Amalgamation of local conservation

A REPORT, outlining the merger of the umgeni River Bird Park with the Mitchell Park Zoo, was tabled at a full council meeting this week.

The report noted that the bird park was administered under a three-year management contract with Top Administration Services, while Mitchell Park Zoo was managed by the City’s Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) Unit.

Top Administration Services and staff employed under the contract did not object to the takeover, subject to pay on par with staff from the parks unit.

umlazi station plans plough ahead

THE MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle Zikalala, the mayor of ethekwini Municipality, Zandile Gumede, and members of Prasa/metrorail recently turned the soil for a development at umlazi station.

The development which plans to include a shopping centre as well as a taxi rank is expected to result in the creation of business opportunities and thousands of jobs for the local community, said Zikalala.

Regeneration plan crucial for Durban

A REPORT on Thursday noted the inner city was one of Durban’s most important precincts and remained its largest revenue generator, contributing half of the city’s rates.

It said the Inner City Regeneration Implementation Programme was crucial to achieving strategic objectives and ensuring the implementation of the master plan.

The implementation team was asked to undertake a detailed assessment with estimated budget requirements and report back to the council.

City manager Sipho Nzuza was requested to dedicate additional resources to this end.