     EAST LONDON INDUSTRIAL, NLA, in partnership with Bapela Cave Klapwijk was appointed to develop a master plan and manage the landscape implementation of the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ). This initiative was jointly funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environmental Affairs, which now encourages similar projects at COEGA and Richards Bay. Initially, a master plan and landscape development guidelines were produced. NLA was responsible for the implementation of the gardens at the estate buildings and entrances. After this phase, the firms jointly completed the landscape design for the Automotive Supplier Park – the key industrial development that would eventually link the East London Airport with the Buffalo River Harbour. An extremely tight time frame called for construction to commence hastily, resulting in a fast-paced landscape implementation. With the site being exposed to strong storm and sea winds, plant choices had to be carefully made. All trees and most other plantings were indigenous and selected to be resistant to the local climate. An on-site nursery accommodated further acclimatization of individual specimens and ensured the availability of plants for quick installation. The ELIDZ irrigation system was designed and installed as a test project for the newly launched IQ modular control system, which allows instructions to be sent from a central computer to satellite controllers via any mobile device. In addition, the 1,200 ha landscape development and low water pressure required an irrigation booster system to be installed and linked to a Central Control System that would ultimately manage all irrigation within the IDZ.
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