Construction of bulk services in the Aus settlement has officially started, spurred by anticipated growth in Namibia’s green hydrogen and gas industries.

Speaking to NBC News, Suzan Ndjaleka, Councillor for the !Nami#Nus Constituency, confirmed that the government has allocated N$50 million towards the transformation of Aus and Lüderitz.

Phase one of the project includes the installation of water and electrical infrastructure, the servicing of 361 plots, and the completion of spatial town planning.

Phase two will focus on an environmental impact assessment, the servicing of 1,200 additional plots, and the construction of a water treatment plant.

However, progress has been slow.

“Currently it looks like we are behind work,” Ndjaleka admitted. “We are faced with water challenges. We are experiencing some lack of support from different stakeholders. But we hope we can manage. As we know, Aus settlement has been known for the water. So, work needs to be sped up.”

Ndjaleka attributed the delays to a lack of coordination between planning and development teams.

“We want to make sure that the investment the government is making is really well appreciated,” she said. “We don’t want to see projects failing because of our lack of capacity.”

Both the Aus and Lüderitz projects are currently behind schedule.

“But definitely, the investment will be made and it was committed by the government. It’s for us to make it carried out,” she added.

The project has so far created jobs for nearly 20 people in the area.