Stopping erosion in Tanjung Aru

The Tanjung Aru Eco Development project will feature resorts, commercial lots, residential units, a marina and golf course. — filepic

KOTA KINABALU: Redevelopment of the Tanjung Aru beach area will stop the worsening seaside erosion there, a senior official of the company undertaking the 348ha project said.

Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) executive director Datuk Victor Paul said according to a three-year study, the reclamation involving some 220ha of sea land would halt the erosion.

He said the new beach at the reclaimed area was designed in such a way that it would not be affected by erosion.

“Erosion had caused the Tanjung Aru beach to shrink by as much as 0.8m per year over the past decades,” Paul said at a briefing for business and political figures here on Wednesday.

The design of one end of the reclaimed area where a 133ha golf course will be located would enable water from Sungai Petagas to flow out to the sea.

He said the golf course would incorporate a mangrove forest that would filter out pollutants in the river water.

Paul said the redevelopment would include a canal aimed at making properties in the area more marketable.

He said the public would continue to have access to the Tanjung Aru beach area including the Prince Philip Park that would be enlarged to 12ha, more than double its current size.

Paul said expertise from the Sabah Forestry Department as well as the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) would be sought to create a rainforest in the park area.

Apart from the Greg Norman-designed golf course, the Tanjung Aru Eco Development also included seven hotels and resorts totalling 1,800 rooms as well as about 5,000 apartment and condominium units.

TAED would include a 26ha retail as well as food & beverage area called Prince Philip Wharf and a marina berthing up to 200 vessels.

To questions about the impact on traffic flow, Paul said among the traffic dispersal plans for the area include the widening of Jalan Mat Salleh.

On the cards were also plans for a road linking the area to Petagas near the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Among those present at the briefing were Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh, former State Secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Wilfred Bumburing as well as Kota Kinabalu MP Jimmy Wong.