the other three still under construction, being sold off plan.

"As we are able to get more land from Morelands, we will continue to develop more units. We enjoy an excellent working relationship with Morelands and have dovetailed with them to produce world class buildings."

Each block contains 65 units which range from bachelor apartments, to one and two bedroom units and penthouses. The units were all priced between R750k and R1m. The four-storey blocks have abundant parking for residents and state of the art security systems.

Winship concludes that the new blocks provide excellent value for first-time buyers in the upmarket sector.

http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleID=1518-1795_1987981

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Looks like a lot more resorts and hotels are coming Durban's way...

---------------------------------

IFA, partner acquire new plot in S. Africa
Posted: Sunday, August 27, 2006

Kuwait City

IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA-HR) and its South African joint venture partner Moreland Developments have acquired a further 2.54 million sq m of land on the south bank of South Africa’s Tongaat River from the Tongaat-Hulett Group at a cost of $10 million.

Located opposite Zimbali Lakes, which sits on the river’s north bank, the land will be utilised for a residential development project that includes a retirement village.

Talal Jassim Al-Bahar, chairman and managing director, IFA Hotels & Resorts said: “The incorporation of this South Bank area into the Zimbali Lakes Development is exciting as it facilitates the creation of a large well-planned resort node north of Durban between Umhlanga and Ballito and within close proximity to the proposed King Shaka International Airport.”

“A host of resort opportunities including hotels, lodges, villas and apartments are proposed to be built on this plot. The sale of the land into the IFA/Moreland joint venture is in line with the group’s strategy of developing strong resort nodes at various strategic locations on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast,” he added.

The mostly north-facing, elevated plot of land yields a net developable area of approximately 1.4 million sq m and offers spectacular and dramatic sea views encompassing the Tongaat River estuary, Zimbali Lakes and the existing Zimbali Coastal Estate. The rest of the land comprises flood plain and conservation areas.

IFA HR’s rationale for acquiring the land is to leverage the value-add arising out of its Zimbali brand, the Zimbali Lakes development and the planned Gary Player signature golf course. “This is one of the most pristine developable areas between the city of Durban and the Tugela River, and will provide some of the finest north coast residential opportunities over the next ten years,” observed Al-Bahar.

Werner Burger, president and COO, IFA Hotels & Resorts, said: “The global IFA group has already contributed to the country’s transformation as the single largest foreign direct investor in KwaZulu-Natal tourism. The IFA group’s continued expansion into the African sub-continent affirms its commitment to ongoing direct investment in South Africa and neighbouring countries.”

“We are committed to expanding the group’s interests globally. IFA South Africa will serve as a platform for continued investment in Africa to expand the group’s global network of resorts, ensuring that we continue to deliver prime opportunities in tourism and real estate to our global investors,” concluded Al-Bahar.-TradeArabia News Service

http://www.tradearabia.com/tanews/newsdetails_snTTN_article110137.html

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 12:01 PM

I think a lot of people (particularly in the North) will be heaving a big sigh of relief that this may not be going ahead.

-----------------

Squatters want fulfillment of housing promise

August 28 2006 at 08:49AM

By Amelia Naidoo

Almost a year since eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba announced an ambitious pre-election R10-billion low-cost housing plan for 20 000 families on prime land north of Durban, no work has started on the proposed site.

Opposition parties and shack dwellers - who were promised they would be first in line for the new houses on a site bordering Umhlanga Ridge, Mount Edgecombe and Phoenix - have heard nothing more about the development.

Just before the last municipal elections Mlaba said development of the four-year Phoenix East integrated housing development project would start early this year.

The site is owned by Moreland Developments which is part of the Tongaat-Hulett Group.

EThekwini Municipality executive committee member and DA Councillor John Steenhuisen said the situation with the low-cost housing project "remains the same".

To date, there had been no consultation with any council committee and no formal approval given, he said.

When the announcement was made last year opposition parties were concerned that the decision had not been put to the council. They raised concerns that the plan would affect property prices in bordering areas and would affect the rights of people living in surrounding communities.

Steenhuisen said he was "highly suspicious" of the housing project announcement which had come at a "convenient time" ahead of registrations for the local government election.

Moreland Director T C Chetty confirmed that no development had begun. His organisation and the municipality were engaging in the necessary processes of consultation with all stakeholders.

S'bu Zikode, President of Abahlali baseMjondolo, an organisation looking after the interests of people living in informal settlements, said the shack dwellers had not been given time-frames on housing delivery.

The movement, which has more than 20 000 members from 30 informal settlements in Durban and Pinetown, is the largest organisation in the country known to be with working with shack dwellers for their rights.

After the announcement, Zikode said his organisation had sent Mlaba a document on November 27 last year, asking about the municipality's planned housing developments that had not been accomplished. They had received no response.

Commenting on behalf of Mlaba, housing, cleansing, solid waste and human resources support committee Chairman S'bu Gumede said the city was working closely with land owners, Moreland, in "creating an integrated human settlement which provides housing and work opportunities for people from all walks of life". The development was a large and complex one that required partnership with the owners and the government.

A joint planning team comprising the municipality and Moreland officials was investigating the planning options and potential land uses for the area.

Gumede said a joint "visioning workshop" by the team had been held in June and the outcome was to be presented to senior city officials.

"In short, the project is on and all necessary processes are in progress," he said.

amelia.naidoo@inl.co.za

This article was originally published on page 8 of The Mercury on August 28, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=6&art_id=vn20060828033833900C867291

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 12:12 PM

Some news on Durban's film city

I've edited this piece for just the parts relevant to Durbs (a lot of it rattles on about the food in Oscars, a cute restaurant / video store near Musgrave Center, where Singh and the reporter are having lunch). See the hyperlink for the full article...

-------------

South Africa: Going From Turkeys to the Emmys Via Durban

Business Day (Johannesburg)

August 25, 2006
Posted to the web August 25, 2006

Michael Bleby
Johannesburg

Singh is keeping busy. A week before we meet, he finishes shooting -- in LA -- AmericanEast, a movie about Arab-Americans living in the US. Another movie, Prey, about an American family in Africa that gets lost in a game reserve and is stalked by lions, is in post-production.

The week after we meet, he announces the details of Dreamworld Film City, his planned 70ha film studio development in Cape Town that is due in operation by early 2008.

"The idea is you're going to have a studio which is a one-stop shop. If a film comes in there, they can be based out of there, do their location shooting and their studio shooting all out of Dreamworld," he says.

The Cape Town project will precede the planned 22ha Durban Film City project, held up by local objections, but which Singh's Videovision Entertainment hopes will be up and running by 2010. This complex will host shooting and production facilities, with entertainment to draw people in.

"Durban hasn't had their bite of the production pie up to now. But you know, the way the film industry works, Cape Town is the premium destination for film makers doing commercials, feature films and all that. Durban will have its opportunity and will begin to grow and we want to be in position for that, and that's the plan."

Singh, a life-long Durbanite, says Cape Town and Durban are not in competition as locations.

"I think, in our view, Cape Town and Durban will complement each other because you could conceivably go and shoot part of your movie in Cape Town and come to Durban to do other bits of it.

"But I think from a costing standpoint, like permits and so on, where the city gets involved, Durban does all those free," he says.

"Cape Town charges for them because there's more demand there. But the film makers that come here enjoyed an amazing experience. They're all very happy to come back."

Singh is pleased that uncertainty over SA's co-production treaty with the UK has been resolved after four years. This allows movies jointly produced in both countries to receive full tax benefits from both governments.

With the conversation winding to a close, we chat about Durban, which Singh says is the country's best-kept secret and is being discovered slowly.

"People have said over the years: Durban, what are you doing there? There's no movie business! You know what, you make whatever you need work for you, wherever it is," he says.

"And it worked out pretty well, because part of the problem with this business is that you get consumed by the bullshit. And especially, say you're in LA -- and to a lesser degree in SA -- because the industry is a lot smaller, but the need to come back to a place where there is very little influence that is relating to the business is actually quite good, I think."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200608250066.html

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 12:19 PM

More about Durban's film prospects. I like the suggested approach - the city is / should be choosy about the films it allows to be shot, thereby keeping the city profile high but exclusive....

On that note, Dhoom 2 is going to translate to great exposure for Durbs. It will undoubtely be one of the biggest international hits of the year (Hollywood has a global audience of 2.5 billion; Bollywood has a global audience of 3.6 billion).

---------------------------

It's Dhoomed for success

August 25, 2006

By Debashine Thangevelo

Last month KwaZulu-Natal was abuzz with excitement as five of Bollywood's biggest stars - Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Uday Chopra and Bipasha Basu - were in town for the filming of Yash Raj Films' Dhoom 2.

With Cape Town, Johannesburg and other parts of the country often regarded as prime locations for Bollywood film shoots, it was a coup for a major production house to opt to shoot in Durban.

With the iconic Bollywood figures safely back home, star- struck fans more composed and the frenzied ambience now back to normality, AB Moosa, the managing director of the Avalon Group, spoke about the company's first stab at facilitating a film shoot.

"We have an outstanding relationship with Yash Raj Films that goes back many, many years. There are also a lot of parallels between Yash Raj Films and Avalon Group: we are established businesses, we have established brands and we are family businesses. There is a shared understanding, vision, and value system - a lot of which permeates in the business and the way we work. From the Avalon Group point of view, the facilitation of the film shoot is supplementary to the business we are in," he explains.

"Does that mean we will be doing hundreds of movie shoots? Not necessarily. But we would certainly look at doing ones we find of appropriate worth in terms of brand value, association and commercial viability. Also, we have to be comfortable with the group we are working with. There will be a combination of factors that influence how and when we will take it further and one of the primary desires is to showcase South Africa as a whole and obviously KwaZulu-Natal in particular because this city has been underutilised and is a best kept secret."

Discussions for the Dhoom 2 film shoot began in August last year. In principle, the deal was finalised within a few months. Moosa says the SA segment was supposed to be shot in February, but due to the film shoot also moving to Brazil, it only started in July.

It goes without saying that the shoot required a lot of work.

"Like any new venture, there is so many logistics you can anticipate and there are so many things that just happen and you deal with it on a daily basis. The logistics range from things like security, catering and hotel management to the transportation of the crew. Generally, we had an overall smooth run.

"One of the great aspects was working with Aashish Singh, who is the executive producer. He and I circumstantially share similar personalities to situations. There is one outlook that I have always had and that is not that there won't be a challenge, because everyday life throws us challenges, it is accepting that those challenges are going to come - the true test is how you manage them," Moosa explains.

Directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, Dhoom 2 was shot in the locales of Oribi Gorge, Shongweni, Howick Falls, Inchanga, the Durban CBD and beachfront, and at the Suncoast Entertainment World.

Aside from ensuring the five stars that were here for different durations were comfortable, the focus was on ensuring the smooth run of the shoot.

"Everyday there would be countless new requests coming through, which encompassed bringing in cranes at different times. Although we had a set schedule, there were so many external elements that came into play, influencing the daily schedule. Safety measures for the stunts carried out and the crew were another priority. Added into that, we were inundated with people trying to meet the stars. While we would have loved to accommodate everybody's request to take pictures with the stars, it was impractical because our main focus was to deliver to Yash Raj. It was their expense and cost and our responsibility was to ensure we delivered the maximum we could in the time we had."

Why was Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth dropped from the original itinerary?

"Durban was always in as it was ideal for the action components that needed to be done. Combined with our desire to get the film shoot into our province, I think they (Yash Raj Films) saw the venues and locations and realised as much as South Africa as a whole has a lot to offer, other parts of the country have been a lot more exposed," he emphasises.

"To make Dhoom 2 different, which each producer wants to do, is to create a new vibe and theme. Why repeat locations? The reason Johannesburg and PE were obviated was because the production house had already gotten some footage that worked really well and the scenes they were particularly looking for in those regions were subsequently not required."

Moosa says there are many tiers to the fringe benefits of the film shoot coming to Durban.

"Obviously, you have foreign investment coming into the city. Yash Raj has spent millions on all the equipment hire, hotels, food, transport, security, location scouting, etc. With the crew and the celebrities coming here, and we believe that they enjoyed the experience, word of mouth of the city in a general social sense would spread. With Yash Raj Films being a trendsetter in many ways, other studios would then see they had shot here and it would pique their curiosity, which will then encourage them to come here so that cycle of foreign currency and tourism starts again."

Avalon Group has been again approached by the Yash Raj Films and other studios.

"We are examining everything on a picture by picture basis. Depending on the nature of the story and the theme, we then have to see whether we have the locations that are conducive to what they are looking for. So we are in discussions and in some instances we have the locations and in other instances we don't.

"One of the challenges which we face is that we don't have a structured film plan which offers sufficient incentives as other countries do offer. We have managed to successfully pull off the Dhoom 2 shoot without it and hopefully it will stimulate those that can influence that situation."

http://www.tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3408134&fSectionId=395&fSetId=251

romanSA

August 28th, 2006, 12:36 PM

I didn't see this interview posted of Tongaat-Hulett CEO before. Am amazed at how much reserve land they have (R4.1 b) and they're only releasing a couple of hundred hectares per year. Seems they have a 25 yr plan for their land. Article also focusses a bit on development plans.. Here are the Durbs-related extracts...

---------------

MONEYWEB: In the South African sugar production division, how do you make that decision to transfer agricultural land to Moreland, your property development division? Is this a difficult decision, or is that transfer just a small proportion of your overall land asset?

PETER STAUDE: I think one has to realise when you manage agricultural land – and if you are in agriculture, you’ve got to manage agricultural land – there are different phases. The first phase, and it’s a very critical phase for a business’s success in the future, is when you actually acquire the land. And as it happens right at the moment we are in that phase in Mozambique. And we are in the process of acquiring some 55 000 hectares of land, to put it in perspective. Then you’ve got the middle period, which often is many, many decades, when you actually get productive use out of the agricultural land. But there comes a point of time when you’ve got agricultural land right next to Durban, for example, for which you don’t keep on having the best value by just keeping it under agriculture. And it's at that time that you need the in-house expertise to extract maximum value from that particular land. Typically we’ve been doing in Moreland, and as the city has been growing and growing, that typically has been recently about 200 hectares per year. Obviously at the moment there's been a very hot property market and that’s accelerated a bit, but we do have the expertise at that time to extract value from that agricultural land. When we talk about the long-term value of our land, and we get some outside evaluators to look at it, it’s a bit like the reserves you were talking about with the platinum guys – you know, they’ve got their reserves. Everybody acknowledges over a period of time there are certain reserves there, and they’ve got a certain underlying value. And when we talk, for example, that we’ve got underlying land that’s got a value of R4.1bn, it’s more like the equivalent of the reserves in mining.

MONEYWEB: Right. I think in your annual report those land assets, their book value’s R600m, but you talk of realisable value of R4.1bn. So there’s a big gap.

PETER STAUDE: It’s a big gap, but again, it’s over a 25-year period, and in our own results you see Moreland’s operating profit for this half year was R117m. I remember in ’03 when we made R20m the people were arguing, “Is that sustainable?” – and now it’s 117m.

MONEYWEB: Which is a quarter of your operating profit.

