The town of Luderitz and Aus Settlement in the ||Karas Region are poised to undergo significant transformation, driven by new developments in green hydrogen and in the oil and gas industry. 

The transformation plans were unveiled at a two-day long Luderitz stakeholders conference this week, aimed at fostering collaboration among key stakeholders and setting a clear path for future development. 

Presenting the transformation plan for Luderitz Town Council, Acting CEO Otto Shipanga said they have already started with a boundary expansion drive.

"The other aspect is to also expand the current town land boundaries to acquire additional land, and we have already started with that process. Our plans are to expand the town 20 kilometres out of Luderitz. So we have already submitted our applications, and the land that needs to be required is within the national park."

Shipanga further revealed the bids for the upgrading and replacement of existing infrastructure and the construction of bulk services for an envisaged new township. 

He underscored the importance of expert guidance in urban planning. 

"We just need to indicate when coming to the land development, we are not planning in isolation, and we also need to indicate we have our new partners who just came on board and have joined us from the Dutch Association of Local Authorities." 

The council envisaged completion of water reticulation infrastructure, electrical services, and 361 plots, as well as completion of spatial town planning at Aus settlement, during phase one. 

Phase two will include an environmental impact assessment, the construction of bulk services for 1,200 additional plots, and construction of a water treatment plant. 

Sachika revealed council submitted an application to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, to upgrade Aus settlement to town council status. 

Government allocated N$51 million to Luderitz and N$90 million to Aus for their respective transformation initiatives.