Contents
of October 2005
EDITORIAL
An unnatural disaster?
UPFRONT
News
INSPIRATION
Returning residents to the city
INSULT
It’s all in the name
PLANNING PERSONALITY
New head of school at Wits
BATTLE OF THE ‘BURBS
Camps Bay v Big Bay
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Schefflera
umbellifera – the False Cabbage Tree
FEATURES
Looking for a place in the shade
A river runs beside it
Illegal dumping of Hazardous Waste
-----
EDITORIAL
An unnatural disaster?
Over the
past month or two tropical storms in the northern hemisphere dominated news reporting
across the globe. The happenings in Louisiana and Texas attracted widespread reaction,
even becoming a political play ball. Although seemingly removed from our day-to-day
challenges and struggles with addressing the pressing issues of a developing country,
there are some valuable lessons for us to learn from the experiences of our North American
counterparts.
The October
2004 edition of the prestigious National Geographic ran a feature called “Gone with
the Water” which focused on the problem of Louisiana’s wetlands that are
disappearing under the Gulf of Mexico at the incredible rate of 33 football fields a day.
The article specifically highlighted the loss of the protective fringe of marshes and
barrier islands which provide safety from hurricanes and natural disasters.
New Orleans
geologist Shea Penland is quoted as predicting the occurrence of a devastating hurricane
as: ”It’s not if it will happen, it’s when.” The main issue raised in
the National Geographic article is that the natural defences of New Orleans are quietly
melting away. A mixture of natural and human factors can be blamed for this. The Delta
soils naturally compact and sink over time, but human intervention also had a big impact.
For instance, since the 1950s more than 12 000 km of canals were cut through the marsh for
petroleum exploration and ship traffic. These ditches sliced the wetlands into a giant
jigsaw puzzle, increasing erosion and allowing lethal doses of salt water to infiltrate
brackish and freshwater marshes.
A plan to
protect what is left, drafted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, was estimated to cost up
to US$14-billion to implement over the next 30 years.
The Bush
Administration balked at the price tag, supporting instead a plan to spend up to
$2-billion over the next 10 years to fund what they called the most promising projects.
And then
Katrina struck. I need not go into the details of the devastation she left. But it is
essential to ask ourselves what lessons we learnt from her. It might be argued that at the
southern-most point of Africa we do not experience such fierce environmental disasters and
therefore we should focus on the more pressing development issues at hand. Some people
would even go as far as saying that environmental protection and conservation is a luxury
within the context of a third world country.
According to
the Worldwatch Institute, Katrina taught us at a very straightforward level that the
integrity of natural ecosystems should be a priority. It might even alert us that the
links between climate change and weather-related catastrophes need to be acknowledged. Or
that there is an urgent need to diversify energy supplies. All of these are valuable
lessons, but from an urban and environmental management perspective Katrina made us
acutely aware that (1) short-term thinking is a dangerous approach to policy and (2) the
way in which we manage and interpret information is crucial.
We live in
an era of information-overload and as a matter of urgency planning professionals need to
develop skills to discern what is of potential importance and what is not.
After
recognising important information a further challenge is to develop skills to convince
others (specifically decision makers) of the merit and urgency of our findings. We need to
be innovative and persuasive in our communication. Along with the importance of
information management, the importance of persuasiveness is also discussed in terms of
community participation in Urban Green File’s city visit to Mtunzini (page 24). Other
highlights of this edition are the winners of the annual ILASA awards, some of which are
featured on page 5 and a surprisingly positive perspective on South African cities offered
by Prof Alan Mabin, recently appointed as Head of Architecture and Planning at Wits
University (page 14).- Engela Meyer
-----
UPFRONT
Ilasa Awards Ceremony
The annual
ILASA merit awards ceremony was held on 16 September, 2005 at the Walter Sisulu National
Botanical Gardens. Two submissions in the environmental category were awarded merit
awards. These were the Mofolo-Moroka Open Space Framework by Newtown Landscape Architects
and the Galeshewe Open Space & Landscape Plan by African EPA. The design category
attracted more submissions and a total of seven projects were awarded with an ILASA merit
award. One of these, the design of the “Isivivane” section of the Freedom Park
development on Salvokop in Pretoria by Newtown Landscape Architects achieved their goal
with distinction and the adjudicators complimented the project on the clear communication,
the creativity as well as the social responsibility and environmental awareness that is
reflected in the design. The other six merit award winners are: Moroka Park Precinct by
Newtown Landscape Architects, Dorothy Nyembe Park sculptures by Insite Landscape
Architects, AEL Business platform, Modderfontein by Green Inc Landscape Architects,
Northern Cape Provincial Legislature also by Green Inc, Big Bay Bloubergstrand by The
Planning Partners and the administration buildings and parking area of Freedom Park by
Newtown Landscape Architects.
