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Kouga Development Agency now in place
Posted on: Wednesday, 24 August 2005. Article source: The Herald
The Kouga Development Agency was launched last week to drive the economic development of the 600ha Kabeljous Integrated Development Initiative.
Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism MEC Andre de Wet said the target was to sign up the first investor and developer "and we are in a hurry".
The land is some 70km from Port Elizabeth on the sea side of the N2, just before Jeffreys Bay, and adjoins a nature reserve.
The focus of development will be heavily on conservation and eco-tourism and it appears likely that any proposal for the establishment of a golf estate will be directed towards an area outside the mandate of the development agency.
De Wet said the launch of the agency, sponsored and driven by the Industrial Development Corporation that has committed some R18-million in tranches for the development, marked the next phase in the project when new targets would need to be set.
He said that extensive research had already been conducted on what type of development was wanted in the area and it was "not simply a question of placing an advertisement and leaving it to the developer".
De Wet said the agency would be able to "move with speed" because much of the work had been done, adding that he was "very optimistic" about the project.
Outlining the possible investments for the mandate area, project director Ndaba Ndzombane said the underlying principles of the initial investigation were to identify bankable projects with the focus on "nature conservancy and sensitivity to the flora and fauna species in the area".
He noted that one major advantage of the site was that it was on the main route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and could be accessed from an off-ramp.
Ndzombane said the provincial vision for the project involved eco-tourism, a hotel-resort type of development, a wilderness area and the promotion of bio-diversity, conservation education, five to six clusters of eco-lodges, community tourism projects, some staff housing and the promotion of cultural heritage.
He stressed the need for balance, pointing to the fact that the land enjoyed a coastal location and was beautiful and valuable but was also environmentally sensitive.
The estuary was also an "important ecological corridor", he said.
The first board of the Kouga Development Agency was also announced last week and will be chaired by Mncedisi Mayekiso.
Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism MEC Andre de Wet said the target was to sign up the first investor and developer "and we are in a hurry".
The land is some 70km from Port Elizabeth on the sea side of the N2, just before Jeffreys Bay, and adjoins a nature reserve.
The focus of development will be heavily on conservation and eco-tourism and it appears likely that any proposal for the establishment of a golf estate will be directed towards an area outside the mandate of the development agency.
De Wet said the launch of the agency, sponsored and driven by the Industrial Development Corporation that has committed some R18-million in tranches for the development, marked the next phase in the project when new targets would need to be set.
He said that extensive research had already been conducted on what type of development was wanted in the area and it was "not simply a question of placing an advertisement and leaving it to the developer".
De Wet said the agency would be able to "move with speed" because much of the work had been done, adding that he was "very optimistic" about the project.
Outlining the possible investments for the mandate area, project director Ndaba Ndzombane said the underlying principles of the initial investigation were to identify bankable projects with the focus on "nature conservancy and sensitivity to the flora and fauna species in the area".
He noted that one major advantage of the site was that it was on the main route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and could be accessed from an off-ramp.
Ndzombane said the provincial vision for the project involved eco-tourism, a hotel-resort type of development, a wilderness area and the promotion of bio-diversity, conservation education, five to six clusters of eco-lodges, community tourism projects, some staff housing and the promotion of cultural heritage.
He stressed the need for balance, pointing to the fact that the land enjoyed a coastal location and was beautiful and valuable but was also environmentally sensitive.
The estuary was also an "important ecological corridor", he said.
The first board of the Kouga Development Agency was also announced last week and will be chaired by Mncedisi Mayekiso.
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