PETER STAUDE: Yes. But t is a good process, and obviously these things go through ups and down. But again, you've got the benefit of a portfolio when you’re a developed land. And at the moment, particularly commercial and industrial land is going extremely well around Durban. And there’s still enormous shortage for commercial and industrial land.

MONEYWEB: I see part of your next phase is the Umhlanga Triangle, that piece of ground between Gateway and the M4 in Umhlanga. And I’m just hoping, Peter, that you are going to do this beautifully because that, to me, when you come off the N3 from Johannesburg and you go off the slipway and you go on the hill and you see the sea, I hope it’s going to be beautiful and not a filthy great big huge building between us and the sea.

PETER STAUDE: Look, the first one – when we do land development, one of the things that we look at is what are some of your anchor tenants. And the first anchor tenant there, which is the on the top part of that particularly development is the Marriott Hotel group – and again, we’ve prescribed how hard they can go and what the design of their hotel will be. This is a big investment for South Africa, by the way, to get a real top-class Marriott Hotel going in South Africa and their president will be actually visiting you soon. And that’s one of the sales that we did in the latter part of this half-year.

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb_radio/mny_power_hour/828478.htm

hsark

August 28th, 2006, 02:31 PM

hey u durbs guys got anymore updates for skyscrapers.com like the height of the buildings it looks really good to see a list like esp with the news buildings and there quite a few of the new ones miss from the list
1. The Mast
2. Pearl Dawn
3. 88 on Field
4. San Raphael
5. Monte Blanc
6. Old Mutual Centre
7. Embassy Building
8. Holiday Inn Garden Court Marine Parade
9. Pearl Breeze
10. Holiday Inn Garden Court North Beach
11. The Spinnaker

good job saboy maybe another sa forumer can join u on emporis like dysan, mo, durbsboi etc the guys who are good at getting info on dev.

Durbsboi

August 29th, 2006, 08:09 AM

Is it just me or was this site unavailable for the last couple of days?
Yes there was a problem with the site, some DNS crap, anyhoo WE BACK! :scouserd:

dysan1

August 29th, 2006, 11:02 AM

^^ well it fucking pissed me off!

dysan1

August 29th, 2006, 11:05 AM

hey hsark...i give giles all the information i get, so there is no more i can do. he only one missing from ur list would be pearl sky...and thats only if it gets approval.

Seems like there are many many projects still heading our way...good good good!!

p2bsa

August 29th, 2006, 11:44 AM

And, don't accept the invite just look at the main part of the Suncoast Hotel & Towers

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k59/DURBAN2010/HOTELe-invite.jpg

Durbsboi

August 29th, 2006, 02:19 PM

Thanks for the invite p2bsa. lol, jus joking.
U work for WHBO? or are u just one of the guys thats involved in the project?
Take lotsa pics!!!!

dysan1

August 29th, 2006, 03:03 PM

big event...lets see what happens...first new beachfront hotel in like forever!

romanSA

August 29th, 2006, 04:22 PM

I was reading a development-related tabloid called 'The Bugle' today. Its lead story was the R8 b new development coming up at Umhlanga. Anyways, the guy interviewed from Morelands said that the residential node will include a 30 story tower! Was thrilled to see that. I hope this will spur other highrises in that zone.

mike2005

August 29th, 2006, 05:36 PM

wow thats great news. does anyone have any more news on pearl sky and if it is going ahead?

dysan1

August 29th, 2006, 10:59 PM

Yeh there are 2 highrise towers for the ridge, one being the Marriott. There are two other sites near it for 25-35F towers.

Regards Pearl Sky, the developers will have to wait for the outcome of the appeal on Pearl Dawn before they can even contemplate what will happen to it.

mike2005

August 30th, 2006, 01:33 PM

i hope it goes ahead cos I bloody love it.

mike2005

August 30th, 2006, 01:35 PM

wow the news about the towers on the ridge is awsome. Imagine them being there as well as pearl dawn and pearl sky. The whole place will be stunning.

dysan1

August 30th, 2006, 02:33 PM

Work has also commenced on an office tower on the site of the old Mercedes dealership on the ridge. It is right next to umhlanga hospital. The building will be 10F and will house medical related professionals and industry. Even tho the marriott is being built in front of them they will still have sea views and a view of the coastline. Work has commenced

romanSA

August 30th, 2006, 04:54 PM

Yup, that area will be stunning in 5 yrs from now. Essentially, a whole new town. From a development perspective, I don't think there is / will be a comparable place anywhere else in SA.

romanSA

August 30th, 2006, 04:55 PM

Markex for Durban in 2007

In a first for Durban, Markex, the marketing, promotions and special events exhibition, will be held at the city's International Conference Centre (ICC) Durban in August 2007. The exhibition has a long history, having first opened its doors 20 years ago in Johannesburg.

"The show continues to grow each year and is an important date in the calendar for buyers of corporate wear and corporate gifts, as well as marketing managers, event organisers and brand managers, to name a few," says Lynn Chamier, director at Exhibitions for Africa, the event organisers.

"There are a large number of corporates either based in Durban or with their head offices situated there, so the market demand for an exhibition of this nature has been growing for some time and we felt the time was right to respond to this demand."

She says that the show will give industry players an opportunity to meet the market face-to-face, build stronger prospect databases, generate high-quality sales leads, increase media exposure and build brand awareness.

"We have hosted the exhibition in both Johannesburg and Cape Town before, and felt it was only right to take Markex to the people of Durban as well, particularly since they have a world-class venue in the form of the ICC," says Chamier.

"Exhibitions for Africa is thrilled to have the opportunity to take Markex to a market which is growing all the time and which will present a new and exciting challenge for us. We plan to take the expo to a new level as we are well aware that there is a lot happening in Durban in regards to this industry."

She points out that Markex attracts key decision makers and buyers from the industry, including brand managers, business owners, chief executives, creative directors, direct marketing managers and marketing directors and consultants.

"The show is, however, well established in Johannesburg and because of this, we will still be holding Markex in Johannesburg in June 2007, with the additional bonus of a second exhibition in Durban later in the year.

"We will follow a similar route in 2008, only this time we will hold the expo in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, with a decision on where it will be held in 2009 to be taken at a later stage," concludes Chamier.

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/11/11446.html

makoppa

August 31st, 2006, 04:45 PM

First hour and day of Spring- here in 'Seedyney' (I.O.C. chief's pronounciation;-) and a fresh panorama of Durban for SSC banner. YAY! What a gr8 view from the Berea onto the Racetrack, CBD and Beachfront Hotels. Lived 1st 5 yrs on Currie Rd. Go Durbs!

joburg

August 31st, 2006, 07:10 PM

hehe.. we still have Kuala Lampur here. :) I quite like the Suncoast Hotel... it's very Durban beachfront.

romanSA

September 1st, 2006, 12:08 AM

Congrats to all those concerned for getting the Durbs banner organised. Looks great!

romanSA

September 1st, 2006, 12:09 AM

PS - I waited til midnight SA time to see this one!! Was worth it!

Durbsboi

September 1st, 2006, 09:20 AM

^^They using the wrong one...........but hey it looks cool! YES FINALY DURBS HITS DA MAP!

GregPz

September 1st, 2006, 10:00 AM

Just got back from a couple of weeks away from civilisation - bliss! I thought this banner was going to be used!!?

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8291/banner1emn0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Feeling pissed off that it wasn't :gunz: . Who decided to change it?
Gotta go find a corner to sulk in now...

Durbsboi

September 1st, 2006, 10:17 AM

Yeh I was expecting that one too

hsark

September 1st, 2006, 11:37 AM

well done to all the monkeys in durbs for get ur banner up :)

romanSA

September 1st, 2006, 11:44 AM

I also thought the Vic Embankment pic would be used today but figured you guys changed your minds while I was out of Net access a few weeks ago. I much prefer the one GregPZ posted but the Berea one, although less impressive in my opinion, is the best 2nd choice alternative. By the way, who submitted this banner above? Thryve?

GregPz

September 1st, 2006, 01:12 PM

Guess we'll never know. Thryve chooses not to let us know what going on...

Durbsboi

September 1st, 2006, 01:43 PM

Dysan suggested that one, wayyy before Gregz super cool ones came into play

romanSA

September 1st, 2006, 02:28 PM

More details about Gateway's expansion and potential for expansion...

--------------------------------

Old Mutual Property in R600m expansion
01 Sep 2006 - Inet Bridge -

Intro
An R67m expansion at Gateway Theatre of Shopping for a Virgin Active health club formed part of a R600m national pipeline of projects and refurbishments by Old Mutual Property Group

By Edward West
An R67m expansion at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban North for a Virgin Active health club formed part of a R600m national pipeline of projects and refurbishments by Old Mutual Property Group, group business development executive Brent Wiltshire, said yesterday.

Group regional manager Mike Rodel said the health club, which would open in the first quarter of next year, followed a series of expansions at Gateway.

Other expansions include a R105m redevelopment of East London's Vincent Park Shopping Centre, a R104m refurbishment of The Link Shopping Centre in Cape Town, a R88m expansion of parking facilities at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria, a R107m extension of Bayside Centre, Cape Town and a R20,5m expansion of The Zone@Rosebank.

Rodel said the foot count at Gateway had risen 11% year on year with no slowndown in spite of the recent interest rate hikes. "On some weekends and during holidays, we're almost bursting," he said.

There was about 165000m still available for Gateway to expand, he said. Also, Moreland's Umhlanga Triangle and Cornubia mixed residential projects were likely to come on stream in the longer term.

Moreland, which is Tongaat-Hulett's property development arm, aims to start construction of its R8bn Umhlanga Triangle development towards the end of the year.

It also wants to develop its R2,5bn mixed residential and sub-regional hub, Cornubia, between Phoenix and Umhlanga Rocks, from 2008.

Wiltshire said Gateway had been a catalyst for development in the Umhlanga area since the new millennium.

Business Day

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=7741

Mo Rush

September 1st, 2006, 02:43 PM

I hope this is not off topic but when will work on the Durban CBD and the beachfront start? Some serious work is needed. Why are they allowing the CBD to take a turn for the worse? Where could i find info on improvements planned for the CBD? the ethekwini website?

dysan1

September 1st, 2006, 03:13 PM

yeh i posted it on the site a bit before gregs ones...but i thought we had agreed on the other ones with vic embankment...oh well, next time i guess...all in all good to have durban up on the screen...lets hope people that dont know where we are look at the pic and look us up!

dysan1

September 1st, 2006, 03:25 PM

regards the cbd...

The city has done ALOT of work on the key central area around city hall. and west/smith until field.

That area is really nice imo. They are doing alot of work, but as with Joburg, Durban's CBD is far larger than CT's and as such will take alot longer to fix every area.

There is alot of info on the cities website. iTrump are the people doing all the work...the cities improvement agency.

dysan1

September 1st, 2006, 03:28 PM

since when was it a Virgin? i was told by my dad's mate who did the architecture for it that it was a Planet Fitness

Mo Rush

September 1st, 2006, 04:39 PM

makoppa

September 2nd, 2006, 07:38 AM

To have Durban be followed on the banner by NYC (very cool view from back of Brooklyn) nogal! Would anyone be able to do a 360 deg. spin with the camera from the Racecourse? Dysan1, GregPz or Durbsboi? Someone- please. :-)))

mike2005

September 2nd, 2006, 01:06 PM

Do we have a list of CBD projects and safety initiatives etc? Mind you when umhlanga new town is done why would any of us go to the CBD as the new town will be so bloody awsome.

dysan1

September 3rd, 2006, 10:19 PM

Dbn's Albert Park: Mini-manhattan? - 2006/08/30

Situated on the edge of Durban's CBD, Albert Park means vastly different things to different people. To some, it's a slum area, high in crime. To others, it's a jewel waiting to be polished if you read the framework plan prepared by the City more than three years ago.

According to Richard Dobson of the iTRUMP (Inner Thekwini Regeneration and Urban Management Programme] in the Thekwini municipality's office of strategic projects, the "framework plan" has been approved and substantial progress has already been made towards upgrading the precinct. Measures to make the area safer for pedestrians and commuters alike include the construction of medians in the roads, speed tables, lighting and landscaping, he says. During the current financial year, he adds, the municipality's focus will be on this zone, particularly the St Andrews Street area where an annual neighbourhood music festival will take place, an event that will necessitate the closure of the street. Dobson says further that there are also four dedicated Metro Police-monitored CCTV cameras in the area, while a further few exist purely to scan the periphery.

Consideration has been given to some fairly innovative ideas for the expansion of the precinct via a cycle track that could link Albert Park with Blue Lagoon by way of the Victoria Embankment to the harbour and on to the Point Waterfront and the Durban beachfront, Dobson says further. A pedestrian link between Albert Park and Wilson's Wharf has also been mooted, as has the elevation or depression of the railway line along the Embankment.

Individual opinions aside, Dobson says Albert Park is regarded by the city as a valuable asset that has changed its profile from predominantly retired white pensioners to black Africans who are mostly well educated and hold down jobs in the city. Its rundown appearance in parts is due to dysfunctional body corporates and illegal or disruptive activities that take place within some of the buildings. But Dobson says the municipality has made a concerted effort to spruce up the exterior of the buildings and, of approximately 100 targeted buildings; over 60 have been cleaned up in the past two years.

It is also predominantly in the rented and leased buildings that the "non-preferred" activities take place, he notes, and here the municipality has to rely on the support of the owners in terms of improving the situation. "Owners can refuse to renew lease and rental agreements if they choose to. That the character of the precinct is greatly influenced at present by its 40-plus alcohol outlets in four city blocks and the existence of a relatively large community of immigrants from up north is not something that the city planners can ignore as they strive to bring Albert Park in line with their plans to make the whole city presentable in time for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup."

There's no doubt that the street corners, cafes and taverns in the Albert Park area turn it into a bustling metropolis after dark, not unlike a mini version of Manhattan in the USA. Music blares from cars and apartments alike, and trade in every conceivable commodity is blatant and brisk. According to Dobson, the real estate agencies that service the precinct enjoy a steady turnover with ongoing buying and selling of apartments. This, he believes, can only auger well for the future, irrespective of whether they are buying because they enjoy living in the area or because they know a good investment when they see one.

Durbsboi

September 4th, 2006, 08:19 AM

Jakes1

September 4th, 2006, 10:04 AM

Yeh, they better get the crime sorted out in the Albert park area first, then think about developing it. & with regards to Mo's question about the city's "revival" so to speak, it is taking a while to begin, but as I said before, its all going to start around the ICC area, once all those projects begin, the rest of town will kick in. Durban CBD is not as bad as people think, ok CT is better, but we not as bad as how Jhb CBD is gone.

Just a note on Jozi Cbd. Read a few of my experiences in the Jozi CBD on the johannesburg forum. I agree that the CBD went through a traumatic phase, but the pace of redevelopment is astounding! I am not saying it is all moonlight and roses (with regard to the future as well), but just read about all the new developments. One thing I do agree with. Jozi and Durbs have very expansive CBD's, much larger than Cape Town. So it took longer to redevelop. Plus, Areas like Umhlanga, Sandton, Melrose etc are putting more strain on Durbs and Jozi's CBD's. I know you guys have Century City etc in CapeTown, but CT is much more compact as a city, so it was more natural for the CBD to attract investment again.