Shareholders
challenged to go paperless
Computershare
South Africa launched a campaign to persuade 2-million local shareholders to receive their
annual reports online and benefit the environment in the process.
eTree, a
global Computershare initiative, has registered almost 450 000 shareholders for online
communications since its launch in Australia last year. The campaign, which has to date
funded the planting of over 1-million trees in three countries, has been globally lauded,
winning a United Nations Business Enterprise Award this year. eTree, which launches
simultaneously in the United Kingdom and South Africa, forms part of Computershare’s
drive towards a more environmentally sustainable future.
In South
Africa Computershare has partnered with Food & Trees for Africa to encourage
shareholders to embrace online communication and eliminate the volume of paper consumed by
annual reports. For every shareholder who registers online, a contribution will be made to
planting trees in under-resourced areas.
The initial
target will be some 300 JSE-listed companies and 2-million shareholders who Computershare
services in South Africa.
Computershare
CEO Stan Lorge said: “If just 10% of Computershare’s 2-million registered
shareholders opt to receive electronic annual reports, R10-million will be raised for Food
& Trees for Africa and hundreds of tons of paper will be saved.”
Jeunesse
Park, CEO of Food & Trees for Africa, said all eTree funding would be channelled to
its Trees for Homes programme, which plants trees in underresourced households across
South Africa.
“Trees
for Homes provides trees, training and awareness for residents in low-cost housing
developments and contributes to climate mitigation,” said Park. “Each R50
contribution will pay for the planting of a tree as well as educational programmes around
the value and care for trees.”
Revitalisation of
Roodepoort CBD
According to
www.eprop.co.za the Roodepoort central
business district (CBD) is to be turned into a vibrant transport and commercial nerve
centre. Once a vibrant business centre, the CBD has taken on a somewhat shabby appearance
as businesses have relocated to the more lucrative areas of Randburg and Sandton. In 2004,
local businesses and other stakeholders began discussions on turning the area into a city
improvement district (CID).
According to
Lebo Ramoreboli, the project consultant: area regeneration in the City’s department
of finance and economic development “Roodepoort has a unique character compared with
other CBDs in Johannesburg, a character which we can tap into to develop the area into a
transport, commercial and possibly a historical centre. Also, it has its own unique
customer base, which we have to consider in order to come up with proposals to regenerate
the area.”
The
Roodepoort CBD forms a nodal transport area for people from Soweto and the surrounding
informal settlements. Big shopping centres such as Westgate are attracting business and
the traditional CBD is losing out. According to Ramoreboli the short term strategy is to
step up urban management, provide quality basic services and address crime issues. In the
long term they hope to identify niche markets for the Roodepoort CBD.
Arcus Gibb
appoints first female director
Engineering
consultancy Arcus Gibb has appointed its first female director, Jaana-Maria Ball, an
environmental scientist and botanist, who will head up its environmental business unit
nationally. Jaana has been involved in various large-scale infrastructure and
environmental projects in Southern Africa and is currently the environmental team leader
for the R4-billion Braamhoek Pumped Storage Scheme.
“Engineering
is still a male-dominated industry, but as women we can bring diversity and a different
perspective to the workplace,” says Jaana.
As part of a
South African mountaineering expedition to North Western China, Jaana was the first woman
to summit the previously unclimbed 5 600 m Kala Peak, as well as the 5 000 m Tuyuk Peak,
which had only ever been climbed once before. A previous expedition to South America took
her to the summit of Illimani Peak at a height of 6 500 m.
Arbor week
celebrations in Orange Farm
Residents of
the Modimo O Moholo shelter for the disabled in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg,
together with the staff from HSBC Bank in South Africa celebrated Arbor Week from 5 to 10
September 2005 by planting much needed trees and vegetables to help sustain the shelter
and members of the community.
The project
is aimed at improving conditions at the shelter, which currently caters for 40 physically
and mentally disabled members of the Orange Farm community.
The first
phase of the project was to sink a borehole on the premises to provide water to help
sustain the vegetable and fruit tree garden, which will be used to provide food and income
to the shelter.
