News from
Residents’Association of
rahb@houtbay.org.za www.houtbay.org.za
February
2008
HOUT BAY
WETLANDS
Under the leadership
of Dr Justin O’Riain money has been approved for the
funding of the WESSA Project that aims to establish an ecologically suitable
corridor linking the two rehabilitated wetlands in Hout
Bay; the Main Wetland and the River Trail Wetland.
Together these two wetlands offer a unique
diversity of wetland habitats throughout the year and linking them will allow
for a greater diversity of wetland associated fauna.
Phase I will focus on the removal of alien
vegetation (e.g., Grey poplar, kikuyu).
Phase II will involve landscaping and the planting of indigenous vegetation
to provide ecological and recreational continuity between the two areas.
The project will continue to make use of the local coastal
community group (
Open letter from John Gardner to Enviroafrica
Objection
to the installation of yet another cell phone repeater tower on erf 7885
(Following RAHB
objection to the application for a land use departure for a cell base station
on Erf 7309 in December 2007)
“I wish
to register as an interested and affected party and to object to the erection
of a telecommunication tower on erf 7885. I
call for a full EIA regarding this proposed development.
In 1982 I
began the project to save the Orangekloof Wetlands
from destruction by rampant soil-erosion. At my own expense I began to create
anti soil-erosion works out of wire baskets and stones in the Hout bay river bed. This was on erf
4151 less than 100m from the proposed telecommunications tower.
Via Dr
Ian Player, the internationally renowned environmentalist, the
It was
via the Cape Wetlands Trust that the First and Second Orangekloof
Survival Workshops were successfully undertaken in 1991 and 1992 and it was
the self same Trust together with the Mountain Club of South
Africa who set up the Table Mountain Chain Survival Workshop in 1994 that
pushed for World Heritage Site and unified management plan for
the area.
The Longkloof Weir in effect holds up the upper valley wetlands
and prevents them washing down toward the sea.
The
unique Orangekloof wetlands which extend beyond the
border of the Orangekloof Reserve to include erf 7885 are now more secure. Erf
7885 [which is the section of the land that previously belonged to Mrs Taylor]
was expropriated in order to create the Orangekloof
Weir. It was never intended to provide a place for boxes of telecommunication
material and telecommunication towers surrounded by high fences. This area
is a community resource. It is an outdoor classroom of extraordinary beauty and
is used for environmental education, restoration and relaxation.
The late
Thelma Harwood put tireless effort as a trustee of the Cape Wetlands Trust to
ensure that the area was preserved and the Orangekloof
Wetlands saved for posterity. I would
like to support the memory of those now deceased who tirelessly and at their
own cost ensured that this amazing area survives. This area has been kept for
the use and enjoyment of present and future generations and remains a part of
the Hout Bay Heritage.
Please do
not hesitate to contact me regarding the extensive history of the Orangekloof Survival Project.
I would
like to pay my respect to Mr Derek Thomas who put money into the project from a
Trust in honour of his son who died tragically in an accident. He was one of
the many [including the Cape Wetlands Trustees] who worked extremely
hard to ensure that what is now a little paradise survived against all the
pressures of development, erosion, alien infestation and the risk of
canalisation. The wetland flora and
fauna are flourishing and a very rare international migrant bird has recently
been spotted drinking from the wetlands.
I would
like to emphasise my total rejection of the proposal to build a telecommunications
tower on erf 7885. The dead cannot speak, but if they
were alive today they may well have penned letters similar to the one
that I have written. All the wildlife of the wetlands has no voice so I
must speak for them as well.
Yours
Sincerely
Dr
John Francis Gardner
BA MB ChB
MRNZCGP”
Mayors
Special Merit Award 1992
WWF/MNET
award circa 1991 and 1992
Planning or Anarchy?
Pressure mounts on
businesses operating outside of the VAMP area on Victoria Avenue above Oxford
St: The Land Use
inspector who previously issued notices to businesses outside VAMP warning of
‘potential regularisation of zoning’ has now started issuing orders for
businesses to stop trading and fines for non-compliance have increased. This highlights the positive contribution
made by businesses within the VAMP who contribute a VAMP levy, pay commercial
rates and provide adequate parking for customers. We look forward to a future
of regularised and well planned commercial expansion in
Saving the Beach Club from itself?