Jakes1

September 4th, 2006, 10:10 AM

To add - thanx to all those people who saw the positives in our CBD's! Thank you for not allowing developers with no soul rip the heart out of our cities. My only fear in Durban is that Umhlanga will strangle the CBD, but I don't think it will - because Durbs is experiencing such a boom. I love Durbs, it has so much to offer. But don't look past Jozi my friends - here is an old dame planning to come back with a bang! Keep up all the good work in the east though - will be visiting soon...

dysan1

September 4th, 2006, 11:08 AM

thanx buddy...Jozi CBD should bounce back...i find the biggest impediment being the people that live in Jozi, they like their high walls and townhouses...gotta get people to walk the streets like we do in Durbs and CT

Durbsboi

September 4th, 2006, 11:13 AM

Jakes1

September 4th, 2006, 11:33 AM

Dysan, I agree with you totally. Here in jozi us northern suburb people looove our cars. People think nothing of living more than 30km from work. We dont like to walk, which is sad cause our weather is perfect. And unfortunately we love following the current crazes, and tuscan/balinese/french lowrise suburban sprawl seems to be the flavour of the month. Sad thing - urban sprawl is not sustainable in the long-term and pretty soon the tough realities of south african socio-economics will catch up with these unimaginative developments.

romanSA

September 4th, 2006, 06:04 PM

Durbs to get another industrial park...

----------------------------

R102m industrial park under development in KZN
04 Sep 2006 - Engineering News -

Construction of a R102-million industrial park is under way on a 7,4 ha site in Goodwood Road, Mahogany Ridge, the key Pinetown warehousing and light manufacturing address, the developer said in an email statement at the weekend.

The development, which is being built by the Old Mutual Property Group, is reportedly in response to a shortage of large industrial space in greater Durban. It is part of a R1-billion development pipeline for the group and will consist of four units of warehousing space, with offices. The largest unit is a generic in nature, consisting of 22 000m2, which can be divided as required, with the others at 7 000m2, 3 500m2 and 2 500m2.

The development is expected to be ready for occupation in the first half of 2007.

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=7751

romanSA

September 4th, 2006, 06:06 PM

Looks like the construction boom in Durbs is causing headaches (literally!)...

-------------------------

High cost of 'accident-prone' building boom
Ayanda Mhlongo
September 04 2006 at 04:21PM

The current property boom and pressure to meet building deadlines are cited as the main reasons why construction companies flout building regulations, resulting in an increasing number of accidents.

The employment of unskilled workers and failure to provide training has also resulted in many fatal incidents.

The department of labour has admitted that it is concerned about the increasing number of accidents at construction sites in the province.

Safety at construction sites is administered in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

Recently two men working at separate construction sites almost died.

On the Bluff, a 30-year-old man survived when a concrete slab fell on to him. He escaped with minor injuries.

In the second accident a man fell from a building structure on to a concrete slab. He sustained serious injuries and is still in hospital.

Construction companies are warning against the employment of unskilled labourers in the building industry, which they say is a risk to the safety of the workers and compromises the standards of new construction.

An independent contractor said that due to the construction boom in and around Durban some companies were employing unskilled labourers to speed up the process of building. "The demand out there is enormous and it seems that everyone is trying their best to meet the demands.

"It is mainly with the smaller developments like building houses that you may find problems with the structures," he said.

According to the labour department, over the past two years 2 500 incidents, of which 26 were fatal, were reported to the Federated Employers' Mutual Assurance (FEM) Company, which insures employers and employees in the event of an accident.

According to the department spokesperson, Mokgadi Pela, not all accidents are reported to the department.

He said that certain construction companies were not fully compliant with the regulations.

"More than 4 000 inspections at construction sites were conducted over the two years and more than 1 000 notices were issued to employers to rectify non-compliance within a specified period," he said.

The Master Builders Association's (MBA) Occupational Health and Safety manager Neels Nortje said the employment of unskilled workers and their exposure to hazards and risk was extremely dangerous.

People with problems regarding the construction industry and labour practices can contact the Labour Department in Durban at 031 366 2000, or in Pietermaritzburg at 033 342 9361.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=125&art_id=vn20060904103339791C590349

romanSA

September 4th, 2006, 06:12 PM

Mike, it's definitely a Virgin Active and not a Planet Fitness on the way to Gateway...

--------------------

R67 million expansion for Gateway
01 Sep 2006 - Old Mutual Property Group - Michael Kerkhoff & Associates

Intro
A R67 million expansion is under way at Gateway Theatre of Shopping to house a state-of-the-art health club for residents and workers in the fast-growing north Durban node around Umhlanga Ridge and the new town centre there.

A R67 million expansion is under way at Gateway Theatre of Shopping to house a state-of-the-art health club for residents and workers in the fast-growing north Durban node around Umhlanga Ridge and the new town centre there.

The expansion at Gateway is part of a pipeline of development projects and refurbishments worth more than R600 million that are being undertaken by Old Mutual Property Group, says Brent Wiltshire, business development executive of the group.

He says the group‘s pipeline is set to grow even further as assessments and concepts are finalised on a mix of commercial, industrial and residential projects throughout South Africa, including KwaZulu/Natal.

“The Gateway expansion follows a series of extensions since the R1,4 billion centre opened in September 2001, in particular to house large national chain stores,” he says.

“Gateway has been a catalyst for development in the Umhlanga area since the new millennium. However, till now, a health club, notably with national reciprocity, has been a missing element in the mix of retail, commercial, residential and hotel projects that have helped to establish the town centre. “

Mike Rodel, regional general manager of Old Mutual Property Group, says a Virgin Active health club will open at Gateway in the first quarter of 2007. Virgin Active has established 80 clubs nationwide with a total of 450 000 members.

“The club will be at the northern end of the complex and will offer plenty of parking for members. It will be built on two levels over 4 724m² through a conversion of existing parking decks. “

Rodel says the addition of the Virgin Active club will boost visitor flow at Gateway.

“Gateway has a broad appeal because of its retailer mix and entertainment offering and enjoys the largest number of visitors to any centre managed by Old Mutual Property Group. The 2005 foot count was 21 million, 19% up on 2004, and included 2,9 million in December, a 10% gain.”

Rodel says Gateway met Virgin Active’s requirements for its club sites to have complimentary facilities and to be large enough to accommodate the group’s new concepts. He expects an announcement on the concepts for the Gateway club to be made by Virgin Active shortly.

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=7743

romanSA

September 4th, 2006, 06:14 PM

In case you didn't hear yet, they're (finally) here (well, kind of like)....

-------------------------

Sardine surprise for Durbanites

September 04, 2006, 11:00

People on Durban's beachfront had an early morning surprise today after sardines showed up in the surf. Mike Anderson-Reid, the Sharks Board spokesperson, says although the time for the normal sardine run is over, it is not unusual to see small pockets of the fish putting in an appearance at this time of year.

"They have netted four times so far in the Addington Beach areas. They are mixed between red-eyed sardines, which is the East Coast herring, and pilchards. I do not think we will have much more, but there will be bits and pieces that we will see along the coast. But, if we had had a normal sardine run as well as have sardines in September, this is not unusual", Anderson-Reid says.

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,134247,00.html

dysan1

September 4th, 2006, 08:06 PM

When u in jhb city center, you dont feel like you in a SA city, it has that big city vibe, but the down fall is the fear in most peoples faces, rushing about. The banks are doing a good job by investing in the Jhb CBD & keeping their headoffices there.
It should revive the place, give it some time, prob after 2010 things will be alot different.

I dont fully agree. While the CBD is the largest in south africa i felt it no longer offers the big city vibe it may well have once done. It needs the street cafes and quality/clean streetscape.

I see it happening, but i believe alot of psychological manipulation of the population is going to be required to ensure a successful turnaround, for the current mindset of northern jozi residents is not conducive to encourage inner city living. Internal mindsets will need to be altered. years of walls, cars and gardens have left their toll. To encourage walking, communal space and interaction, and living in close proximity to others, much will need to be done to condition the minds of people. to encourage this way of life. if that is not done, it wont work.

dysan1

September 4th, 2006, 08:12 PM

Thanx jerome...

industrial space is dearly needed! At present there is almost 300 000m2 u/c in Durban, with that not even fulling the demand.

Regards the Virgin, i am surprised...maybe old mutual decided against planet fitness for some reason. At 4800m2 it is very large...i'm looking forward to how they incorporate the glass facade they building into it and the public access from the streets which is essential.

Durbsboi

September 5th, 2006, 08:02 AM

I get what you saying Dysan, but major CBD's dont always need "street cafe's" & what not, ok the cafe's do provide that ambiance.

Regards to the extension to Gateway, besides the gym, what else is going to go in there??? I mean they got every blody retail shop imaginable, they need more activities to add on to their wave house, skate park & mountain. Oh & is the Virgin going to be a Classic? I always imagined a Virgin Classic on the Ridge Side, facing the ocean with un-interupted glass for the view!

About the Industrial park........Your'll aint seen nothing yet. King Shaka International Airport is going to be the main Cargo airport for SA, Most factories & Depo's will be based around the airport, I foresee a massive Industrial park near the aiport. If only those morons from Dube will keep me informed about the plaaning of the place!

GregPz

September 5th, 2006, 09:24 AM

Some interesting info from Tourism KZN's newsletter:

During 2005 there was a 12% growth in direct tourism spend in KZN. This spend was worth R14.58bn.
Total value of tourism spend was R20.7bn or +15%
+/-15% growth in foreign tourism arrivals
+/-1.5mn – KZN is now second most visited RSA destination in terms of foreign arrivals!
Leading domestic destination!

dysan1

September 5th, 2006, 11:55 AM

^^ awesome news buddy...good to see the levels improving! You can see and hear more foreignors about, varsity is flooded with them, and they are everywhere on florida road. i even had a waitress from Sweden the other day

dysan1

September 5th, 2006, 11:58 AM

DB...

The industry around king shaka is going to be light industry, no heavy stuff allowed

dysan1

September 5th, 2006, 12:06 PM

Gateway

Adding: Monsoon, La Senza, Polo, Puma, Crabtree and Evelyn, Marion and Lindie...

The 5800m2 south expansion adds more too and the 3500m2 Woolies expansion is underway.

Dunno what type of Virgin it is

Mo Rush

September 6th, 2006, 10:24 AM

Sutcliffe earns almost as much as Mbeki

By Angela Quintal

The municipal managers in eThekwini and Johannesburg earn almost the same as President Thabo Mbeki, according to Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi.

He was replying in writing to a parliamentary question by Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald.

Parliament last week agreed to Mbeki's new salary of R1,18-million a year. From the figures provided it was clear that other metro municipal managers were earning salaries similar to those of cabinet ministers, Groenewald said on Tuesday.

'These salaries are excessive'
"These salaries are excessive, as municipal managers do not have the same responsibilities as a president or ministers of government departments. "According to the poor audit reports and service delivery of city councils and metros, municipal managers do not even fulfil their most basic responsibilities. Taking this into account, the salaries are actually scandalous", he said.

Mufamadi said in his reply that the ethekwini municipal manager earned the highest at R1,08-million, while Johannesburg's earned an almost equally high R1,01-million.

Tshwane's municipal manager earns R971 736, Cape Town manager R966 000, Ekhurhuleni manager R960 000 and the Nelson Mandela Metro manager R770 640. A senior minister in the Cabinet earns about R900 000 and a junior minister approximately R750 000.

"Salaries of municipal managers must urgently be restricted and brought in line with the grading of a municipality or a metro," said Groenewald.

Although Mufamadi had said this would be done, nothing had happened.

"These salaries are being paid by taxpayers and city councils merely increase tariffs to obtain the necessary funds.

"It places a bigger burden on the shoulders of consumers and taxpayers, which can not be afforded by our struggling city councils," Groenewald said.

* This article was originally published on page 1 of The Daily News on September 05, 2006

Daily News

Published on the Web by IOL on 2006-09-05 13:40:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Durbsboi

September 6th, 2006, 10:46 AM

Crabtree

What the hell they gona sell? light switches?

romanSA

September 6th, 2006, 01:14 PM

Cross-post from the Suncoast thread. Sounds very enticing. Good to see this is receiving good press in Gauteng...

---------------------------

New gem for Durban's Golden Mile
Barbara Cole
September 06 2006 at 09:47AM

The planners have thought of everything at the "jewel" of the Golden Mile: the new R158-million Suncoast Hotel & Towers next to the beachfront casino.

They even added another R400 000 or so to their costs, just to provide guests with extra-special sea views on the development's reception level.

"The original plans did not have doors in that area. But there were such magnificent sea views on the other side of the planned wall, that it was decided to put in doors to open up the area, as well as a wrap-around outside deck," said Kaliq Essop, the general manager.

There are two hotels in one at the site: the Suncoast Hotel will be four-star, while The Towers will be five-star with a unique Balinese-style spa on the ninth floor and a "sumptuous" presidential suite on the 10th.

'This is not just a hotel: it's a destination'
The hotels are owned by Tsogo Sun (KZN) and will be managed by its sister company, Southern Sun.

The development is the first of its kind to be built on the Golden Mile for 30 years.

Mike Dowsley, Suncoast's executive director, said it would "make an amazing contribution to the upgrading and rejuvenation of the beachfront" and give Durbanites another reason to be proud.

The site was handed over to the construction company last October, and with more than 60 sub-contractors working around the clock, it will be open for business on December 15.

More than 1,6-million bricks and 5 000 cubic metres of concrete will have been used.

The rooms have wireless technology, the safes are deep enough to take laptops, and the closets, which have mood-setting uplighting, have hanging space for the longest dresses, as well as suitcases. And there are imported dimmer switches.

In the standard rooms in The Hotel, there will be unique elevated beds with extra-long high mattresses to make "the sleep experience" unforgettable.

There are canvas blinds instead of curtains to block out the light, and the doors and windows are soundproof.

With suitcases and other obstacles tucked away, the spacious rooms would be "chic, practical and workable".

There will be no more "Do Not Disturb" signs hanging from doorknobs either: there will be service lights on the outside of the rooms instead.

And guests will be spoilt with an array of coveted Molton Brown toiletries.

One "junior suite" has already been furnished to give an idea of what guests can expect. There is solid, designer-made furniture, classy fittings and lighting behind curtains.

Guests staying in the premier suites will have balconies, too.

The colour scheme is soft blues and greens to reflect the ocean.

Guests checking into The Towers will go straight through to the upmarket VIP lounge.

The hotels (there will be a total of 165 rooms, including one for the physically challenged) are fully booked for next year's Indaba tourism trade show.

It is also booked for the A1 Grand Prix, with the presidential suite reserved for A1 chairman, Sheikh Matoum.

"This is not just a hotel: it's a destination. Nowhere else in the city do you get a luxury hotel, beach, spa and entertainment complex in one place," said Essop, a former manager at the Elangeni Hotel.

Patsy Esposito, the spa operations manager, who went to Bali on a three-week research trip, said experts from Bali would be arriving soon to train the locally-recruited spa staff.

There would be 12 permanent therapists, seven treatment rooms as well as two "couples" treatment rooms. The room rates are still being worked out.

