DURBAN - DURBAN needs to prepare adequately for an increase in heavy trucks from the current size to more than 21 000 owing to the expansion of the port by Transnet.
The city’s chief strategy officer, Adrian Peters, told senior councillors that it was important for the city to be an active participant in the port expansion process.
Peters also told executive committee members on Tuesday that the port expansion process would impact immensely on the city’s infrastructure.
“The new port plans will have a significant impact on the eThekwini Municipality, its residents, businesses and transportation corridors. Further, the new port plans will require significant strategic planning, infrastructural and operational support from the eThekwini Municipality if they are to succeed,” said Peters.
Because of this, he added, it was imperative that there was a clear strategic alignment and oversight between Transnet and eThekwini at all levels, with clear joint governance between the two institutions.
Part of the recommendations are that a political oversight committee be set up to oversee and guide the municipality’s responsibility and involvement, thereby ensuring risks to the municipality are mitigated and opportunities are fully realised.
Peters noted that due to the sheer size and strategic importance of the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) expansion plans and investment in the municipality, it would be advantageous for the municipality to be considered for one of the seats on the TNPA board.
“In this way eThekwini Municipality can play a leading role ensuring that the municipality and TNPA’s plans are aligned and all risks to the municipality from the proposed expansion are sufficiently incorporated in the port plans and mitigated,” Peters said.
The report to exco serves the purpose of providing the status of the new port plans, their potential opportunity and threats that could be encountered by the municipality.
Some of the opportunities include:
♦ Improved port efficiency resulting from the port expansion, so that larger vessels can call at the port, while infrastructure can be designed to modernise the port operations and introduce opportunities for private container terminal operations;
♦ Smart Port could become the centre of the new port plans, resulting in port processes being digitised, and this would be the ultimate catalyst for greater smart technology being introduced.
♦ An opportunity to ramp up ocean’s economy.
The report noted the importance of the current memorandum of understanding between Transnet SOC and the municipality and proposed that Transnet and the municipality work jointly to develop areas of common interest and resolve areas of misalignment and possible negative externalities that could be incurred by the city and its residents with regard to the new port plans.
While noting the massive opportunities, the report also pointed out that the port was located within a highly developed business area of eThekwini, with very constrained road and rail corridors.
It added that the port expansion required a number of key commodities and cargoes to be relocated from the Port of Durban, and this would have a direct impact on a number key industrial developments within the municipality.
There was concern that land transport solutions (road and rail) had not been developed for the new port plans and funding solutions for both the seaside and landside requirements were required.
It noted that rail planning remained at its infancy stage and rail plans were only conceptual and needed to be accelerated, and land transport modal splits needed to be developed with a realistic medium and long-term rail modal share.
It also called for engagements with the residents, noting that community engagements with residents around the port area remained strained as most communities were resistant to any developments.
Other additional recommendations:
♦ Key changes to the Port of Durban long-term plans being undertaken by Transnet SOC Limited and the TNPA;
♦ Council notes the opportunities and threats related to expansion proposals;
♦ A political oversight committee be set up to oversee the municipality’s responsibility and involvement in respect of the expansion proposal; and
♦ EThekwini Municipality lobbies for a position, on an ex-officio basis, on the TNPA board, yet to be established. The report was approved by Exco members and is now set for presentation at the next council sitting.
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