Subsequently,
24 members of the Orange Farm community have been employed to prepare the soil to ensure
that the ground is ready for planting. The entire area will be grassed, irrigated and
trees will be planted to create an environment that will instill a sense of pride and
empowerment for the residents and the community.
“HSBC
Bank, South Africa is extremely excited to be involved in this project which is just one
way in which we aim to improve the plight of disadvantaged communities within South
Africa,” says Richard Adcock, Chief Executive, HSBC South Africa.
Professional body
to be established
The plethora
of current professional bodies, most often exclusive in nature, reportedly does not fulfil
the needs of a variety of practitioners currently in the field.
A need has
been identified for a professional body that caters specifically for the needs of
environmental assessment practitioners across the various sectors in which they are
employed. There is also a need to put in place a process that facilitates the entrance of
new practitioners into the field, with a focus on the youth and previously disadvantaged
communities.
The proposed
institute will be known as the South African Institute of Environmental Assessment
Practitioners, will be unaffiliated and will not rely on or give any special recognition
to members of other professional bodies or NGOs. Membership will be based on individuals
meeting the requirements that may be set by the institute from time to time as determined
and approved by members at annual general meetings.
The
institute will promote local professional expertise in cities and towns across South
Africa. Persons currently employed in field of environmental assessment are invited to
become members of the institute.
Applications could be faxed or e-mailed to: +27 12 3622908 or lezanne@fpcd.co.za.
-----
INSPIRATION
Returning residents to the city
One
of the cornerstones of inner city rejuvenation is getting residents back into the city.
The recently opened Brickfields housing project forms part of the drive of the
Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) to do just that.
Since its
establishment in 1995, the JHC constructed or refurbished at least 13 buildings for rental
accommodation in places such as Joubert Park, Troyeville, Hillbrow and Fordsburg. The
Brickfields housing project, the latest and probably the most ambitious of the JHC’s
projects, is this edition’s inspiration.
Located at
the foot of the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown, this project is cited as the biggest
public/private partnership in social housing and residential development in South Africa.
Partners include the Gauteng Housing Department, Anglo American Corporation, Absa, ApexHi
and Anglo Gold. The National Housing Finance Corporation donated R25-million and the land
was made available by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
The site of
the development was once part of the multi-racial settlement that developed around the
late 19th century mining village. It was called Brickfields because of the clay found
along the Fordsburg spruit that was used to make bricks. The informal settlement was
eventually demolished. In recent years the site was primarily used for illegal dumping and
informal settlement.
President
Thabo Mbeki, in his address at the opening of the Brickfields Housing Development, lauded
the development for resurrecting “what was clearly becoming a wasteland into a place
of hope, a place that inspires confidence into the future, a place that brings back hope
where there has been hopelessness.”
Brickfields
is in line with the Department of Housing’s “Breaking New Ground” strategy
for urban renewal, human settlement and sustainable development.
The
development offers one to three bedroom flats catering for a range of people across income
groups. It is one of the first Presidential Job Summit pilot projects, announced by the
minister of housing in 2001. The R98,7-million project is the first residential
development in Joburg’s inner city in the past 30 years. The influx of residents into
Newtown is expected to breathe new life into the inner city.
“Breaking
New Ground” has identified key focus areas:
•
Accelerating the
delivery of housing as a key strategy for poverty alleviation.
•
Utilising the
provision of housing as a major job creation strategy.
•
Ensuring that property
can be accessed by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment.
•
Leveraging growth in
the economy, combating crime and promoting social cohesion.
•
Using housing
development to break barriers between the First Economy residential property boom and the
Second Economy slump.
•
Utilising housing as
an instrument for the development of sustainable human settlements in support of spatial
restructuring.
•
Diversifying housing
products by placing emphasis on rental stock.
-----
INSULT
It’s all in the name
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa repeatedly refers to the establishment of a city region
in South Africa’s smallest and most urbanised province. Tokyo, Japan and Randstad in
the Netherlands are cited as examples of metropolitan regions to which we should or could
aspire. These global city regions are known for regional branding, integrated public
transport, as well as alignment of development and social inclusion strategies.
But at what
price are we to achieve this integration? Recent development between Johannesburg and
Pretoria highlights the potentially high environmental price to be paid.
At the
N1/N14 interchange, next to the Highveld Techno Park, M&T Development is busy with an
extensive development consisting of residential, office and retail uses. The various parts
of the development - Eco-Fusion Corporate Park, Eco-Park Estate and Eco-Park Boulevard
Retail Centre – give users and residents the promise of ‘living in
harmony’. But exactly how ecologically sensitive and responsible are these
developments?