Lindiwe Mahlangu, the chief executive of Durban Africa, the city's marketing body, said she was excited about the development and that it was something to be confident about.

She hoped that it was the beginning of a trend that others would follow.

"It shows that business is serious about investing in the city and we would like to encourage business people to look at their facilities and improve them. The Golden Mile is our asset and we need to provide a diverse range of products."

This article was originally published on page 9 of Pretoria News on September 06, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=417&art_id=vn20060906060441219C793688

dysan1

September 6th, 2006, 01:20 PM

I think Sutcliffe deserves his money. If municipal managers do their jobs properly they can create massive windfalls for a city, far greater than an a Mayor or the president. hey are the commercial arms and they make or break a cities success! You want a good guy...then u have to pay a corporate world rate for him, simple as that.

dysan1

September 6th, 2006, 01:24 PM

What the hell they gona sell? light switches?

Crabtree and Evelynn are an international cosmetic type firm in a similar mould to The Body Shop

Pule

September 6th, 2006, 02:03 PM

Joburg must approach Sutcliffe and give him a better offer. It doesn't meane Mr Masondo doesn't do his job, but that guy can add more fire.

GregPz

September 6th, 2006, 02:11 PM

Nice article on Florida Road - imo SA's best street!

http://www.thepropertymag.com/pages/452774491/articles/2006/August/NW-Florida-Road.asp

romanSA

September 6th, 2006, 02:30 PM

Joburg must approach Sutcliffe and give him a better offer. It doesn't meane Mr Masondo doesn't do his job, but that guy can add more fire.

Meeooww!! Hands off our efficient city manager!!!

romanSA

September 6th, 2006, 02:42 PM

Nice article on Florida Road - imo SA's best street!

http://www.thepropertymag.com/pages/452774491/articles/2006/August/NW-Florida-Road.asp

What a great article! Well researched and a pleasure to read. Thanks for posting, Greg.

I found these parts particularly interesting...

"..according to the Town Planning Department: ‘Something significant is in the pipeline for Florida Road,’ but they’re not telling until the residents have been given their say, and the council has approved it."

What could this be???? Oh my beating heart..

Then:

"Two years later, Florida Road laid claim to the first municipal tramline in South Africa – first used on 12 September 1892 – with horses still providing the motive power".

That seals it for me!! Florida Rd has historic importance in respect of trams. It would be a travesty NOT to include the road in any new tram system for the city. Looks like next week Tuesday will mark 114 yrs since Florida Road's tram became operational. :cheers:

However, in this respect, this part of the article distresses me:

"Around the same time, a charming rumour circulated that Florida Road would be closed to traffic, laid with cobblestones, and – apparently true – a Portuguese lady had offered to donate a tram from Portugal to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the sighting of Natal. But Florida Road was, ironically, a ‘feeder’ road… so that, too, wasn’t destined to happen."

Man, I hope this part is wrong. It would be fantastic if a tram line ran up Florida Rd. I think we should start a campaign to make this happen. Anyone with me on this one?

dysan1

September 6th, 2006, 08:21 PM

From a mate of mine that lives in florida road i heard that the council has had meeting with them regarding "the people mover".

So from that i gather tram may be returning to florida road, but that might not be the big news.

That article was in last months Property Mag KZN. This months one has stuff on Windermere and a BIG write up on the changes to the VIC embankment.

Durbsboi

September 7th, 2006, 09:12 AM

Crabtree and Evelynn are an international cosmetic type firm in a similar mould to The Body Shop
Oh sorry, I thought it was Crabtree electronics, they one of the biggest electrical manufacturer's in the world.

GregPz

September 7th, 2006, 09:22 AM

Durbsboi

September 7th, 2006, 09:27 AM

GregPz

September 7th, 2006, 09:41 AM

I reckon they'll padestrianise Florida Rd if they have a tram there. We just need a parking solution.

GregPz

September 7th, 2006, 10:30 AM

In today's paper there's an article on the conversion of a six floor industrial building into 129 apartments. It's the old Teesav building off Broad St, one block from the esplanade. Will be known as Baker Street. Very good news.

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 11:58 AM

^^ yeh i read about that awhile ago, it does sound very good and promising for the cbd.

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 12:08 PM

Also in this months Property Mag there's a small article on seven 5-star "Splice/Urban Hip" apartment hotels being developed with 3 in KZN in Morningside, Umhlanga and Margate. Anyone know any more about this?

WOW, good news. The only Urban Hip Hotel in Durban i know of is a portion of The Mast.

I wonder which in Umhlanga (def in the new town i'm sure) and morningside (near florida road i'm sure) will be. lets ferret!

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 12:11 PM

Or what they can do in Florida road because there is no space to have a tram the road for cars, they can have the tram line above the road, with a station @ 2-3 points in the road, 1 can be opp Tri Beca, that park sort of thing, the other can be @ Mitchell park & the other right at the bottom by Argyle Road.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/4226/floridatraman6.jpg
this is just a paint version of my plan, will do it in 3D later, when I have time.

NEVER in a MILLION years will i be for that! That would absolutely ruin the street! It wld block out the buildings and lead to trees being cut down. no no no.

You can put a tram into florida road without pedestrianising it. would be great if they did, however that mean even less parking!!

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 12:24 PM

^^ but then encourage people to park elsewhere and take the tram in!

Durbsboi

September 7th, 2006, 01:06 PM

romanSA

September 7th, 2006, 02:44 PM

NEVER in a MILLION years will i be for that! That would absolutely ruin the street! It wld block out the buildings and lead to trees being cut down. no no no.

You can put a tram into florida road without pedestrianising it. would be great if they did, however that mean even less parking!!

Good points about blocking the trees and pretty buildings.

I suspect that the road won't be closed off to traffic as this will affect the residents. Where are they going to park etc? However, to ease the parkiing problem, the city might consider doing what they do in many other cities: restrict parking to only residents with a permit. Anyone without a specially issued parking permit could be fined or risk having their cars towed. This would drastically reduce the parking problem, and by extension, the traffic, esp at night.

romanSA

September 7th, 2006, 03:43 PM

Durban highway to be widened

Thursday September 07, 2006 13:45 - (SA)

Durban motorists have been warned that roadworks would soon be underway on the busy Western Bypass.

The eThekwini Roads Department said the road will be widened to include another lane. Routine maintenance and rehabilitation will be also be carried out.

The work - due to start on Sunday and end in November - will be done at night.

Motorists were warned to take care between the Candella bridge and the bridge over the Jan Smuts highway on both the east-bound and the west-bound carriageways.

Roy Thompson, the construction manager for Group 5, the company tasked with the job, said that, due to the high volumes of traffic on the Western Freeway, "this work can only be undertaken at night".

Work will be carried out from Sundays to Thursdays, starting at 7pm. The road will be re-opened to the required minimum of three lanes per direction by 5.30am each day.

Sapa

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/newsst/newsst1157629548.aspx

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 07:23 PM

Good points about blocking the trees and pretty buildings.

I suspect that the road won't be closed off to traffic as this will affect the residents. Where are they going to park etc? However, to ease the parkiing problem, the city might consider doing what they do in many other cities: restrict parking to only residents with a permit. Anyone without a specially issued parking permit could be fined or risk having their cars towed. This would drastically reduce the parking problem, and by extension, the traffic, esp at night.

i am worried however that if the new rules are too restrictive that the area will lose people and head in a downward spiral...

joburg

September 7th, 2006, 07:26 PM

How much work does one have to do to install a tram? Surely it doesn't take that much work to dig in some rail? I think they should defo build in a ground tram service on Florida, and I don't think it would take up too much space because cars can ride on the tracks anyway... the trams are really only buses with no wheels.

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 07:26 PM

i see more chaos on the roads....that area is terribly busy as it is!

romanSA

September 7th, 2006, 08:06 PM

They will either have to build the line right in the middle of the road, although that may disrupt traffic in both directions, or an up-line and a down-line. The single line could work if they do away with the parking spots on the road. That way, the road would be wide enough for traffic and a tram. But as Mike said, this could affect the appeal of the area as people would have park far away and walk there. The council would have to make some sort of alternate parking plan for that area if they are going ahead with the tram plan.

Mo Rush

September 7th, 2006, 08:30 PM

considering the new tram projects for durban and the gautrain for joburg, what kind of balance do you think south africa cities need to reach between trying to start new projects when the the basic public transport infrastructure in south africa is pathetic. Should investments not be focussed on providing the daily commuters with a better experience in the short and long term? while the tram project and the gautrain has its benefits, the gautrain on a much larger scale, (which itself has to face questions of whether it will really serve the people who use joburgs public transport), why is there not more focus on getting the basics correct? even for cape town, a bullet train from the airport to the city..ok WOW that would be great, but whats the use when we have such a shocking public transport system, which in comparison to other cities is probably not that bad.

dysan1

September 7th, 2006, 11:34 PM

Well let me put it bluntly. Durban doesnt have a proper commuter rail intrastructure, and due to the shape of development, will never have one larger than the present system which is orientated to the townships and outlying areas. The inner city suburbs and the northern suburbs have no connection to it at all. Hence the reasoning for the tram system and improved bus systems in those areas.

While the city in partnership with Spoornet are improving the commuter rail lines, building new ones in the southern and north western areas of the city, new stations at prospecton, kings park, kwamashu and la mercy. These are significant investments in improving existing infrastructure, but do not completely alleviate the cities problems.

The tram system will not be aimed at the township commuter market, but more on the inner city transportation of people, mainly tourists and residents. While the system will provide usefull links and connections to the railways and minibus/bus routes, its primary aim is to reduce congestion in the inner city, emissions and remove the parking chaos from downtown by encouraging people to tram in instead. It will supplement the excellent "mynah" bus service that operates on the berea and inner city/beachfront.

The umhlanga link is due to the large number of people living in the inner city/ berea and working north in umhlanga, and vice versa. The connections between these two areas are sparse at present, only being served my minibus and durban transport buses. The tram will link with the soon to be implemented umhlanga transport service, with bus stops all over the NTC, village, la lucia and at Gateway and LaLucia mall. This will provide transportation for tourists in umhlanga, business people in the hotels and workers on lunch breaks...hey and as the NTC grows, commuters to the offices in the area.

While present infrastructure must not be ignored, durban doesnt have the rail network of CT and hence has to find other means of moving our people around.

Mo Rush

September 8th, 2006, 02:02 AM

Durbsboi

September 8th, 2006, 08:04 AM

I dont thin the majority of South Africans that have car's would use the public transport, they will always feel safer etc. in the comfort of their car's. once all this trams & trains & the fancy new buses are operational, the councils must encourage ppl to try these new services, god knows how, but they have to.

dysan1

September 8th, 2006, 08:36 AM

Umhlanga will have a simple solution to the problem. Once residents live in the area it will be quicker for them to get in the buses and to work than it will be for them to get their cars, drive thru traffic and park in la lucia or wherever. There is a bus stop on every corner. When the service is operational i wont use my car during the week, there will be no need unless i am leaving umhlanga.

The car mentality needs to b broken. It is a stupid waste of petrol and resources to have one person per car. These systems will be safe, and once in operation will attract the early adopters. like in any marketing scenario they will set the pace for others to come.

GregPz

September 8th, 2006, 09:51 AM

I think the tram from Umhlanga will be very popular. I'd definitely take it to avoid peak hour traffic as long as it's well maintained and there are efficient onward connections from its stops.

Durbsboi

September 8th, 2006, 10:41 AM

THATS THE MAIN THING, lets hope its maitained & we dont have unruly comuters using it, that will vandilise it, like how they have done to our trains.

Umhlanga

September 8th, 2006, 06:46 PM

Durbsboi is right. I don't pretend to know a broad cross-section of SA society. But I do know a cross-section of the people who live and work in Durban North, La Lucia, Berea, and Umhlanga. And those people don't use public transport. In 2003, I met a Zimbabwean ex-pat living in the UK, who came to Umhlanga for an extended holiday. At dinner one night, she stopped conversation dead in its tracks when she mentioned casually that she had taken a Durban Transport bus from Umhlanga village up to Gateway earlier that day. The Durban North residents around the table all looked stunned and advised her against doing it again. The public transport mindset simply doesn't exist among the wealthy.

As for the un-wealthy, try convincing a township dweller that, when he finally makes it big, he shouldn't buy a car. Tell him that, even though he might earn a comfortable living, he can't buy that symbol of prosperity and freedom, the car. No one works hard everyday dreaming of the day when he can finally...get in a queue and wait for a bus! :)

Aside from the cultural problem I just mentioned (and I am not about to propose that governments start re-education programmes aimed at convincing citizens that their dreams and priorities are wrong-headed. That's simply too authoritarian.), there's one more problem: Durban's traffic isn't awful. Ironically enough, what needs to happen is that traffic must get worse in order for someone to be tempted out of his car and onto a bus. The immediate area in and around Umhlanga can get very crowded on busy holiday weekends, and at rush hours any time of the year. Last month, I drove the Northern Freeway several times during evening rush hour, and while the traffic was congested, it added 15 minutes at most to my trip time. I can't speak for everyone, but 15 minutes isn't enough to make me want to get on a bus. I faced a similar experience late on a Monday afternoon, driving from Musgrave to the Pavillion. The trip took 20 minutes. That's a long time for such a short distance, but again, I'm not sure if that's long enough to lure the average Berea-to-Pinetown driver out of her car and onto a bus. (Remember, that average driver is a well-off white person, accustomed to thinking of buses as things that other people ride.) Contrast that with traffic on the Ben Schoeman Highway at 9:30am on a Friday. On August 4th, it took 90 minutes for my wife and I to get from PTA to Sandton, leaving PTA at 9:30. Durban just hasn't reached that level of gridlock.

But if the city fathers get a transport system in place before Durban 'achieves' that level of congestion, then maybe people will look at it and say 'Oh, you know, I've been meaning to try that train. Now that it takes me an hour to drive from the Berea to La Lucia, I may as well give it a try.' I can't think of a city which had a mass transit system in place before gridlock arrived. Cities always end up playing catch up. Here's a chance for Durban to get ahead of the game. :)

romanSA

September 8th, 2006, 09:49 PM

Good points, both of you.

dysan1

September 9th, 2006, 01:11 PM

What u say is correct. I believe that cities need to be pro-active rather than reactive, for the response is often too little, too late and often doesnt even solve the problem. I personally believe that once umhlanga is a high density node, internal travel via car will seem pointless if you are living in the apartments for the tram or bus will get u there far quicker and leave the hassle of finding parking out of ur mind.

Yes people living in homes wont use it, but i dont think that is the market they will be trying to attract. In 2 years time there will be 5500 apartments in the vicinity of Gateway in a 2km2 area. In 5 years that will have reached 8000, not even including the masses of other dev in the village, umhloti (5000 units), and cornubia (10000 units). That is going to be a sizable population in a very small area. The density will bode well for the adoption of local commuters to use the trams and buses.

While i dont see people using the system for citywide travel, i do see it for local use. I will still have a car, but i wont think of using it in umhlanga when the system is running.

