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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Plus in many countries, marina projects can be halted by a court appeal even after their approval because of the many authorities and procedures usually involved in the project. New marina legislations should set a limit to this kind of uncertainty – it’s vital that coastal/urban communities prepare for these projects long in advance in order to avoid these disruptions.
Another hot topic at IWMC
was marina financing and how access to credit by marina investors is often limited by short term leases. This highlighted the fact that the best way to stimulate marina investments could be to grant long term leases that take into account the low profitability of marina investments, the high capital they require and the expensive marketing actions that are needed by the investor to attract new consumers. Marina investments combined
with real estate developments are usually successful as the increase of value (usually between 20%- 30%) of the apartments, offices and shops facing the waterfront eases the initial sustainability of the marina development. However, the self-sustainability of the marina infrastructure has to be carefully considered on the long term, in order to avoid unnecessarily high maintenance costs that could discourage berth tenants once the structure is no longer supported by the real estate sales.
The IWMC session focused on environmental legislation summarised international legislations that could affect future maritime spatial planning, management of waste and hazardous materials in marinas, dredging limitations, prevention of invasive species carried by yachts and new restrictions on antifouling paints to name a few.
Among current and future environmental issues for marinas, global warming and climate change prominently featured. Many marinas around the world are already observing the effects of these problems in, for example, the rise of average tidal levels that force marinas to increase the height of their infrastructure and in the growing intensity of storms
exposing boaters to more frequent maneuvering and mooring accidents.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom.
IWMC keynote speaker, renowned trend watcher Adjiedj Bakas, underlined the importance of marinas in the future of boating, explaining how people will look for affordable boats with low maintenance costs, often sharing them through dedicated systems – with marinas providing the heart and soul. “Marinas will stop being
parking lots for boats and become places where people share a community lifestyle” said Bakas, “And we will change the garage into a leisure destination”.
MARCH 2017 FORE & AFT 47
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