The natural
grassland of the area is visible on the picture taken in 2004.
According to
www.plantzafrica.com the area between Pretoria
and Johannesburg is important as it contains extensive grassland that forms part of the
Grassland Biome.
“Urbanisation
is a major additional influence on the loss of natural areas. The Witwatersrand is centred
in the Grassland Biome which is considered to have an extremely high biodiversity, second
only to the Fynbos Biome.”
But this
precious grassland is being destroyed to make room for a so-called ‘eco’
development. The environmental ticket is blatantly used for marketing purposes.
In addition
to this, the development goes directly against current government policies of
“densification, intensification and infill” that would presumably result in more
environmentally sustainable South African cities.
Metropolitan
regions should not necessarily be concrete jungles. Green open spaces and biodiverse
natural areas form an essential part of any progressive and sustainable city region.
-----
PLANNING PERSONALITY
New head of school at Wits
After
serving for six years as Academic Director of the Graduate School of Public and
Development Management, Professor Alan Mabin was recently appointed as Head of the School
of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand. Engela Meyer spoke to
him about the challenges faced by academic institutions as well as the state and future of
South African cities.
Engela
Meyer (EM): What degrees are offered at Wits’s School for Architecture and Planning?
Alan Mabin
(AM): The School of Architecture and Planning offers under and postgraduate degrees in
architecture, development planning, housing and urban and regional planning. Recent
re-structuring of the planning and architecture qualifications allow for points of entry
and exit in line with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The Masters in
Development Planning is under review.
There were
various reasons for introducing this degree, among them to give access to higher planning
education to black students in the 1980s, it is important to reconsider the purpose and
the content. The Masters degree in Housing is a semi-professional qualification and proved
to be popular among practitioners since its introduction a few years ago. We are also
preparing to re-introduce the Masters degree in Urban Design.
EM: How many registered
students do you have?
AM: Currently we have approximately 600 students in the school. One quarter of
them are postgraduate students.
EM: What is your vision
for the School of Architecture and Planning?
AM: Architecture was taught at Wits as early as 1922. In the 1940s planning was
introduced as a postgraduate diploma. We have come a long way and now the various
disciplines are coming together again.
My vision
for the school is to realise the potential created by the re-unification of these various
disciplines. The challenge is to be the best a school of planning and architecture can be,
functioning in an exciting globalising city in Africa. We need to renew our relationships
with the professions, and build new links with the clients of our professions.
Another
important aspect is to realize that we are in Africa and look at our relationships with
African cities, universities and other institutions. We have a large number of foreign
students, especially in the postgraduate programmes. Many of them are planning to return
to their countries of origin and through that we are actually in an ideal position to make
a very direct difference to development in Africa.
Wits is
obviously a globally connected institution. We for instance recently hosted a colloquium
on planning in the south and the north with delegates from Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and
Zimbabwe attending.
We have
among others strong relationships with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
Berlin and Leuven University. But it is not enough to only have educational exchanges
– we need to form deep and meaningful research and intellectual relationships.
What we came
to realise is that we cannot be everything to everybody. We need to ask ourselves what we
are best at. Of course, as a first priority we should deliver high-quality professional
graduates. But we also need to identify points of focus. What and where are the aspects
towards which we can make a significant contribution?
We need to
build focused relationships with institutions in the south that have similar capacities
and interests to us. Places such as Sao Paulo and Casablanca come to mind as cities and
universities with whom we have significant experiences to share.
In past
years Wits’s School of Architecture and Planning made a substantial contribution to
the country and to Johannesburg in particular. Some contributions were good, some bad -
there is no need to deny that - but I believe we’ve made a difference. What we need
to focus on is the continuous improvement of the quality of that contribution.
What we
share with the Urban Green File is the focus on sustainability – I assume the
five-letter word “green” in your name represents just that. In the school’s
research and work, there are a number of examples that I can cite that attempt to address
this issue of sustainability:
*
We are researching the
history of appropriate architecture in Africa. Hannah le Roux has looked into this,
examining what has worked in the past an what we should look at in the future.
*
A further focus is the
development and recognition of appropriate technologies in Africa. Daniel Irurah has been
working in this field and he has brought the Holcim awards for sustainable construction to
South Africa.
*
Significant research
was done into housing policy and practice by colleagues Sarah Charlton and Marie
Huchzemeyer.
