Page 9 - KZN Business Sense-Vol6 No5

MULTI-MODAL increasing costs and decreasing and representing the AmaXimba development of a truck stop ■ A truck stop and staging
TRANSPORTATION predictability and reliability, there Community in this development, and staging facility facility to accommodate
FACILITY UNDER is stark realisation that the status has conceptualised, planned, ■ The conceptual design for the 300 parking bays with
DEVELOPMENT quo is not sustainable. packaged and is now in the new KwaXimba N3 all ancillary support structures
process of developing and even Interchange has been for drivers, as well as vehicle
he Cato Ridge Logistics Understanding that the Port operationalising this dream. maintenance and testing
and Intermodal Hub, now of Durban has very limited concluded and environmental ■ Logistics parks to
Tmore aptly referred to as scope for expansion, especially Those who described this as “a impact assessment for accommodate warehousing,
the Cato Ridge Dry Port (CRDP), for back of port activities and pipe dream”, are now waking up this strategic intermodal freight handling logistics and
has been the topic of discussion onsite freight handling, that the to a reality where the Dry Port infrastructure component is freight preparation facilities
in the transportation and over reliance on road freight is ready to start operations and soon to be completed ■ An industrial park to
logistics corridors for many years. and a skewed road to rail ratio is where: ■ A bulk services agreement accommodate manufacturing
Some of the views expressed further stifling or smothering the ■ A business structuring between CRLHC and the opportunities presented by its
by those who call themselves port and that if we are already model, with clear community eThekwini Metropolitan close proximity to the Dry Port
industry specialists are that Cato struggling to cope with existing ownership and involvement, Municipality is being and Logistics land uses; and in
Ridge is an ideal location as an freight volumes, how are we has been concluded between negotiated and is facilitated by the longer term
intermodal, or even a multi- ever going to cope with doubled CRLHC and the AmaXimba the eThekwini Chief of
A tank farm as a strategic fuel
modal transportation facility. volumes in the not too distant Development Trust (ADT). Operations Office; and last but ■ storage facility
future, then one has come to definitely not least
ADVANTAGEOUS understand the logic of the Cato ■ Optimal coordination, ■ A transformation strategy It is important to conclude by
LOCATION Ridge Dry Port. alignment and integration has been developed in full emphasising that the CRLHC is
is facilitated, and regulatory
The location on a strategic The area of Cato Ridge with its applications are processed, collaboration and in implementing this project as an
intersection of the Natcor railway surrounding, predominantly rural with the support of a Project partnership with the agent of the community and the
line, the N3 freeway and the soon and impoverished AmaXimba Facilitation Team, co-convened AmaXimba Development community is not merely regarded
to be decommissioned Durban Community, located roughly by Trade and Investment Trust, representing the as an incidental beneficiary of the
Johannesburg Pipeline (DJP) and midway between Durban and KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) community and recognising development. The community
positioned between the busiest Pietermaritzburg, presents a and the eThekwini their ownership in the project, owns this development in
port and the primary economic series of unique social, economic, Metropolitan Municipality to guide the implementation partnership with its development
node on the African continent, environmental and spatial Chief Operations Officer. of community development agent, the CRLHC. 
certainly supports this view. challenges and opportunities. ■ A land purchasing framework and empowerment
programmes and projects.
There have also been many Merging the social needs has been developed to secure W: www.crlhc.co.za
prophets of doom, claiming this surrounding this area, with phased access to short, PROJECT COMPOSITION
location to be either too far or the vast economic potential, medium, and longer term The Cato Ridge Dry Port is a
too close to the Port of Durban stimulated by transportation, development phases of the R18 billion project to be rolled out
to make economic, or logistical logistics and manufacturing project over the next 25 to 30 years and is
sense, predicting that a dry port sectors and executed in an ■ A heads of agreement between comprised of:
in Cato Ridge will never see the environmentally sustainable CRLHC and Transnet, which ■ An interim rail terminal to
light of day. However, for those manner, presents an opportunity outlines the respective roles handle approximately 90K Growth Beyond Logic
who use the truck congested N3 too good to be ignored by both and responsibilities and various TEUs per annum, to be
freeway, for those who work, live government and business interests. operational modalities in expanded to a fully-fledged SCAN
or play in the vicinity of the ‘back DEVELOPING THE DREAM respect of rail and terminal dry port intermodal facility QR CODE
of port’ area, for those who sit, facilities, is in the final phases with capacity to handle
work and even live in their trucks It is against this background of conclusion and is ready for 500K TEUs. This TO SEE
for days on end, waiting to either that the Cato Ridge Logistics signing will be supported by SARS VIDEO
collect or drop off cargo in the Hub Consortium (CRLHC) ■ A heads of agreement between customs services to manage
port, or those logistics operators as the project owners and CRLHC and Engen has been freight clearance and bonded (Open the camera on your phone and
and traders who have to cope with developers, acting on behalf of concluded in respect of the warehousing facilities hover steadily for 2-3 seconds over the
QR Code to see the video.)

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