The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure has called on the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to develop Kalk Bay Harbour to reach an international standard. The committee today continued its oversight to the Western Cape small harbours by visiting the Kalk Bay and Gordon’s Bay small harbours.
During the briefing by the Kalk Bay Harbour Master, the committee was informed of the various international and local film shoots that have taken place at the harbour, as well as regular visits from both international and local tourists, which bring revenue and contribute to the local economy of the area. The committee wants the department to prioritise the maintenance and upgrading of structures in the harbour, such as the ‘fish-vlekking’ area to reach international hygiene standards in order to attract more business to the harbour.
The committee was also informed by the Kalk Bay small-scale fishermen representative of their need for a Lobster Infrastructure Processing Plant that can be situated at the harbour, to curb exorbitant transport costs for the local fishermen. The department has committed to reviewing the feasibility of the request in consultation with affected stakeholders to determine how they can assist the small-scale fishermen in the area in this regard.
The committee has also called on the department and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment to regulate fees charged at small harbours across the country to be at market-rate standard, in order to remain profitable.
The committee has noted that a majority of rental leases at small harbours are charged at rates that were agreed upon almost twenty years ago, which have a negative impact on the revenue of each harbour. The harbours pay market price rates and taxes to the municipalities although they do not collect market-rate fees from tenants and users.
The committee plans to schedule a joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment to discuss the regulation of leases, fees and tariffs at small harbours. The committee has also called on both departments to prioritise regular maintenance at all harbours, to avoid dilapidation of infrastructure.
Furthermore, the committee wants regular maintenance to avoid the piling of silt and sand as major dredging work was last undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in 2018. The acknowledged long-term neglect of maintenance at harbours, has reversed the gains that were made and that has a negative impact on the users of the harbours.