*
Though we all
recognise the success of South Africa’s housing programme in terms of quantities, it
is evident that there are problems in terms of sustainability.
EM: You’ve spent six
years at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management, helping to establish
the school. What do you think planning, architecture and housing can learn from public and
development management?
AM: I’ve been involved with the Development and Planning Commission from
1997 as the Deputy Chair. I’ve learnt a lot in my engagement with the public sector
and came to realise the importance of an effective and creative public sector. Two or
three themes that I would single out as important realisations for any planner and or
architect, and public official:
*
Leadership is of
utmost importance. We all, as planners, architects and public officials have the
opportunity and responsibility to provide leadership.
*
Secondly I’ve
come to realise the virtue of thinking thoroughly about human relationships. In essence
that is what management is about – human relationships.
*
Lastly one very
important thing is that the public sector is about service delivery. It is about rising to
the challenge. And to achieve that, you require a certain level of modesty and humbleness.
Not something that the built environment professions are always renowned for!
EM: You’ve also had
extensive involvement with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) over the years. What is
the current role of the NGO sector?
AM: The sector is struggling in some respects. The transition from an
antiapartheid organisation to a new role in a still relatively new democratic South Africa
is a long and winding road. NGOs are most important for their contribution to
selfconfident, socially-aware communities and in the development of community leadership
and capacity. South Africa is on that road, but the capacities still seem very thin.
Universities
can play a limited role in changing this. Maybe we should look at the histories of our
NGOs and learn from that.
EM: South African cities:
what have we done wrong and right in terms of planning and management?
AM: The utopian thinking of planning and architecture has a role to play. It is
evocative and even emotional. There is nothing wrong with it, but we need to do some
serious thinking about the disjuncture between the way South African cities really work
and the utopian thinking of the Development Facilitation Act (DFA) principles.
What the DFA
requires is that we confront fragmentation and many studies have found that we are not
necessarily doing that.
We need to
look at what we do have. If all goes according to some predictions, our cities may be at
the beginning of a serious growth boom.
We have seen
economic growth over the past few years. This growth has taken place in our cities. What
does that say to us? It says that our cities are capable of supporting economic growth.
What we’ve got is not so wildly unsuccessful and inefficient. It somehow manages to
support economic growth.
Secondly, at
a social level many people still experience massive disadvantages.
We need to
address that, but we should also acknowledge what we have: Our cities have become a nexus
of flows of people, ideas and information. Our cities are supporting extraordinary social
networks and the cosmopolitan nature of some areas within our cities is amazing.
People from
all over Africa and the world live here and change our cities on a daily basis.
Thirdly, one
can criticise sprawl, but one very important aspect that we need to acknowledge is that we
were and are able to cater for very diverse lifestyles. We can learn from and build on
this ability.
Lastly there
is some exciting new architecture happening. Not everything is Tuscan! Some very creative
people are doing things out there; we are seeing the beginnings of a new public
architecture. It has taken us 11 years, but maybe that is a good thing – the identity
of the new South African city had to grow on us.
-----
BATTLE OF THE ‘BURBS
Camps Bay v Big Bay
Comparing
Big Bay with Camps Bay might seem like a comparison of apples and pears, but the idea
behind the comparison is to improve our understanding of the nature of development and the
workings of our cities, which is, according to Engela Meyer, illustrated by these two
vastly different seaside establishments.
Sir Francis
Drake, on his round-the-world voyage in the 16th century, recorded in his log after seeing
the Cape: “A most stately thing, and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole
circumference of the earth.” This fairest cape has subsequently become a popular
destination for tourists, as well as a prime residential location.
To most
South Africans and tourists to South Africa Camps Bay needs no introduction.
For years
this quaint Atlantic coast seaside town has been popular for its established residential
areas and also for its trendy cafes and accessible beach. It forms part of the coastline
which is sometimes referred to as Cape Town’s “Riviera”. If you are not
part of the surfing fraternity Big Bay might need some introduction, being only recently
developed for residential purposes. It is located directly north of Bloubergstrand.
That might
be the first obvious difference between Camps Bay and Big Bay. The former has grown and
evolved over decades: new mansions replaced dilapidated beach cottages and this so-called
organic development resulted in winding residential streets and heterogeneity in the urban
fabric. Big Bay is being developed as a complete design exercise within a Big Bay
Development Framework with accompanying design guidelines. Although there are different
phases, the developers had time to think about the area as an entity, considering the
densities and the accompanying need for retail activities, open space, and the like.
