THE EASTERN CAPE government has created new tourism opportunities at the mouth of the Kei River near East London by giving the go-ahead to a R160-million project to tar the road between the national road and Kei Mouth. This will have a major impact on the further development of the region, which is the western gateway to the Wild Coast. Strict environmental controls have been put in place for the building of the road. The Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism has stipulated that workers must be sourced from communities adjacent to the road in order to create local jobs; that portable chemical toilets must be provided on site; that waste has to be removed weekly; and that material which cannot be recycled must be disposed of every week at a registered landfill site. The department has also forbidden the servicing and maintenance of machinery and vehicles on site, and the casual discarding of any pieces of material. It has stipulated the rehabilitation and revegetation of unstable soil and excavations, and of river banks near construction sites; the provision of suitable drainage and runoff dispersement; and grouting to slow down the speed of rivers at collection and discharge points on culverts. It has also been recommended that the road builders undergo a course on environmental responsibility and protection.