Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) held a meeting on Tuesday May 4 regarding the many issues affecting tourism and businesses in the area.
A major issue on the table was the ongoing water crisis and the effects this was having on the town. According to the minutes of the meeting, the “negative publicity on social media and in the local media is a concern for the tourism board as it affects the reputation of Ndlambe as a tourism destination”.
The board raised four issues relating to the water crisis.
- The completion date for the 2Ml/day seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant is unclear and business owners need hard dates to plan in terms of budgeting for additional water or limiting business operations until water is restored.
- Especially accommodation providers are suffering. There is a concern that purchasing additional water in the hospitality sector is becoming unsustainable.
- The hospitality sector is unable to offer a reasonable service to clients in that they are unsure when water, as a basic service, will become available.
- The issue of whether the proposed 3Ml/day wastewater RO plant will have sufficient water to supply the town is being questioned.
A three-point approach was then to be taken where:
- A meeting between the municipal manager, director of infrastructure, Port Alfred Residents and Ratepayers Association, QFS and contractors be convened to obtain clear and concise answers to these questions.
- That the outcome of that meeting must be communicated to members and to the general public so everyone has a clear vision of the plan going forward.
- A letter is to be drafted from SCT to the municipal manager requesting an explanation on issues raised.
Read the full story in this week’s Talk of the Town