I have a full framrwork plan for the new transport that the city launched at the Umhlanga ratepayers meeting this week. makes great reading. will post it. It specifically mentions that the tram will connect Umhlanga, Florida Road and the inner city.

dysan1

September 9th, 2006, 01:13 PM

also, i live in peak traffic. To get from Florida road to umhlanga without traffic takes 15-20mins. When i head home at 5 it takes an hour. i hardly say that isnt bad. its only 20km

romanSA

September 9th, 2006, 08:47 PM

I have a full framrwork plan for the new transport that the city launched at the Umhlanga ratepayers meeting this week. makes great reading. will post it. It specifically mentions that the tram will connect Umhlanga, Florida Road and the inner city.

That's just great news! Please post when you get a chance. With all the new hotels springing up in Umhlanga, it totally makes sense to link them to the ICC.

dysan1

September 10th, 2006, 02:41 PM

^^ yeh there are 7 Hotels planned or u/c in Umhlanga. The oyster box and protea are also expanding. and city lodge at gateway may be adding an additional 30 rooms

Durbsboi

September 11th, 2006, 10:05 AM

Im sure the tram system will work out great in Umhlanga, thats if the planned for it. Im sure ridge side can be planned accordingly to accomodate the tram.

dysan1

September 11th, 2006, 10:15 AM

Moreland have been deeply involved in the planning of the transport network with the city, so i am sure that it has been fully integrated into their plans. They got great new bus stops all over the ridge too, waiting and ready for our new buses

dysan1

September 11th, 2006, 10:26 AM

The move ever Westwards continues. the number of people i know that live out in Assagay and drummond now is scary. a few years ago that was considered the bush, now surburbia has caught up. they even building shopping centres there now..unreal.

Grid says sky’s the limit for west of Hillcrest

(New Developments) The sky's the limit for residential development in areas west of Hillcrest, according to Grid Group's CEO, Bruce Winship.

With demand still high throughout the area Winship is in little doubt of good market take up of land set for release in the Assegay area within the next several months. Driving interest is the rising enthusiasm for country lifestyle, which he says is still possible in the area despite the rising increase in population density.

Grid is currently handling the construction of the 125-cluster housing development, Aintree Road surrounding the Assegay Hotel. Most of the balance of units in phases two and three – scheduled for completion toward the end of the year - were sold during a recent show day. Owners in the 67-unit first phase have already taken occupation of their homes.

Phase one and two homes were sold for between R750 00 to R1m while those in phase three are priced from R1,2m, according to Ken Fann of marketing agents Exact Development. He supports Winship’s view that residential complexes will soon extend west beyond Assagay.

Two other developments under Fann’s marketing charge have also found good market support. Thirtyeight of the 50 three-bedroom homes in Chasely Estate on Inanda Road have been sold for between R1,4 million and R2 million, while at Ayre Fields in
Waterfall, 70% of the 29 two and three-bedroom simplexes have been taken up by buyers in the price range of R750 000 and R850 000.

The Grid Group has also been busy with several residential developments in
the New Town area at Umhlanga Ridge. Four apartment blocks - one already completed and the other three still under construction - have all been sold out off plan.

The blocks of about 65 units consist of bachelor apartments, one and two bedroom units and penthouses. The units were priced between R750 000 to R1 million.

One of the developments, the Sentinel, contains about 15 line shops and offices at street level, is set for completion early next year. The Zenith is set for owners’ occupation towards the end of next year.

Submitted: 08 Sep 2006

Durbsboi

September 11th, 2006, 10:56 AM

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2748/dsc00169mediumes7.jpg

Mo Rush

September 11th, 2006, 12:30 PM

SA scoops bid for coveted Swimming Champs

September 11 2006 at 11:23AM

South Africa has pulled off a major coup by winning the bid to host the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Durban in December, bringing the second biggest championships in Paralympic sport to these shores.

A total of 600 swimmers and 265 officials from 60 countries will arrive in Durban for the December 2-8 championships which take place every four years and are second only to the IPC Athletics World Championships in size and prestige.

"The Swimming World Championships are certainly one of the most popular events within the IPC, and this is easily the biggest Paralympic event South Africa has ever hosted," said Alison Burchell, General Manager of Disability Sport South Africa.

The championships will attract the biggest names in the sport, including South Africa's Paralympics stars Natalie du Toit, Tadhg Slattery.

The last championships were held in Argentina in 2002, where South Africa finished 19th out of 53 countries with three gold and two silver medals.

"This is a tremendous honour for us because we were up against countries like Wales and France in the bidding process, both of whom were very determined to win this bid," said Burchell.

The successful bid was as a result of a strong partnership between Disability Sport South Africa, Swimming South Africa, the eThekwini Municipality and main sponsor Telkom.

The championships will take place at the King's Park Aquatic Centre in Durban, which has also successfully hosted the Fina Swimming World Cup in the past.

The open water events will take place at the nearby Haselmere Dam in Hillcrest.

As the main sponsor of the championships, Telkom has expressed its delight at being associated with another major international swimming event.

"Our association with the Fina Swimming World Cup has brought the world's top able-bodied swimmers to South Africa, and we are delighted that we can now say the same for the IPC World Swimming Championships," said Braam Wessels of the sponsors.

"As a Paralympics sponsor we take great pride in being associated with an event that will expose our top paralympic swimmers to vital international competition.

"This will also again prove we are more than capable of hosting major international sporting events as we move closer to the 2010 World Cup." - Sapa

GregPz

September 11th, 2006, 03:49 PM

Anyone else hear the news headline on 5fm? Plans for a high-speed train between Jo'burg and Durban!! Journey time will be under 3 hours. Has been approved in priciple by transport dept!

Mo Rush

September 11th, 2006, 05:42 PM

Film studio plans still on hold

By Greg Arde

If you were hoping to catch a glimpse of a movie star cruising down Durban's Suncoast Boulevard any time soon, banish the thought - Anant Singh's film studio is not going to happen for a while.

The old Natal Command military base, which was sold to the movie maker cum property developer, is still the subject of a court process that apparently has no immediate end in sight.

Singh bought the site for R15-million in a controversial deal with the ANC-led eThekwini Council amid a public outcry because the market value of the land is about R100-million.

Former gambling boss Sunny Gayadin's Giant Concerts subsequently launched an objection to the sale on the grounds that the process of awarding the plum property was flawed, his lawyer Udesh Vather said.

Earlier this year Singh told delegates at the Film and Television Indaba in Durban that development on the film studio would begin in six weeks. At the time Singh was quoted as saying the studio would be worth just under R1-billion.

Then last month Singh announced that the Western Cape government had invested R30-million in his Dreamworld Film City, a studio in Cape Town.

As chairman of Dreamworld, Singh said the R400-million project would be up and running in 2008.

Quizzed on the progress at Natal Command recently, he told The Mercury: "As there is a legal process under way, we are unable to advise specific time frames until this process has ended."

Vather said that as part of Giant Concerts' objection he had asked the eThekwini Council for documents relating to the deal, which the city had only supplied after he successfully secured an interlocutory application against the council.

He said the the matter had not been set down for trial in the High Court.

eThekwini Municipal Manager Michael Sutcliffe said the council was due to submit affidavits as part of the legal process. "I am sure all matters will be dealt with," he said.

Asked about concerns that the failure to develop the film studio, adjacent to the new King Senzangakhona Soccer Stadium, might reflect poorly come 2010, Sutcliffe said there was a business planning process under way into the film industry, which would inform the planning for the King's Park precinct.

greg.arde@inl.co.za

* This article was originally published on page 5 of The Mercury on September 11, 2006

Mercury new

Published on the Web by IOL on 2006-09-11 04:53:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

romanSA

September 11th, 2006, 06:23 PM

Anyone else hear the news headline on 5fm? Plans for a high-speed train between Jo'burg and Durban!! Journey time will be under 3 hours. Has been approved in priciple by transport dept!

Yes!! Heard that completely by accident (don't usually listen to 5FM) but what great news! I think I'll use it if it's cheap and safe. Will definitely help reduce pollution levels from cars and aircraft (and noise levels from the latter!). I say bring it on! Will definitely bring us up to international standards and will likely boost tourism to Durbs.

GregPz

September 11th, 2006, 06:23 PM

Here's an article from Engineering News. Sounds like they're hoping to have it ready for 2010!!

SA plans new high-speed rail link between Dbn and Jhb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A high speed train linking Johannesburg and Durban in under three hours has been "agreed in principle" and was just waiting for approval, KwaZulu-Natal's transport department head Kwazi Mbanjwa said on Monday.

Speaking at the South African Road Federation Conference being held in Durban, Mbanjwa said the high speed train was one of the projects being discussed as part of the National Rail Plan.

"We are waiting for approval. We should know by the end of October," he said.

Mbanjwa and KwaZulu-Natal premier Sbu Ndebele were speaking at a press briefing after Ndebele had addressed delegates at the three-day conference, hosted jointly by the South African Road Federation and the International Road Federation at Durban's International Conference Centre.

Mbanjwa said that the cost of upgrading the existing the existing line between the two cities still had to be finalised.

“The plan is almost complete.”

Ndebele said: "Most of the goods on the road could also be on the train."

The premier said that there had to "be a legacy beyond 2010" when South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup.

Ndebele said the provision of a rail service within Durban also had to be addressed before 2010.

"When you have a (Orlando) Pirates and (Kaiser) Chiefs match here it is a nightmare. The rail network needs to be upgraded."

Earlier this year the R1,6-billion King Senzangakhona Stadium, seating up to 80 000 soccer fans, was unveiled. Currently major soccer matches are played at the Absa Stadium. A new suburban railway station is being constructed near the new stadium.

Ndebele said plans were being made to ensure enough cement for the construction that is taking place ahead of 2010.

Apart from the stadium, government last month approved the Dube Trade Port, which will include Durban's new King Shaka International Airport. Authorities hope to have completed the airport before the tournament begins.

Ndebele said that to increase Durban's room capacity during the 2010 the option of having luxury cruise liners tied up in the harbour was being considered.

"The transport and accommodation during 2010 are critical issues. If Brazil and England make KwaZulu-Natal their base during the world cup, what about the fans?"

He said the envisaged construction was also putting a strain on skills and the provincial government was pushing to get more tradesmen trained. "You can find the elite, but there are also not enough plumbers when you need one," he said.

The conference ends on Wednesday. - Sapa

romanSA

September 11th, 2006, 06:53 PM

Just posted the story myself before seeing you did the same and have deleted my post. This sounds very exciting. I hope it goes through.

Mo Rush

September 11th, 2006, 07:02 PM

just link all the south african cities with high speed rail links...i hope this project works i doubt it will be complete before 2010.

dysan1

September 11th, 2006, 10:03 PM

Awesome news. 3 hours by train between jozi and durbs? that will be quicker than flying if they quick on the ground. Cos flying takes 30min to get to airport, check in 1 hour before. 1 hour flight. 30min luggage collection and find car. 30min to destination. Thats 3h30...possibly even 4hrs.

I dont see it ready anytime soon tho, will involve alot of remedial work to the tracks...i say not complete until 2013/4.

But good plan

dysan1

September 11th, 2006, 10:16 PM

Great news with the Swimming Champs, that is a coup and good preparatory event (larger than the Swimming World Cup events we have held) to showcase our ability in line for the Fina World Championships bid. Thats announced in April next year right?

Sad about the Film city, i see it going thru but that other dude is serious bad news. he is a dodgy character and is under more than one investigation at present i've been told.

And DB thanx for the gordon road render...u cld have said to the others what it was. Rather budget render, for i have been told the apartments are rather nice and the building has top end finishes...but they skimped on the render! As it is so close to Florida road, i wonder if it will have retail?

Pule

September 12th, 2006, 07:04 AM

I can't wait for this to happen. I know that if it involves Durban, then its gonna happen. Are the gonna use the existing railway between Joburg and Durban and Mike, are there plans to renovate the existing trains stations in Durban. I would love to see a Durban trainstation being of a Munich calibre.

Durbsboi

September 12th, 2006, 08:34 AM

Woohoo! now If I want to I can work in Joburg but go to Durbs on the weekends, but doubt I'd want to work in Jozi. This is awsome, 3hr train ride! exellent news!

romanSA

September 12th, 2006, 12:01 PM

Mike, looks like the plan is to have this ready by 2010. And looks like it's only for betw JHB and DNB, not anywhere else (I think JHB-CT will work out too expensive; sorry Mo). Good to see the ticket cost won't be more than is currently the case (speaking of which, does anyone know the current cost of a train ticket betw the two cities?)

This will really boost visits / tourism to DBN. We are going to be such a happenning city in 4 yrs!!!

------------------------------------------

New high speed train to benefit Durban
Carvin Goldstone
September 12 2006 at 08:34AM

A high-speed train which will travel at 200km/h and commute between Durban and Johannesburg in about three hours is on the cards as part of the national rail plan for the 2010 soccer World Cup.

The development was announced by KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele and the head of the KZN Transport Department, Kwazi Mbanjwa, at the South African Road Federation conference, held at the Durban International Convention Centre on Monday.

The rail plan is being modelled on similar systems in Germany. Transport officials had been impressed with the efficiency of the trains while attending the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

"When we were at the World Cup in Berlin, we could move over a distance of 500km in three hours," said Mbanjwa.

The installation of the high-speed train was agreed to in principle a month ago at the quarterly meeting of transport heads from around the country.

Mbanjwa said the existing rail system would be upgraded to accommodate the trains.

"The building of railways is the mandate of the national Department of Transport, and we are making a proposal (for funding)," he said.

Ndebele said the national fiscus had allocated R3,5-billion over the next three years for public transport infrastructure in World Cup host cities.

A further R241-million had been allocated to host cities for the improvement of non-motorised transport in the vicinity of stadiums and central business districts.

Mbanjwa said further details about the rail plan, including the estimated cost of the train and upgrades to existing infrastructure, would all be finalised at the end of October.

He said it was expected that the train system would be able to transport about 3 000 passengers a day between Durban and Johannesburg.

The Transport Department hopes the train will relieve the strain on the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg, which is congested whenever there is a major event in Durban.

Mbanjwa said people living in Durban would be able to travel on the high-speed train to watch a match in Johannesburg and return to Durban the same day.

Ndebele said Durban was sure of a semifinal, but was contesting for the World Cup opening ceremony and match, and transport would be a critical consideration.

He said the improvements in connectivity between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng would leave a post-2010 legacy.

The Transport Department hoped the price of tickets for the new train would remain the same as current prices for existing passenger trains between Durban and Johannesburg.

Ndebele also hoped popular teams would make Durban their base.

"We want Brazil or England to make Durban their home because we know, for example, that the English fans travel with their national team.

"If an England or a German team is based here, then we know that they will book expecting to make it to the finals," he said.

Ndebele said the province was also looking into setting up an accommodation website where people could register their homes as bed-and-breakfast establishments which could be used by visitors during the World Cup.

Other innovative ways of accommodating people were also being investigated.

One of the options would be to have ocean liners tie up in Durban and provide accommodation.

Ndebele said the province would then need to provide boats to ferry people from the ships to shore. He said this had been successfully done in Portugal by the city of Lisbon during the Euro 2004 Soccer Championships.