Land use
Camps Bay: 8
•
High-income
residential
•
Pedestrian-friendly
central area
•
Dormitory and holiday
function
•
Social amenities
The residential area of Camps Bay is considered as one of the most scenic
suburbs in the peninsula with the Twelve Apostles as a backdrop and the beautiful
sandy-white beaches in the foreground. Being an established residential area, Camps Bay
has amenities such as schools and churches.
Retail
facilities are located on Victoria Road and neighbourhood cafes are spread out through the
town, but residents would probably do most of their shopping outside of the town as the
town primarily serves a dormitory and tourist function. The main street is usually a buzz
of activity due to the popularity of the trendy street cafes and easy access to the beach.
Big Bay: 7
•
Balanced mix of land
use
•
Range of residential
options
•
Shops and amenities to
support the community
Not all of the phases of the Big Bay development have been completed.
The
development framework makes provision for a number of development parcels. In general,
medium densities are provided to the east of the central dune, with higher residential
densities located on the western side. The proposed lower density residential precincts
abut existing single residential townships. All of these developments have breathtaking
views of Table Mountain. A number of access-controlled residential estates have been
established.
Retail
facilities are under construction at the junction of Otto du Plessis Drive and Cormorant
Avenue. A coastal node is proposed as a mixed-use precinct focused around a vibrant
recreational and commercial core.
Development potential
environment
Camps Bay 6
•
Established
development attracts investors
•
Mixed use development
•
Land is expensive
Camps Bay is a sought-after address and land and house prices are extremely
high, but the opportunities and space for additional development are limited.
Future
development would most likely be focused on improving existing services. A tendency to
upgrade and revamp existing houses into smaller luxury apartments has been noted.
Big Bay 7
•
More affordable land
prices
•
Coordinated
development through a single development company
The 120 ha development site of Big Bay obviously has significant development potential,
but it has been raked with controversy over black economic empowerment (BEE) shareholding.
The process
of selecting BEE partners in the development of the prime 14,5 ha mixeduse beachfront land
had to be audited and the process to sell the council-owned land at Bloubergstrand was
restarted in April 2005.
However, the
involvement of big companies and the fact that development is coordinated and marketed
through a single development company improve the development potential of Big Bay.
According to Colin Green, Rabcov’s development manager, speaking on behalf of the
developer, the Big Bay development is expected to bring 2 000 residential properties to
the area within the next three to four years because a further 250 ha of land between Big
Bay and the R27 owned by the provincial administration will probably be released for
development over the medium term.
Environment
Camps Bay: 6
•
Environmental
awareness
•
Precious biodiversity
of the area
Being located on the foot of the Twelve Apostles – the mountain rampart
that constitutes the western front of Table Mountain, the Camps Bay area is known for its
precious biodiversity. The settled and active community does a lot of work to keep
residents, council officials and developers aware of the impact that development has on
the environment. The lack of additional space for development would hopefully limit future
impacts on the environment. Adjacent to Camps Bay, Clifton’s Fourth Beach has been
earmarked as a Blue Flag Beach, implying among other things that strict pollution control
and environmental management is essential.
Big Bay: 5
•
High tempo of
development
•
Precious biodiversity
of the area
The Big Bay site is situated in aunique ecologically and visually sensitive
region of the Cape. Big Bay’s landscape philosophy is to retain as much of the
undisturbed vegetation as possible.
According to
the Development Framework the veld will be rehabilitated by replanting previously rescued
plant specimens combined with suitable commercially available indigenous plant material
where disturbance is unavoidable.
An
overarching and comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared for
the road works and bulk earthworks. This EMP deals with all possible sensitivities
associated with site, including dune thicket, protection of milkwood trees and
archaeological material uncovered during earthworks. At precinct level, an EMP be drawn up
for each precinct and will only deal with those aspects relevant to the precinct.
This EMP
will emphasise the conservation and management of the natural and recreational
environments as opposed to the built environment.
Aspects to
be addressed include continued alien clearance, access control, and maintenance of
footpaths, signage, fencing and other infrastructure.
It will also
contain an environmental policy, financial plan and goals objectives, to be administered
by the local authority.
Community and sense of
place
Big Bay: 5
•
Pertinent planning for
people-friendly environment
•
Sense of place still
lacking
Although the beach area is popular among surfers, kite surfers and wind
surfers, resulting in weekend activity, the area is still lacking a sense of place. It is
a brand new development and large parcels of land are not yet developed or are currently
under construction.
