mouldie,
it happened to us here in st. francis bay too, we used to have a beach launch in cape st. francis, but it was closed because of suitable alternatives, being the new port that was being built, and the nsri slipway further down the point. the nsri now launch in the port and their old slip is not looked after (it is really dodgy to launch there with huge surges).
now we are stuck paying port fees, or using the slip in the canals and paying canal fees to get to the main river to go out the mouth (also a bit dodgy).
these fees are all expensive, not the acceptable municipal fees that you could understand paying, but more like private, exclusive access fees like they charge at the canals and in the private port. (it's like hotels being built where caravan parks used to be, not accessible to normal people anymore)
much like what is happening in port alfred, all i can tell you is that you should fight that now while it is still new, because once the precedent is set and people are used to getting those funds etc. you will not reverse it.
good luck!! (i bought a boat in pa recently and i really liked the vibe there at the small boat harbour, seemed like nobody was too bothered about other peoples business and trying to smokkel money for every conceivable thing, shame that it is changing now.)