Ndebele also confirmed that the Dube Tradeport would be ready by 2010 and said Durban International Airport would be decommissioned once the Dube Tradeport, which would incorporate the new King Shaka International Airport, was complete.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Mercury on September 12, 2006

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=vn20060912035150963C317098

romanSA

September 12th, 2006, 12:41 PM

I just checked: R155 one-way (Shosholoza Meyl service: economy class). No other additional fees (like airport tax etc). Ths could work. I see the intercity bus companies taking a big knock if these plans are realised.

Mo Rush

September 12th, 2006, 01:40 PM

having it ready for 2010 is optimistic, so lets say its not complete by 2010? headlines? south africa rail project wont be complete in time?...

why would i want a jhb ct rail link? the airport is sufficient. travelling across the country in a train is only appealing in some circumstances, i think getting a basic decent public transport system and infrastructure is important, the importance of inter city links is however being realised, rail links between durban and jhb will be vital during 2010, as you say durban wil be happening in 4 years...and so will the rest of south africa.

Pule

September 12th, 2006, 02:11 PM

Every other mean of transport is gonna suffer, I think that high-speed train will be expensive. I mean in 3 hours you can't even have time to check out nice views.

romanSA

September 12th, 2006, 03:15 PM

just link all the south african cities with high speed rail links...i hope this project works i doubt it will be complete before 2010.

Now you ask why you would want CT linked to JHB by rapid rail link? Um, weren't you the one who said the above, Mo?

romanSA

September 12th, 2006, 03:25 PM

having it ready for 2010 is optimistic, so lets say its not complete by 2010? headlines? south africa rail project wont be complete in time?...

I don't think that it would be a major train wreck (pun intended!) if it was not completed before 2010. This proposed project was never part of the WC bid so the country is not obliged to have it ready before then. I think it would be fantastic if it is completed by then but there's no obligation to do so.

Durbsboi

September 12th, 2006, 04:02 PM

Every other mean of transport is gonna suffer, I think that high-speed train will be expensive. I mean in 3 hours you can't even have time to check out nice views.
Roman just said that the economy price for 1 way is R155 (projected) which is not bad considering most planes charge over R300 1 way. & what views? N3 hardly offers any views, even of the berg, one has to venture further in to see the true beauty that the berg offer's, after the freestate border there's nothing that nice to see besides dry fields with cow's & horses munching. I will deff be using this when its operational. Another cheaper option than a plane ride to joburg, buses are cheaper but take 8-9hour's, too much time taken up.
Here you can take the 6 o clock train & be in jhb at 9, one can prob make a day trip too at a minimal fee.

GregPz

September 12th, 2006, 04:08 PM

Would be fantastic if they had a section where you could take your car with. The main hassle with flying is organising a rental

Durbsboi

September 12th, 2006, 04:10 PM

^^ooh now we talking, just like Euro star ! they have car cabins!!

GregPz

September 12th, 2006, 04:11 PM

I wonder if they're planning any stops along the route. Obviously there can't be too many otherwise it wouldn't be too high speed. But maybe a stop in Pietermaritzburg (Durbs to Pmb would be very popular) and somewhere halfway like Ladysmith (would be great for people tavelling to the berg, battlefields and northern KZN towns).

romanSA

September 12th, 2006, 04:43 PM

But that would take over 3 hrs then, stops included. As JHB is 600 kms away, 200 km/hr will take exactly 3 hrs, without stopping. Perhaps that's where the bus companies will make their bucks - transporting people from the smaller towns to Durbs (although after Newcastle it won't be feasible as you might as well just go by road from there to JHB instead of backtracking so far back to DBN).

Mo Rush

September 12th, 2006, 05:19 PM

Now you ask why you would want CT linked to JHB by rapid rail link? Um, weren't you the one who said the above, Mo?
its called having a sense of humour.

dysan1

September 12th, 2006, 08:05 PM

^^ i dont get ur "humour"

anywho...i dont think it will be ready. It has been approved "in principle"...they still have to do costing all sorts. will be great addition, but i dont see it for 6 years.

dysan1

September 12th, 2006, 08:27 PM

2010 goals - R6bn World Cup plan for Durban

September 12, 2006 Edition 3

Bongani Mthembu

In the next 30 months, Durban is to undergo a R6 billion redesign that will serve the city's people long after the 2010 World Cup.

Galvanised by the responsibility of hosting a soccer World Cup semi-final and competing for the opening ceremony, political leaders at national, provincial and city level this week are unveiling plans for the transformation of the city.

A comprehensive business plan for major projects is to be discussed by the city's Exco today and the R6 billion wish list, which is largely dependent on national funding, is to be submitted to the national treasury next week.

The plans include the broad vision of emphasising Durban's competitive advantage over other cities for hosting international sporting events, but also goes into detail about upgraded transport, security and accommodation plans, down to recruiting volunteers for the 2010 World Cup.

No other host cities except Durban have unveiled their business plans which detail the kind of projects they want to implement.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele and Mayor Obed Mlaba yesterday described Durban's opportunity to prepare for the spectacular soccer tournament as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to transform the city.

Among the major projects that will forever change the skyline of Durban is the majestic King Senzangakhona Stadium, with the estimated cost now edging closer to R2 billion, the approximately R890 million inner city distribution system, which will see the city using trams and luxury buses, the R500 million King Shaka Airport service infrastructure and the R386 million Warwick Junction upgrade.

The initial estimate of the cost of the new football stadium was R1.6 billion, but other costs such as the demolition of the old King's Park Stadium where the 70 000- seater stadium will be built have pushed the cost to R1.893 billion.

Transport will be key to the success of hosting the Cup as Ndebele made clear yesterday in a speech to transport experts. Billions are to be spent on improving public transport near stadiums and linking business districts with suburbs.

A major revamp of the city's ailing public transport system is planned and the business plan indicates that the envisaged new tram transport system will provide a reliable mode of transport during and beyond 2010.

According to the business plan, the city is prepared to fork out about R96 million and the rest will come from the national government and other sources.

All projects are expected to be completed at the end of 2008 and will be ready to be used during the Confederation Cup in 2009 when the city will showcase how ready it is to host the World Cup.

Within the King's Park precinct there are plans to upgrade access roads, create a service road and construct the King's Park railway station. Other plans include dedicated public transport lanes, an inner city people mover, infrastructure at the new King Shaka Airport, rehabilitation and upgrading of the Western Freeway, park and ride facilities and more emphasis on pedestrian sidewalks and cycle paths.

Durban's neglected transport hub, Warwick Junction, is set to receive a major facelift to make the city ready for the influx of visitors during the spectacular soccer tournament.

The main aim of the project is to improve current infrastructure needed for a smooth operation of public transport. The new project aims to lessen pedestrian congestion at the Warwick Avenue, Alice Street and market area by linking the Western Freeway with Alice Street.

The last phase of this project deals with actual reshuffling of public transport services. This phase is directly related to the people mover system.

The people mover system will have its terminal station in Warwick Junction.

The city fathers believe the proposed King Shaka Airport will play an important role during the tournament as there are plans to spend a fortune on infrastructural services such as water supply, electricity, sewage disposal, storm water facilities and the new roads to the airport.

Millions will also be used for the building of the new railway station near the new stadium and the main focus for upgrades will be on the train corridor from KwaMashu Station (Link City) to Isipingo. It is envisaged that commuters will have a train every five minutes. The upgrading of the small stadiums, to be used as training venues, is expected to cost more than R300 million.

According to the head of the city's strategic projects, Julie-May Ellingson, it may happen that some of the projects in the business plan won't be approved by the national government and there might be changes in the costing of some projects. - Additional reporting by Nobantu Kumalo

dysan1

September 12th, 2006, 08:30 PM

FACTFILE - Major City Driven Projects

September 12, 2006 Edition 3

King Senzangakhona Stadium: R1.893 billion

People mover: R890 million

Underground parking: R606 million

Fifa communication technology: R500 million

Warwick Junction upgrade: R386 million

Sport and Culture Hall of Excellence: R251 million

Nkosi Albert Luthulu Public Transport lanes: R211 million

New King Shaka Airport service infrastructure provision: R176 million

King's Park railway station: R125 million

joburg

September 12th, 2006, 10:08 PM

With regards to the high speed link, if you also take into account the amount of tolls on the road, as well as the price of petrol, it's actually cheaper to fly between Joburg and Durbs than drive if you're going alone. So I defo think this project would be viable. And it's a great idea, because it will also reduce the high fatality rate on the N3, especially around Christmas and Easter.

Harkeb

September 13th, 2006, 03:45 AM

Fantastic news for Durban! I predict it's going to become South Africa's sporting mecca and premier city pretty soon, even overtaking Joburg.

Durbsboi

September 13th, 2006, 08:00 AM

If every project is complete on that list by 2010, Durban is going to be on top of its game! & as the article says, Durban is the only city showing progress towards the WC, I hope the other city's start soon, the last thing we want it for millions & billions to be spent on Durban whilst the others are sleeping & doing nothing & FIFA pulls out of SA 2010 because of those other sleepy city's!

Oh ya, I also dont see the "humor" in that one Mo

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 09:05 AM

Roman just said that the economy price for 1 way is R155 (projected) which is not bad considering most planes charge over R300 1 way. & what views? N3 hardly offers any views, even of the berg, one has to venture further in to see the true beauty that the berg offer's, after the freestate border there's nothing that nice to see besides dry fields with cow's & horses munching. I will deff be using this when its operational. Another cheaper option than a plane ride to joburg, buses are cheaper but take 8-9hour's, too much time taken up.
Here you can take the 6 o clock train & be in jhb at 9, one can prob make a day trip too at a minimal fee.

Buses, Taxis , well I don't care about these ones, Flights are gonna loose business and therefore it means people are gonna loose their jobs. I like it but I do not support it. I think they need to do some udjustments to the idea.

dysan1

September 13th, 2006, 11:53 AM

Lets face it. The ticket will cost more than R155. There is no way to compare the existing service and the new one. Prices will raise, it is only natural.

Flights are unable to continually met demand. That is my central worry for 2010. Our flight network is already operating near capacity on most routes. How on earth will it work during the WC?

Intercity travel is going to be more congested than inner city travel. This is the key area to be sorted out. Moving people from Durban to Joburg/Cape Town and PE. That is going to be the major source of frustration and that to me is the area where great planning needs to be done.

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 12:26 PM

I can't wait to see this in Durban.

http://www.emn.fr/x-info/ecoop2006/pictures/tram-large.jpg

http://www.paologiaretta.it/giaretta/tram/tram1.jpg

http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/or2-lrt-tram-strres-curve-20040327c_n-z-adam.jpg

http://www.cub-brest.fr/tram/images/tram-fer.jpg

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 12:29 PM

Did anyone read the Mercury today?? Lot's of exciting construction related news for Durbs. Will post each separately. Here's the summary for the big story:

The KZN provincial govt and Ethekwini Municipality have announced that they will be spending R6 billion on infrastructure upgrades in DBN in furtherance of 2010. These include:

- Senzan stadium: R1.8 b (up from originally announced R1.6 b)
- People Mover: R890 m (to my knowledge this is marked increase in the amount they originally suggested. Perhaps it now includes links to Umhlanga and Florida Rd?)
- King Shaka Airport: R176 m (this obviously excludes the airport itself. Methinks the figure is for establishing related infrastructure like water, electricity, connecting roads etc)
- Kings Park Railway Station: R125 m (much higher than I contemplated. Should be a nice station!)
- FIFA communication technology: R500 m
- Sports and Culture Hall of Excellence: R215 m (can't recall this project. Will this be part of Senzan stadium or something else??)
- Underground parking structures: R606 m (huge figure! Also emphasis on plural structure[S]. Wonder where they're planning them?)
- Nkosi Albert Luthuli public transport lanes: R211 m (This is the Western Freeway, right? (ie the road to the airport from central DBN). Looks like there's going to be dedicated public transport lanes. Will def help with traffic if it encourages people to use public transport as it will mean they won't be getting stuck in traffic).
- Warwick Junction Upgrade: R386 m (perhaps this is aimed at those tourists who miss the Umgeni Rd railway station or the new Kings Park station and accidently end up at Warwick Ave. LOL!)

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 12:38 PM

2nd story from today's Mercury - The city council is spending (has spent?) R3 m on a temp 2500 seater stadium for the beach world cup qualifiers at the old sea world site. The stadium is built to FIFA specs. Related upgrades / new ammenities include: showers, refreshment areas, big screen TVs, and electronic scoreboards. To quote the city official interviewed: "Our goal is to make Durban the home of South African beach soccer and to win the bid for the World Cup event on 2009".

Exciting stuff!

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 12:47 PM

High-speed train 'not sustainable'

Carvin Goldstone
September 13 2006 at 10:44AM

A respected rail expert believes the KwaZulu-Natal government is making the wrong decision by trying to secure funding for a high-speed train between Durban and Gauteng which may be technically feasible but not sustainable.

Arup Transport Planning Economic Adviser Andrew Marsay, who has more than 25 years' experience in road, rail, ports and regional economic development around the world, believes the high-speed train will not be able to compete with cheaper air fares.

He has been a consultant for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link, was on the British House of Commons select committee hearing on the future of rail, and also advised the European Commission on funding of the high-speed rail network in Europe.

The high-speed train was aimed at increasing travel between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and relieving strain on national roads.

'The deregulated competitive environment will make this venture uneconomical'
Department of Transport Head Kwazi Mbanjwa said they were following the model of high-speed trains in Germany that they used while at the 2006 World Cup.

But Marsay, who is a speaker at the South African Road Federation Regional Conference in Durban, says high-speed Euro trains have proved to be financially unviable.

The high-speed trains in Britain, built using public funds, were one case the government should look at because these trains were now running half-full.

Marsay said he had not seen details of the proposed high-speed train, but the government's plan was technically feasible but not economical, and would eventually burden the taxpayer.

"Sometimes the government is happy to foot the bill because they have good associated reasons for having a speed train, but I don't think there is any other good associated reason," he said.

The provincial government wants the train to reduce the travelling time between Durban and Johannesburg.

Marsay said the Eurostar, which connected London, Brussels and Paris was never full because during the course of its construction the airways were deregulated and the price of air travel fell dramatically.

"In South Africa we already have cheap air fares and these will get even cheaper because of competition in the market.

"Trains which run on tracks will have to compete with planes which fly on smooth air.

"The deregulated competitive environment will make this venture uneconomical. The train will also be a lot slower and more expensive than the planes," he said.

Marsay said the Eurostar speed train was not economically viable, yet Europe had higher population densities than South Africa.

"I can think of no good reason why with low air fares there is need for a speed train."

But not everyone feels as pessimistic about the speed train plan.

Tourism KwaZulu-Natal's Phindile Makwaka said they were excited at the Department of Transport initiative which they believed would be a benefit to the country.

"There is an effort to increase visitor numbers and the Gauteng market is the biggest market," she said.

At least 23 percent of tourists who visited KwaZulu-Natal came from Gauteng.

She said the domestic market was just as important as the international market and this would help grow this market.

"Our performance figures show the domestic market has contributed R6-billion to the province

"The international tourism market was worth R14-billion, but the domestic market's contribution of R6-billion is very lucrative and important."

She said the announcement came at the launch of a new campaign aimed at attracting more tourists from Gauteng.