Added to
that, the presence of about six access-controlled residential estates does not contribute
to a sense of community, with high walls and isolated activities.
The Big Bay
Development Framework states “The vision for Big Bay is that of a mixed-use coastal
village, both in urban form and architecture.”
Whether this
vision will be realised, remains to be seen. Another aspect that could potentially
contribute to creating a sense of place is the strict design guidelines set out for the
development.
Camps Bay 8
•
Quaint character
•
Active and interested
residents’ associations
Enjoying popularity among holidaymakers for many years, Camps Bay developed a
unique character and ambiance.
Clearly
demarcated by the sea and the mountain, the town immediately gains a sense of place, but
some might argue that this is jeopardised by the town’s close vicinity to adjacent
seaside resorts. A sense of community exist, which can be ascribed to the fact that long
term residents are involved in the development, growth and conservation of the town
through a variety of community organizations such as churches, schools and residents’
associations.
Accessibility
Big Bay: 9
•
Road access good
•
Relative close
proximity to Cape Town
•
New, well-planned
roads
The road access in and to the area is well planned and residents commuting to
Cape Town make use of the West Coast Road. There is talk of a link to the N7 to improve
access to the Cape Town area.
The Big Bay
retail development at the intersection of Otto du Plessis and Cormorant Roads is the only
retail site on the 15 km stretch between the Melkbosstrand retail centre and
Tableview’s Bayside Centre, which might lead to an increase in traffic. Local streets
were designed to support the principle of permeability and to make the development
pedestrian friendly.
Camps Bay: 6
•
Short distance from
Cape Town city bowl
•
One main access road
Although a short distance from Cape Town, there remains only one major access
route (the M6, Victoria Road) and especially during high season, traffic congestion can
render Camps Bay virtually inaccessible. Buses and taxis serve the town. Provisions are
made for pedestrians and the beach is very accessible.
Conclusion
As mentioned in the beginning, a comparison of the well-established town of
Camps Bay and the newly developed Big Bay is not a straightforward exercise. The Big Bay
development has had the benefit of being planned and designed as a single entity, which
allow for making provision for flexibility in terms of future development, but it remains
to be seen whether by this development will be delivered on. Camps other hand, has
problems of congestion and development, but has a very strong sense of place and
character.
-----
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Schefflera umbellifera
– the False Cabbage Tree
The
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) organised the annual Arbor Week
celebrations in the beginning of September.
Every year
two trees are selected as the Trees of the Year. This year’s two trees are the Baobab
and the False Cabbage Tree. Giles Mbambezeli of Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden features the
False Cabbage Tree as this month’s ‘tree of the issue’.
This genus
Schefflera comes from New Zealand and it was only recently that Schefflera was known to
occur in Southern Africa. The specific epithet “umbellifera” refers to the
umbellate arrangement of the flowers in which the flower stalk spring from the same point
like the rib of an umbrella.
This tree is
found in tall, moist warm forest and in dry forest and in grassy hills, from the Eastern
Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Schefflera
umbellifera is a semi deciduous tree that grows to heights of about 6 to 20 m. This tree
has a tall straight stem, unbranched or with spreading branches.
The main
stem can be up to 0,6 m in diameter with a much branched rounded crown.
The stem has
a rough, longitudinally fissured and grey brown bark. The leaves of this species are
digitate, usually with three to five leaflets, clustered at the ends of the branches. It
has small pale yellow flowers, in large branched, terminal heads of up to 180 mm in
diameter. Its flowering time is between January and May. The fruits are dark red, about 3
mm in diameter and appear from June to August. The flowers are visited by a number of
insects that pollinate the flowers. The fruits are eaten by birds and this assists in seed
dispersal.
The wood of
Schefflera umbellifera is white, soft and light and was used for making matches. The
leaves have medicinal qualities to treat a wide variety of ailments such as insanity,
rheumatism, stomachache, and malaria. The False Cabbage Tree is mostly used as a
decorative shade tree or a container plant.
Because of
its distinctive shape, it serves very well as a focal point in a garden. In gardens with
limited space such as a courtyard garden the upright growing habit makes the False Cabbage
Tree suitable.
This tree
can also be used as a street tree, but it cannot tolerate severe frost.
Schefflera
umbellifera is a fast growing tree. Seeds are sown in a sandy loam soil mix in a seed
tray. The tray should be kept moist and placed in a warm place for better germination. The
seed should take 4 to 6 weeks to germinate.
