Part 2

Context

In 1996 the local government of the Durban Metropolitan Area recognised that the pollution in the industrial basin was affecting the people living in the area. They decided to do a Strategic Environmental Assessment to learn more about all the environmental problems in the area and to be able to assess three options for development of the airport site.

Read the following summary of the SEA taking special note of the proposed future uses of the airport land:

Development possibilities

In the 1990s the KwaZulu-Natal government decided that the airport should move from its present site to a site north of Durban near Umdloti. The airport currently occupies a large area of land and the relocation of the airport would make 420 hectares available for further development. So as to make South Africa globally competitive the National Government's Department of Trade and Industry proposed that this site be used to develop a petrochemical hub. The petrochemical hub would generate 40 500 new jobs by the year 2020. It would also generate between R11.7 billion and R14.4 billion by 2020 at 1998 values. The proposal to increase industry in the area is supported by the fact that the oil refineries are located in South Durban, the port is close by and there are already a number of large petrochemical industries in the area. The other options that were proposed were the development of a second port as the current Durban harbour is too busy causing delays in shipping. The last option was for the development of light industry and housing - this was the option proposed by communities living in the area.

Question

  • Using the information gathered in Task One and the summary of the SEA for South Durban (information in the box above), as well as your field observation to decide which of the three options would be best. Give reasons for your answer. (10)
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