Eden Island adopts La Misère viewpoint |27 May 2010
The Eden Island Company has officially adopted the site for restoration and upgrading work, and will afterwards officially hand it back to the Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA) while continuing to maintain it.
A short ceremony took place at the viewpoint earlier this week, when LWMA chief executive Lena Desaubin handed it over to Eden Island chief executive Craig Heeger. Also present were representatives of both parties.
An Eden Island landscaping team was already on site and, as the first part of the project, had started cleaning up the surprising amount of litter and trimming bushes blocking the view.
The others phases will involve putting in indigenous plants, as well as a table and benches, and replastering the walls.
Notice boards will also be put up with pictures and details of the nearby islands that can be seen.
The centrepiece of the area will be an encased image, which will depict and explain the entire view and give information about everything as far as the eye can see.
The ground area will be resurfaced by the Land Transport Agency, and more bins will be placed around the site.
“We plan on making the site very user-friendly for everybody,” said Mr Heeger.
“It is a plus for us that Eden Island can also be seen from the viewpoint, and it will be labelled just like the other islands.”
Mr Heeger said this is another example of the partnerships the company enjoys forming with the community.
Mrs Desaubin said the viewpoint is of enormous value, especially since it offers such a spectacular view as well as being a much-loved site for visitors and locals alike.
During the time it takes for the work to be completed, the site will remain open to everyone. The project is expected to be completed by the end of June, when it will be handed back, but the Eden Island Company will continue to maintain it on a daily basis.
Mr Heeger said the initial cost of the project is expected to be around R70,000 to R100,000, but it will be “money well spent”.