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 12:49 PM

3rd article from today's Mercury:

UKZN has announced that it will be spending R400 m on upgrading its campuses. According to Makgoba, the university's Vice-Chancellor, no SA university has seen such an investment for the last 30 years. R300 m will be spent on the Westville campus. Construction will centre on:

- lab facilities, lecture halls and new offices; and

- new residences that will accomodate 1200 additional students at Howard College, Westville and Edgewood campuses. This will def come in handy for 2010! The paper had a render of the proposed Westville campus new residences. It looks huuge! If anyone is familiar with that campus the new residence is situated on the athletics track that's next to the Olympic Pool (on the other side of the road), as your go down that steep road towards the 45th Cutting entrance. The great part is that the residence is seemingly built completely around the track, like a lager. Thus, students will seemingly still be able to use the track which will now be completely enclosed by the res. Very interesting and novel design and use of the space.

Exciting times for UKZN!

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 12:54 PM

Thanks for posting those pics, Pule. I also can't wait to see them operating in the inner city. It's going to be amazing and will really put the city on the map and bring it up to world-class standard in terms of inner city public transport.

I think the proposed high-speed JHB-DBN train is a bonus and would be thrilled if it goes through. I think, though, that the article above raises some good points, and so won't be too disappointed if it doesn't ultimately go through.

dysan1

September 13th, 2006, 12:57 PM

Least they spending money to update the campus...cos Westville campus really does need lots of money spent on it!!

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 01:00 PM

dysan1

September 13th, 2006, 01:02 PM

Thanks for the pics pule! Yeah i am terribly excited about the tram system...and at R900m thats a hell of alot cheaper than the Gautrain...and is still solving the problem of transportation...

i think the rail will work. If you look at the time it takes waiting at airports, getting there and all else the train will match that time. i think that needs to be taken into consideration, and i think that is what the learned fellow is ignoring. also, our airtravel is still out many people's leagues. this will offer a service between bus and air. and will be useful for cargo movements too...for that is probably the main reason to upgrade the line...to get cargo onto rail again and off the highway!

dysan1

September 13th, 2006, 01:06 PM

The last article of interest I saw either in the Mercury or Business Day (can't recall which) mentioned plans to build a R6 b car terminal in Durbs (probably near the harbour).

This all adds up to astounding investment in the city over the next 5-7 yrs.

Yes this is in line with the Tripling of production by Toyota. They will be producing a new car in 2008, and they will be the ONLY plant producing it. it will be exported worldwide and hence capacity at the port is needed to grow. They are in constant communication with the ports authority and the city.

Investment in the city must be over R60 billion in the next few years. That is just unreal!

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 01:08 PM

dysan1

September 13th, 2006, 01:14 PM

^^ LOL...orgasm away...

at 200km/h you will still see the surrounding you pass and will be able to take in the scenic beauty. i however dont see it being feasible to offer many stops, maybe PMB but i dont think the others offer any value.

If you look at the Eurostar, on its journey from paris to london it only has one stop in between, and not all trains take it.

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 01:46 PM

To be honest, the Gautengers love going to Durbs and with all that is being planned, Durbs is gonna attract more of them. My concern also is the issue of costs and imagine how fast the train will be, therefore it won't work for tourism as there won't be any site viewing. Smaller towns between the 2 cities can benefit from tourism if the train , say, takes about 7 to 8 hours with about 2 stops. Again if it passes via Free state, that's another market and plenty of people cn use it. There should much more than just travelling between 2 cities.

I'm a so called 'a regular tourist' to Durban and for me and my buddies, its more nice to drive than to even fly. A stop at Montrose just creates more vibe into the the whole tour.

They must just think properly, this can work and the trains itself must offer more than just being a train. Imagine having to take a train from Johannesburg to Durban, then from the train station you get into a tram or a bus. to the casino or for a picknic by blue lagoon nad later on play games and have a nice meal by the casino. The following day you head off to Umhlanga in a tram for shopping and later that day you take a tram or a bus to watch a Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates Game at King Senzangakhona Stadium.

I can't help this feeling is like an orgasm. Go Durbs!!!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Pule. It's great to see a non-Durbanite have such passion for the city.

Perhaps a solution to the quick train vs. slower train is to have 2 trains a day. One non-stop direct (3 hr ride); and one that stops at 2 points (say PMB, Newcastle) that will take 4-5 hrs. Everything between these towns will still pretty much be a blur though. I do agree with Mike, though, that dependng on its route, there might not be much scenery anyway. Besides, if you're travelling at night, it's pretty much irrelevant what's outside unless you're travelling with infra-red night-goggles. :)

romanSA

September 13th, 2006, 01:56 PM

Here's one of the Mercury articles...

---------------------------

Business lauds 2010 projects
September 13, 2006 Edition 2

Matthew Savides

THE plans to upgrade Durban to the tune of R6 billion in time for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup have been applauded by the business community, including the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The chamber said the plan unveiled by KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele and eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba was "definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the city as they (Ndebele and Mlaba) assert".

"We congratulate the eThekwini Municipality and the KZN provincial government for the exemplary manner in which they have been positively positioning the readiness of this province and city in hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup," it said. It added that the injection of funds and the improvement of infrastructure would assist in job creation.

Among the plans are the R1.8 billion King Senzangak-hona Stadium, the R890 million people mover, the R176 million King Shaka Airport, the R125 million King's Park railway station and a R386 million upgrade of Warwick Junction.

Other multimillion-rand projects include: the Fifa communication technology (R500 million), the Sport and Culture Hall of Excellence (R215 million), underground parking structures (R606 million) and the Nkosi Albert Luthuli public transport lanes (R211 million).

matthew.savides@inl.co.za

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3436069

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 01:57 PM

Thanks Gents, all that is happening in Durbs seem as if Joburg and CT are doing nothing, ooppss what is CT actually doing???, oh yeah nothing. Imagine even those trams were in CT.

Durbsboi

September 13th, 2006, 03:11 PM

Pule I think you over reacting to the thought of having this high speed rail from Durbs to Jozi, there are a select few that dont give a damn about the scenery & views but just worry about reaching there destination, hence they take the plane, because its fast convinient & less chaotic, now with this train in place, not sure how many they will be running, say max 2 trains, prob seat about 500-600 people & some cargo, prob making 2-3 trips in a day, I doubt the airways will take a knock, because most people still need to get there quicker & the train is just an alternative means for people who'm dont want to go on the bus. Then in some case's if there family's are travelling between the two city's , they would still go by car because it is worth the drive, I think the should extend & renovate Bergville stop, that place is getting over busy during peak times, I know they renovating the nando's currently. So there's no need to panic, nobody's gonna loose their jobs & so on, if any I think the airlines will be releaved from this, less pressure on them.

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 03:27 PM

If they consider cargo also, then I would say its a good idea. I still think that the train will be succesfull if used on for Joburg-Durban non-stop. Its like taking it going to work. How many people will use it, if a flight can takes less time with better price.

We must also be realistic. Lets consider the costs of maintanance. I think we have to "wait-and-see" until all the info comes out as we will keep on arguing about it without enough facts.

mike2005

September 13th, 2006, 03:41 PM

Eurostar does not have car cabins. That is le shuttle (where you sit in your car during the journey). This sounds like a great project but the main station will need to be upgraded ie: clean, safe and with car rental places etc in order to entices joburgers from their cars and onto the train. I think I high speed link between Cape Town and Joburg will happen one day as dont forget CPT is the legislative capital of South Africa and it would make sense to link the legislative capital to the economic capital of our country. But the Jozi CPT link would be very costly and I suspect they will see how successfull the DBN JHB link is before doing one down here.

mike2005

September 13th, 2006, 03:43 PM

PS I would love to see a high speed link from Cape Town along the garden route to PE stopping at plett etc etc.

mike2005

September 13th, 2006, 03:47 PM

Durbsboi

September 13th, 2006, 04:04 PM

Pule

September 13th, 2006, 04:17 PM

Mik2005, your projects are always "in pipeline".

Mo Rush

September 13th, 2006, 04:29 PM

pule you are correct, transport plans in cape town have always been in the pipeline, thats fact, cape town still ranks as the sixth best city globally. thats also fact. durban has much potential, trams and new rail links are fantastic and i hope they are implemented, for now all cities have plans, and until i see trams in durban or a complete freeway in cape town they all remain plans. just try not to make ur anti-cape town attitude or belief so apparent or transparent, its reduces the credibility of any constructive criticizm u may put forth in future with regards to cape town.

GregPz

September 13th, 2006, 04:32 PM

I think it'll work if people can take their cars with. Let's face it south african's love having their cars with them wherever they go. I think it'd be a nice idea to have the train and if managed properly it could work. It would have some impact on airlines but it would also stimulate its own demand.

And guys you do still get to see the scenery very clearly on high speed trains!!

mike2005

September 13th, 2006, 10:45 PM

yup he would have taken le shuttle from folkstone. the eurostar from waterloo is passenger only and one cannot take a car.

Pule this durban project is no less "in the pipeline" than our ones. As for CPT not delivering on its plans you can hardly accuse us of that. We had a plan to uplift our CBD to world class standards and we did it within 5 years unlike Jozi and Durban who have city councils that talk alot about CBD upliftment but have not achieved 10% of what we have done in CPT. Do any other city centres have a project that comes even close to mandela rhodes place in its city centre? No thought not!!!! The same can be said about our waterfront plans etc etc. Durban has a fantastic record on delivery on its plans but then so does cape town and when it comes to the crucial things ie: a 24 hour city centre that everyone can use Cape Town has done better than any other city in SA.

Durbsboi

September 14th, 2006, 08:24 AM

^^True, nobody said otherwise, CPT has done ALOT more than any other city in SA, we need to catch up to be honest, & Durbs is doing a mighty fine job at that. The major problem Durbs is facing is still the high level of crime. The city will deliver most of its proposed projects, its up to the police & public to keep the place safe. The police also need to be strict on street vendor's, the city is become a rubbish heap! I take my hat of to the guy's of DSW, they start their shift after 8pm in the CBD, what ever junk thats lying all over the roads, pavements, etc is cleaned up & the city is sparkling for the next morning, but what really gets me pissed off is to see the street vendors throwing their rubbish into the gutter's & roads knowing full well they dont have to clean up, I witness this everyday! even once I saw I DSW worker telling the street vendor not to litter the road, because car's use it, the street vendor swore back at him & told him to pick it up because its his job & he must shut up & do it.

Peoples attitude must change towards the city, here we are just a few individuals talking about how the city can change and prosper with these new developments, but we dont even make up half a percent of the population of Durban, its up to everyone to get some common sense in their head & to see what other's are trying to do to make the city a better place & they must do their part to, thats the only way the city is going to become a good place.

Harkeb

September 14th, 2006, 08:39 AM

Jeez, the street vendors were a freaking menace in CT. One never thought we would gotten rid of them, but we did. CT has its pavements back again, and I'm not only referring to the CBD, but right across the city. And hey, where'd the parking dudes and strooimeisies (Prostitutes) gone? It's such a joy to be in our CT cbd's nowadays.
With the will power, Durban and Joburg could do the same. After that, your cities will blossom.

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 11:47 AM

We have names and dates...

-----------------------------

KZN champs at the bit to start airport

September 13 2006 at 08:52PM

Construction of Durban's new King Shaka International Airport will start by June next year at the latest and should be ready six months before the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the KwaZulu-Natal premier said on Wednesday.

Premier Sbu Ndebele said in Durban that the consortium that would build the airport would be appointed before the end of the year.

"The money is now on the table. It would be illegal not to spend it," Ndebele said.

In the next three years more than R5-billion would be spent in the greater Durban area. Earlier this year the R1,6-billion King Senzangakhona Stadium, seating up to 80 000 soccer fans, was unveiled.

On Wednesday morning the KwaZulu-Natal provincial cabinet and media were flown over the site of the airport, 28km north of Durban's city centre.

Speaking at the press briefing afterwards, Ndebele said that the two final bids for building the airport would be submitted by the end of October and that the winning consortium would known by the end of the year.

The two consortia bidding for the project are Indiza and Illember. Indiza is led by Grinaker-LTA and Illembe is led by Group 5 and Wilson Bailey Holmes.

"We will be able to transport goods directly instead of always going through Johannesburg," he said.

Both Ndebele and the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for finance, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said they hoped an "agriport" at the adjacent Dube Tradeport would benefit the whole province agriculturally.

The province will be spending R700-million on the Dube Tradeport while the Airports Company of South Africa will foot the R2,5-billion bill for the airport.

Air freight would hopefully also benefit people in the rural areas.

Ndebele said: "Don't come to the city to be poor. We have land which is a big asset."

He said farmers should use their "football field" size patches to their benefit and he hoped the agriport would be a stimulus for KwaZulu-Natal's farmers to export fresh produce.

Durban's mayor Obed Mlaba said that the city would like to see a rail link to the airport constructed.

City manager Mike Sutcliffe said that discussions on that would take place in the near future.

Earthworks for the airport were completed in 1975, but the airport has been in limbo for the past three decades and was only recently approved by the national government. - Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=qw1158168063592B236&set_id=

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 11:50 AM

Posted to the web on: 14 September 2006
King Shaka airport ‘ready by 2010’
Edward West

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Mail article Print-Friendly

KwaZulu-Natal Correspondent

DURBAN — The King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy will be operational in 2010’s first quarter, when the current facility, Durban International Airport, will be decommissioned.

The timing means the airport should be ready six months before the 2010 Fifa World Cup, when 50000 soccer fans are expected to arrive in the province.

KwaZulu-Natal premier S’bu Ndebele said yesterday that the Airports Company SA (Acsa) had agreed on time frames to relocate the existing airport.

As a result, the R2,5bn airport and associated Dube Tradeport project had entered implementation phase, the premier said.

The airport project at La Mercy, north of Durban, has been on the drawing board for more than 40 years.

Finance and economic development MEC Zweli Mkhize said the Dube Tradeport would provide an agricultural processing zone and air cargo terminal facilities for exporters and importers. The airport could create 165000-260000 jobs over 20 years.

Ndebele said the agreement between Acsa and the Dube Tradeport was that Acsa would own, pay for and operate the new airport. Dube Tradeport, owned by the province, would own and operate the cargo terminal, trade zone and AgriZone activities.

Acsa and Dube Tradeport will develop the remaining property through a joint venture firm.

Construction will start by March next year.

The successful bid for the construction tender between the Grinaker and LTA-led Indiza consortium, and the Group Five and Wilson Bayly Holmes-led Illembe consortium, is expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Ndebele is confident all issues in the environmental impact assessment can be managed and measures can be put into place to address them.

A second round of public consultations in the impact assessment started this week.

The province will spend about R700m on the Dube Tradeport over the construction period. The agreement with Acsa means the province will benefit from an infrastructure investment of R2,5bn funded by Acsa, which will reduce KwaZulu-Natal’s expenditure

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A271366

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 11:51 AM

More info...

-----------------

14 September 2006
King Shaka airport ‘ready by 2010’
Edward West

KwaZulu-Natal Correspondent

DURBAN — The King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy will be operational in 2010’s first quarter, when the current facility, Durban International Airport, will be decommissioned.

The timing means the airport should be ready six months before the 2010 Fifa World Cup, when 50000 soccer fans are expected to arrive in the province.

