Heritage Cases

It was roughly during the late 1990s, that the Commodore II Wreck as it is known today, floated ashore at Lagoon Beach, Milnerton. Since then, it has drifted and moved around the Lagoon Beach area, following the tides and various storm events. The remains of the ship are protected by the National Heritage Resources Act, no 25 of 1999, and as such it cannot be moved without the required permit from the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). An application was lodged with SAHRA by The CityLife Trust in September 2016 with a proposal to relocate the wreck to a final location on land close by. Whilst this application was being considered by SAHRA, a storm surge in 2017 wedged the wooden wreck under the Milnerton wooden bridge. The new location of the wreck necessitated various parties to engage on the way forward in the interest of the wreck. The Milnerton wooden bridge is a Provincial Heritage Site and the tender for the restoration of the bridge has been awarded and work on this project commenced. Included in the tender is an amount to move the wreck. The wreck subsequently moved further south in the lagoon and has been there adjacent to Esplanade Street. Joint site visits and meetings were held with representatives from the City of Cape Town, SAHRA and CityLife Trust. The purpose of these were to discuss what the legislative requirements for the relocation of the wreck would be as well as what the applicable variables are that needs to considered. It was agreed that the wreck had to be relocated when the restoration on the Milnerton Wooden Bridge commences. During a joint site visit, representatives from this office, SAHRA and the CityLife Trust considered the location indicated on the relocation position as the most appropriate given the significance of the wreck, its context and the amount of space required.