The south easterly wind continues to plague the Beach Club development. Proposals to stabilise the adjacent dunes with vegetation were wisely not undertaken in light of the divergent path the river took last winter. This has placed the river very close to the eastern boundary of the Beach Club. Marram grass has naturally re-established itself along the eastern boundary but this has resulted in a new problem. The prevailing wind is now deflected by the established grass and dune system and a vacuum has been created in the lee of the dune. This vacuum is sucking up sand and eroding the boundary fence of the Beach Club. Whilst sprinklers were mooted as a possible solution, the predictions for strengthening south easterlies, concomitant to global warming, leave a rather bleak prospect in the medium to long term for the sand damage sustained by residents of the Beach Club.
Erf 2224 (Blue Valley Avenue, Bokkemanskloof) The RAHB will be registering as an I&AP against the application to develop this erf for a “township layout” of 30 residential units accessed via Blue Valley and Ash Lane and 43 units accessed above the road reserve. If you want to be registered as an (I&AP) interested and affected party (particularly if your land adjoins this development, or you reside on Blue Valley Avenue or one of the lanes that will be used as an access road) then please contact the RAHB for further details.
Erf 7794: An application has been submitted for the subdivision of this erf into two portions of 4061 and 4784 sq.m, and a departure from the minimum erf size of 8 000 sq.m. The RAHB has submitted an objection based on the fact at the erf is zoned ‘Agricultural’ and, according to the Zoning Scheme, cannot be subdivided to below the minimum erf size (8000 sq.m) for Agricultural-zoned land in Hout Bay.
Erf 559 (Desecration of our Dunes)
The Residents’
Association of Hout Bay (RAHB) vigorously objected to this application in its original letter of
objection and continues to do so in spite of the applicants’ longwinded attempts
at justification. Thank you to the over 500 residents of Imizamo Yethu, the
As in our previous
objection, we again drew the City
Council’s and the Provincial Administration’s attention to the new Bill, the long-awaited
‘Integrated Coastal Management Bill’ soon to pass into law and designed to protect the vulnerable
coastal zone from exactly these sorts of developments. Even the Financial Mail (22 Dec 2006) draws
attention to this new legislation saying “SA’s
coast is a treasure and a new law makes sure it stays that way”. We therefore submit,
that this application flies in the face of this new legislation and, for all
the above reasons, this Application
should be refused outright and without further wastage of time or delay. We therefore repeat:
In short, the
Residents’ Association of Hout Bay reserves the right
to legally challenge the City Council and the Provincial Administration should
they see fit to press ahead with this application without recognizing the need
to conduct a proper Environmental Impact Assessment with full public
participation so as to come to grips with the environmental sensitivities of
the application. The opinion of the only Advocate in favour of the Developer
should be tested since an opposing Legal Opinion has been given by this
Association’s Senior Counsel.
NEIGHBOURHOOD CRIME WATCH
Neighbourhood Watch submission on crime for the week ending 11 February 2008,
reported housebreaking in the following areas:
Llandudno, Beach Estate, Northshore,
Hangberg,
PLEASE remember to lock doors, set house alarms and
don’t leave items lying around in your car.
It is inviting temptation.
SOME USEFUL TEL NUMBERS
Watchcon
(HBNW operations room) 021 7909333
ADT Supervisor 083 6481463
Deep Blue Supervisor 082
3205674
Fire Station 021 7905980
Civil Emergency Response
Team 021 7902767
Chairperson, Residents’ Assoc of
Tel: 790-0268, Email: lens@telkomsa.net
(R50 per couple, R30 per
individual)
Forms from
Chairperson or Library. Association’s Banking Details: FNB,
Subscriptions may be paid electronically (please
use your full name as a reference on the payment – to ensure that we correctly
credit your membership as this information appears on our Bank Statement
If you prefer, payment may also be dropped into our wooden box
at the Library (next to the Hall doors) or posted to our Post Office Box: 27031
Chairperson, Residents’ Assoc of
Tel: 790-0268, Email: lens@telkomsa.net