R350 million has been allocated for infrastructure projects in the Voortrekker Road Corridor (VRC) in the 2016/17 financial year.

This forms part of the City of Cape Town’s ongoing efforts to revitalise this substantial area.

According to the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Councillor, Johan van der Merwe, the aim is for strategic public spending to encourage further development and investment from the private sector.

“Our targeted investment drive in infrastructure and public space upgrades aims not only to lay a solid and attractive foundation for further private sector investment, but also shows our commitment to enhancing the second largest central business district area in the metro and its surrounds,” he said.

“Only through the strong partnerships that we are seeing in this corridor will we truly reach the catalytic change that we are envisioning for this zone.”

 

Projects underway

The infrastructure and public space upgrade projects, some of which are already under way, include:

• R51 million for the Oakdale Main Substation (Phase 2)
• R65 million for the Bellville Wastewater Treatment Works Facility
• R5 million for the upgrade of the Bellville Public Transport Interchange
• R2 million for the Elsieskraal River upgrade (from Elizabeth Park to Jack Muller Park)
• R2 million for CCTV installation in Goodwood
• 5 million for the Maitland Cemetery upgrade

The first phase of infrastructure upgrades commenced in the 2014/15 financial year with projects such as the Water and Sanitation Department’s Northern Region Sludge Facility and the Electricity Services Department’s Plattekloof N1 Substation reinforcement.

 

Funding

The Integrated City Development Grant, which is being used to fund this large-scale investment, provides the eight metropolitan municipalities with incentives to improve spatial development considerations in their budgeting in support of integrated, inclusive development that is public transport-oriented.

To qualify for this grant funding, cities are required to identify integration zones in which the funding is due to be spent. The Metro South-East and the VRC have been the two nominated regions within Cape Town.