Plett councillor responds to hype around small boat harbour

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Plettenberg Bay councillor, Wayne Craig, has issued the following statement in response to this weekend's protest against a proposal for a small-boat harbour development.

On Saturday about 1000 people gathered on the town's main beach to form a human "No" to register their opposition to the proposal.

Councillor Craig's full statement on the matter follows below:

1. A resolution was passed by the previous council administration approximately 15 years ago selecting a preferred developer to submit a small boat harbour proposal on certain terms and conditions.
2. In order to regularise the matter which was a long outstanding obligation that needed to be brought to final resolution, the present Council resolved to discharge its obligations by giving the preferred developer notice to either withdraw from the proposed project or proceed with the steps necessary to bring the matter to finalisation in one way or the other.
3. The Municipality is in no way obliged to proceed with the actual project until a detailed and acceptable proposal is submitted to and accepted by Council.
4. In terms of the agreement reached with the previous Council, the preferred developer was granted certain rights to undertake research and carry out certain investigations and processes and thereafter present a final proposal in terms of a scoping report for the acceptance or rejection of Council.
5. This process is still underway and the present situation is that the scoping report presented by the preferred developer at this point in time is non-compliant and the preferred developer has been placed on notice by the Municipal Manager to rectify the shortcomings.
6. In order to avoid exposing the Municipality to litigation, the Municipality is obliged to allow the agreed processes to take place.
7. Once the agreed processes have been finalised, Council will have to take a decision as to whether or not to proceed with the project.
8. That point in time has not as yet been reached and until that point in time is reached, it would be unwise for individual Councillors, the Council or the Municipality to be seen publically to take a position as to whether to proceed with or decline the proposal submitted by the preferred developer.
9. The preferred developer must be given a fair opportunity to complete the agreed processes and present a compliant scoping report.
10. In taking the final decision, the Council will be guided by a single consideration and that is the best interests of the town and its residents and in doing so, Council will analyse and take into account the contents of the scoping report, the views expressed by Plett Tourism, the Business Chamber, other representative bodies, various lobbying groups and individuals.
11. The matter is in no sense a fait accompli. Until the agreed processes have been undertaken, a final compliant scoping report presented and a decision made by Council to proceed with the matter, the preferred developer will not acquire any rights to proceed with any development whatsoever.
12. You, the residents of this town, voted the present administration into Council. Please have the confidence in us to know that we will do the right thing at the end of the day.
13. By all means feel free to express your will as is your democratic right but please do not try to pressurise any member of Council or the Municipality to adopt a partisan approach prior to a final decision being taken as in doing so you may cause such persons to expose the Municipality to litigation.
14. In closing please also think carefully about taking any precipitous action that may cause harm to the town.

Councillor Wayne Craig