KwaZulu-Natal premier S’bu Ndebele said yesterday that the Airports Company SA (Acsa) had agreed on time frames to relocate the existing airport.

As a result, the R2,5bn airport and associated Dube Tradeport project had entered implementation phase, the premier said.

The airport project at La Mercy, north of Durban, has been on the drawing board for more than 40 years.

Finance and economic development MEC Zweli Mkhize said the Dube Tradeport would provide an agricultural processing zone and air cargo terminal facilities for exporters and importers. The airport could create 165000-260000 jobs over 20 years.

Ndebele said the agreement between Acsa and the Dube Tradeport was that Acsa would own, pay for and operate the new airport. Dube Tradeport, owned by the province, would own and operate the cargo terminal, trade zone and AgriZone activities.

Acsa and Dube Tradeport will develop the remaining property through a joint venture firm.

Construction will start by March next year.

The successful bid for the construction tender between the Grinaker and LTA-led Indiza consortium, and the Group Five and Wilson Bayly Holmes-led Illembe consortium, is expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Ndebele is confident all issues in the environmental impact assessment can be managed and measures can be put into place to address them.

A second round of public consultations in the impact assessment started this week.

The province will spend about R700m on the Dube Tradeport over the construction period. The agreement with Acsa means the province will benefit from an infrastructure investment of R2,5bn funded by Acsa, which will reduce KwaZulu-Natal’s expenditure

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A271366

dysan1

September 14th, 2006, 01:52 PM

Pule: Cape Town has many projects in the pipeline to get ready for 2010 and also dont forget we have far less to do that Durbs and Jozi to prepare as we are already a world class city geared up to receiving foreign visitors in great numbers.

While Cape Town is internationally known. I would not say that it has less to do than any of the other cities. We all have our work cut out. Our problems are all just different

dysan1

September 14th, 2006, 02:03 PM

Cross post from the Umhlanga thread

Looking North – And Ahead

The Ridge Magazine – September 2006

With development along the Ridge escalating at a rate of knots, many of us are wondering what the future holds for the area. Peta Lee asked City Manager Mike Sutcliffe what he thinks the next 5 years will bring.

Will the extraordinary growth we’ve witnessed in the north continue, and will it get to a point where Durban’s CBD is essentially transferred to this region and the centre of town is empty?

“Never,” he smiles. “We’ve been able to arrest the situation, so that northern developments will never take away the central business district. We’re now saying no, you cannot develop in the north at the expense of the CBD. As a result of the regeneration in the city, businesses are now saying ‘we don’t need to move to Umhlanga, we’ll stay in the CBD and be quite happy here’.

“In fact, we’re the only major city in the country where the CBD remains an attraction to residents and businesses. You only have to look at what’s happening to the Point and Victoria Embankment…you wont believe how beautiful that will be in 5 years time.”

Sutcliffe said what happened in the northern parts of the city was similar, in some ways, to what had happened in the west, with one difference.

“The Hillcrest/Kloof area has expanded almost too rapidly to keep pace with the infrastructure, but whereas in that region you have a variety of developers, in the north you really only have Moreland. Four years ago Moreland was bigger than the northern council – now it’s not. Then, during the height of economic growth, Moreland just wanted to go out and see, sell, sell… Now we – the city – are engaging better with them, and have a mutually robust relationship.” He reflects that in the 90s, most developments were marketed from an apartheid era viewpoint – security was the first consideration, and people were concerned mainly with how thick their walls were and how high the electric fencing was.

“The environment around them was almost superfluous. Buildings and developments, too, were American in style. Now, there’s a new market emerging and the pace is more in tune with the discerning upper income public living and working there. It’s more European, there are more delis, pavement cafes, piazzas, walkways…people are now aware of their surrounding beyond their walls…and the city is becoming safer, so those walls will come down eventually.”

What can these residents and businesses expect over the next 5 years?

“Public transport is a must, perhaps a light rail system, one which links the Berea to Umhlanga, and the city to the north…you’ve probably noticed we’re already putting in bus stops for the people movers (tram/bus options) and what we foresee is young people, soon, not feeling compelled to buy a car the minute they earn their first salary. Instead, they can hop on efficient public transport, which will run every 10 minutes and take them right to their destinations.” Sutcliffe said no moratoriums would be placed on development in the Ridge area, “but some kind of developers’ levy will probably be introduced”.

“There’s a massive developmental spurt at the moment, and again, if you take the upper Highway area, we don’t want to wake up one morning and sit in traffic for half an hour as we pass through what was once the beautiful little village of Hillcrest, now bursting at the seems with traffic and congestion… We want to be able to tell developers here upfront that they must contribute to a levy which will help expand the infrastructure according to the growth rate of the area.”

In fact, he adds, they’re looking at the idea of imposing a similar levy on developers throughout the city, not just in the north.

“There’re pockets of development all over: in the south for instance. And in Durban itself.”

He grins again.

“Watch this space in five year’s time. It’s going to be just great!”

dysan1

September 14th, 2006, 02:12 PM

The battle of the mega malls continues!!!

The Pavilion begins R156m expansion

(Retail) The Pavilion shopping centre at Westville has launched a R156 million expansion project to add 12 000m² of shop space and an extra 850 parking bays to its already impressive shopping facilities.

Major retailers Edgars, Boardmans and Mr Price will be expanding their stores or moving into larger premises as the centre starts Phase V of its existence. Opened in 1993 with 75 000m² of retail space, the Westville centre will be expanding by more than 10% to 118 000m² from its present store space of 107 000m².

Foot traffic has been rising steadily by at least 5% a year since 1993 and almost 21 million people shopped at the centre in the financial year ending 30 June 2006. Turnover for the year was 15% up on the previous 12 months at a best-ever R2,34 billion. Parking space will be lifted 14% to 6 850 parking bays.

“Phase V will bring a new dimension to our shopping experience,” said Preston Gaddy, the General Manager at The Pavilion. “We will be home to the first Mr Price Sports store in KwaZulu-Natal, and Mr Price Weekend Material will also be expanding.”

Edgars will be expanding by 4 000m² and Boardmans by 1 000m². Mr Price Weekend Material will occupy a 1 800m² store, Mr Price Home will be relocating to a new, free-standing 3 000m² roof-level store and Mr Price Sports will be moving into Mr Price Home’s existing 2 400m² site.

Construction started on 21 August 2006 and is scheduled to be completed by September 2007. The professional team responsible for the project will have a minimum black economic empowerment shareholding of 70%, in line with the requirements of the Property Charter.

The contractors have been named as The Pavilion JV, which is a joint venture consisting of Grinaker-LTA, Sivukile Construction, C&R Projects and 2C Projects.

Several other companies will be involved in Phase V. Diagonal Africa and BettsTownsend have formed a joint venture as the project managers, DRPS and MLC are the joint-venture quantity surveyors and the joint-venture architects are DGIT and Bentel Associates.

“As with any project of this nature, we do expect some disruption to our existing offering,” said Gaddy. “However, we have planned very carefully for this and extra Pavilion staff will be on hand for the next 12 months to direct traffic, help shoppers and keep all operations running smoothly.”

As part of the construction of Phase V at the Pavilion, a one-way entrance and internal circulation and exit system will be introduced. The two main intersections before the parking areas will be re-arranged so that the entrance and exit movements will be free-flowing. The ring road through the front ground-floor parking areas will be converted to a one-way clockwise.

Owned by property investment group Pareto Limited, The Pavilion is managed by Motseng Property Services.

Submitted: 11 Sep 2006

Pule

September 14th, 2006, 02:41 PM

“Public transport is a must, perhaps a light rail system, one which links the Berea to Umhlanga, and the city to the north…you’ve probably noticed we’re already putting in bus stops for the people movers (tram/bus options) and what we foresee is young people, soon, not feeling compelled to buy a car the minute they earn their first salary. Instead, they can hop on efficient public transport, which will run every 10 minutes and take them right to their destinations.” Sutcliffe said no moratoriums would be placed on development in the Ridge area, “but some kind of developers’ levy will probably be introduced”.

Light rail, mmmm, interesting. Mike can you ellaborate further on this or is he still refering to Trams as light rail?

GregPz

September 14th, 2006, 03:31 PM

Nice article on interview with Mike Suttcliffe. Great to have someone in charge who has a passion for the city! I'm pleased to see he's taking note on the strain Hillcrest is taking with new developments. I'd like to see smaller developments up there which blend in with the village type atmosphere. Allowing something like Plantations estate to be built there was a huge mistake. The place is a hideous eyesore and places strain on the infrastructure.
Still on the topic of Hillcrest the new Checkers/Woolworths centre is taking shape. Looking much bigger than I expected.

GregPz

September 14th, 2006, 03:34 PM

When Suttcliffe mentions light rail from the Berea do you think he's just talking about Florida Rd or will it extend up to Musgrave? Glenwood?

Durbsboi

September 14th, 2006, 04:00 PM

Well Ballito would have had the 1st Mr Price Sports store, if it wasnt for the main dude at Mr Price going for holiday in Maurituis, it would have been open!

Mo Rush

September 14th, 2006, 04:30 PM

mr. price has cool shorts for cheap...not so sure about the rest of their clothes

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Posted to the web on: 14 September 2006
Speeding along

HIGH-speed trains seem to be all the rage in SA at the moment.

In Gauteng, the provincial government is jumping through a whole host of legal and technical hoops to get its Pretoria-Johannesburg-airport train going.

It’s still debatable whether the R20bn train will be running in time for the 2010 World Cup, but it does at last seem to be making some sort of progress.

Now KwaZulu-Natal looks set to get a fast train too. This one will run between Johannesburg and Durban — one of the busiest routes in SA — and aims to cut the current six-hour car trip to about three hours. Details are still sketchy, but the province’s transport department head, Kwazi Mbanjwa, said this week that the train had been agreed to in principle, although the cost of upgrading the line between the two cities still had to be finalised.

In principle, the initiative is to be welcomed. Traffic on the Johannesburg-Durban route is heavy and growing, and international experience has shown that projects of this size can have a big economic impact for both provinces.

But so much depends on how the new scheme is implemented: the cost of the project, whether it will be state-funded or a public-private partnership and the extent to which it will carry freight, if at all. Further, we need to know how it will be integrated into the national rail system, the cost of tickets and how the transport links in Durban and Johannesburg will be addressed. As with the Gautrain, travellers need to be able to get to their final destinations if they take the train.

Increasingly, though, we have to wonder whether existing infrastructure is being ignored at the expense of big new initiatives which carry with them the promise of short-term jobs. Just recently, government announced that it was planning to do away with the existing Durban International Airport in favour of building King Shaka International. There may well be a case for developing another airport north of Durban, but the rationale for scrapping the highly functional existing airport is shaky at best.

The same applies to the trains that now run between Durban and Johannesburg. Commuter rail group Metrorail has been moved from Transnet to the transport department to try to improve co-ordination of rail services, and improve its shocking service. Long-distance operator Shosholoza Meyl is due to follow. Before we build better, newer, pricier trains, let’s see government’s plan for getting the existing service working properly.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A271442

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 05:51 PM

Making Durban a better place
September 14, 2006 Edition 1

the Editor

Over the next three years leading up to the soccer World Cup, the City of Durban is set to change radically and planning is already well advanced to spend about R6 billion to transform the city.

This will not only change the skyline of the city, but also alter the way people travel in and around the whole metro, how they move in and out of the city and how they take to the air.

A semi-final of the World Cup has already been clinched, but the city is going all out to attract the opening game as well. To achieve this a comprehensive business plan has been put on the council's Exco for discussion and a list of what is needed to make the city the best it can be will be sent to treasury as early as next week in order to secure national funding that will give Durban a competitive advantage for hosting world sporting events, a niche which the council has identified to drive the local economy forward.

The plans are exciting and include the 70 000-seater iconic stadium at a cost that will push the R2 billion mark, the King Shaka International Airport and the attached Dube Trade Port, a major revamp of the city's ailing transport system, including a "people mover" for the central city, a new plan for rail transport, and a major facelift for the Warwick Triangle transport hub. Access roads will be upgraded and dedicated public transport lanes are being planned.

Not all these plans are without their controversial aspects. There are still questions about the long-term viability of both the stadium and the new airport and, while the city plans to spend about R100 million, the rest of the financing still needs to be negotiated and some of the plans may have to be modified or dropped.

However, there is little doubt that by 2010 Durban will have a new and sparkling face and a whole host of new facilities that will make Durban a better place in which to live.

http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3437741

romanSA

September 14th, 2006, 05:54 PM

Can't remember if I posted this already....

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‘Laggard’ KwaZulu-Natal has potential for boom
14 Sep 2006 - Business Day -

Nick Wilson

KWAZULU-Natal has the potential to outperform Gauteng and Western Cape when it comes to house price growth over the next five to 10 years, says First National Bank property strategist John Loos.

In a report released last week, Loos says KwaZulu-Natal, which has tended to lag behind the other two provinces, will receive a boost from a number of factors, including its expected strong economic growth, its proximity to economic powerhouse Gauteng and its renewed popularity as a holiday destination.

KwaZulu-Natal is “coming off a lower base” than Western Cape and Gauteng, not only in its formal property market but also as far as its economy is concerned.

“The Gauteng economy is going to be the powerhouse in SA over the long term.

“I believe KwaZulu-Natal’s proximity to Gauteng will stand it in good stead. Its economy has very strong links with the Gauteng economy because a lot of its manufactured goods land up in the Gauteng market.”

Loos says key transport infrastructure makes KwaZulu-Natal the gateway between Gauteng and the rest of the world.

He says several exciting industrial developments are planned for KwaZulu-Natal in the coming years, such as Dube Tradeport, which involves the relocation of Durban Airport to La Mercy, and the creation of an industrial zone around the new airport.

“There is also redevelopment of the old airport for industrial use and already under way is the development of the Toyota Supply Park.” The industrial developments planned for KwaZulu-Natal will boost the province’s growth potential significantly.

“Even during the development phases of these projects there will be a positive impact on the overall economy.”

Loos says residential land scarcity will increasingly become an issue, as was the case in Cape Town, because of the coastal nature of KwaZulu-Natal.

“Land scarcity could become a bigger issue than in landlocked Gauteng. Gauteng can expand in all directions, but when you are on the coast you can’t.”

KwaZulu-Natal is also regaining its popularity as a holiday destination among people from inland provinces, he says.

“There were a number of years in the 1980s and 1990s where it lost a bit of favour due in part to political instability and also perhaps due to some environmental deterioration,” Loos says.

“These days its accessibility is once again becoming a plus point given the transport route from Gauteng to the coast and I think its proximity is becoming more of a plus point. In a busier working world, people tend to take shorter holidays.”

Property economist Erwin Rode, of Rode & Associates, says the greater Durban economy is dependent on industry whereas Cape Town is more diversified and more services oriented.

“There is no doubt that manufacturing is doing well at the moment and it looks like we have been through the transition since 1994 with the reintegration of our economy.

“It looks like the prospects are bright for industry and on that basis one must conclude that KwaZulu-Natal will probably do quite well.”

He says Richards Bay is also a growth point again. “We see it quite clearly in industrial rentals.”

http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=7853