Walmer township project hit by rejection of adjustments budget

WALMER township is one of the big losers after the rejection of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s adjustments budget last week, with community arts, crafts and tourism services set to have flowed from the R3.5-million allocated to the Apple Express.

The money had been earmarked to be rolled out in a partnership project with Transnet, according to the highlights of the 2017-18 adjustments budget.

Asked yesterday how the allocation would have been used, metro chief of staff Kristof Adelbert said rail infrastructure and a key harbour bridge would have been repaired.

These improvements would have provided another way of accessing Central’s Route 67, the Bay’s outdoor gallery honouring Nelson Mandela, he said.

“The current operational line was also going to be extended to Walmer Gqeberha, to provide opportunities and access to tourism products for people living in Walmer township.”

The Apple Express was relaunched in December in a project co-driven by the metro, Transnet and volunteers.

It proved wildly popular but the train only ran as far as the airport.

Apple Express chief executive Nerina Skuy said restoring the railway line up to Walmer township would be a win-win move.

“The aim was to establish a station there and to give the passengers an opportunity to engage and the community a chance to trade with arts and crafts and cultural programmes,” she said.

“The details would all have been worked out with the residents, but this would have been a huge opportunity to bring the train to them.”

The Apple Express rail upgrade was one of a host of new allocations outlined in the adjustments budget for projects ranging from the purchase of metro police vehicles to public lighting, sewer and water treatment works upgrades and R1-million worth of restoration in the Baakens Valley.

The adjustments budget was rejected by the ANC and its allies, however, and was not passed.

Asked how the Baakens money would have been spent, Adelbert said nine river crossings which had either been washed away or were dangerous were to have been overhauled and a fish ladder installed.

NMU fish ecologist Professor Nadine Strydom made an urgent call in December for fish ladders to be installed in the Baakens.

She said the valley’s indigenous fish, including a rare species of redfin minnow, were being restricted by manmade blockages like improperly constructed walls and weirs, preventing them from escaping from pollution and predatory alien fish.

Asked what would happen now that the adjustments budget had not been passed, Adelbert said there were still three months remaining of the financial year.

“If a capital amendment or budget adjustment cannot be passed through council before the financial year ends, then we would look to budget for these projects in the 2018-19 financial year.”