The management committee (MC) of the Walvis Bay municipal council recommended during the ordinary council meeting for July that approval be granted for the lease of a portion of Remainder Farm 43 to Native Storage Facility (NSF) to establish a dangerous goods storage facility.
It was suggested that council lease the area next to the D1983 secondary road towards Rooibank to the company at a monthly rental of N$75 000 (50 cents per square metre) plus N$11 250 in VAT.
NSF intends to establish a dangerous goods storage facility in Walvis Bay to store all such goods destined for mines in the Erongo Region. The MC reasoned that the project relates to the safety and security of the town and will underscore government’s initiative of safe communities and protect the lives of Namibians.
There are currently no safe storage facilities for dangerous goods at the coast. Walvis Bay residents previously opposed an application by Native Storage Facility to use an existing communications bunker east of Walvis Bay as a temporary storage facility for dangerous goods and demanded than an alternative site be identified. They also questioned the close proximity of Farm 43 to the Topnaar community and the Walvis Bay airport.
According to the MC, the project will complement efforts by government under the Harambee Prosperity Plan to create jobs for the unemployed in the area of Walvis Bay and therefore the application from Native Storage Facility was supported.
The land consists of approximately 15 hectares which is unserviced. NSF subsequently conducted the Environmental Impact Assessment study for the envisaged facility and received the required Environmental Clearance documents.
Letters from stakeholders supporting the project, namely the Ministry of Defence and the Namibia Coast Conservation and Management (Nacoma) were also received. The army indicated on 28 August last year already that is had no objection to the envisaged facility being established on Farm 43 and based on this the MC observed that the two facilities could co-exist.
Otis Finck