References
Elsa Pooley, 1993, The Complete Field Guide to
Trees of Natal, Zululand, and Transkei. Braam van Wyk & Piet van Wyk, 1997, Field
Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa.
-----
Looking for a place in the shade
The
town of Mtunzini is located on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, in the heart of Zululand.
Urban Green File visited the town and its residents to get a better picture of the
challenges faced by small towns in South Africa.
The town of
Mtunzini is located on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, in the heart of Zululand. This
peaceful seaside town is, like many other towns in South Africa, subject to a number of
development pressures and specifically challenges for the management and planning of the
town. Engela Meyer visited the town and its residents to get a better picture of the
challenges faced by small towns in South Africa.
Recent
demonstrations on service delivery at local government level highlight problems that
consumers and municipalities experience. The upcoming municipal elections provide an
opportune time for us to ask questions about the state of development at the municipal
level. Questions that need answering include the following: How are small towns
functioning in the new system of district and local municipalities?
How are
municipalities managing the assets that they have? What are the priorities for development
and management of small towns? How is the current system and accompanying challenges
perceived by the various roleplayers within these municipalities?
The
town’s name Mtunzini is derived from the Zulu word Emthunzini meaning “at the
umthunzi (milkwood) tree” or “in the shade of the umthunzi tree”. Visiting
the town gives exactly that feeling: a place in the shade, ideal for hiding from the
sweltering Zululand temperatures. But this small town has to face the challenges of
functioning as part of a bigger, cash-strapped district municipal area. It also has to
decide how to cope with mining activity taking place on its doorstep and the pressures of
residential and leisure development proposals.
Local governance
The town of Mtunzini is situated on the north coast of KwaZulu- Natal and is
linked by the N2 highway to Durban, approximately 140 km in a southerly direction and
Richards Bay and Empangeni, approximately 40 km to the north.
Mtunzini
forms part of the area of jurisdiction of the uMlalazi Local Municipality. The uMlalazi
Local Municipality consists of the former Eshowe, Mtunzini and Gingindlovu Transitional
Local Councils together with a considerable rural hinterland. There are 26 electoral wards
represented by 52 councillors. The uMlalazi Local Municipality is one of six local
authorities in the uThungulu District Municipality. The Municipality of uMlalazi covers
one of the largest geographical areas of all municipalities in South Africa, with a total
area of some 2 217 km2. The offices of the municipality are located in Eshowe, which is
approximately 50 km from Mtunzini.
Adjacent to
the uMlalazi Local Municipality is the Mhlatuze Local Municipality, home to a hub of
industrial and mining development surrounding the Richards Bay harbour. In comparison to
Mhlatuze, the uMlalazi municipality does not have a very strong rates base. Eshowe, the
biggest node in the municipal area, has very low per capita income, resulting in slow
rates recovery. Gingindlovu’s contribution in terms of rates and taxes is minor.
The majority
of Mtunzini residents are ratepayers, but as a whole they make up a tiny percentage of the
population of the uMlalazi Local Municipality.
According to
Statistics South Africa the uMlalazi Local Municipality has a population of 221 078
people. Nemai Consulting states that 9 249 of these people live in Ward 25 (in which
Mtunzini falls). The majority of the population in the ward lives in the north western
part of ward 25, which is a tribal area.
This area is
managed by the Ngonyama Trust and residents live there with a “permission to
occupy” certificate, issued by the relevant tribal authority. The second largest
populated area is located in and around Mtunzini. Nemai Consulting estimates the
population of Mtunzini to be 2 543 people.
uMlalazi’s
vision is founded on the following three pillars:
*
One community: the
Integrated Development Plan deals with integration of the various constituencies of the
uMlalazi Local Municipality and the removal of the fragmented structure that was inherited
from the principles of segregation that were implemented in the apartheid years.
*
Access to all basic
services: commensurate with the expressed needs at the community level where it became
patently clear that the provision of these services is a prerequisite for the
establishment of a sound community structure. The basic services include both engineering
(water, sanitation, electricity, roads) and social services (schools, community halls,
sports grounds).
*
Poverty eradication:
the terminology is pertinent in the sense that it refers to eradication, whereas
alleviation points to a softening of the currently experienced deficiencies in the
communities of the area. Although this may be difficult to achieve, it must be considered
in relation to the vision, striving for the ultimate satisfactory solution to the problems
being experienced.
Land use and activities
Although Mtunzini is surrounded by three major industrial growth points, namely
Empangeni, Richards Bay and Isithebe, the 2004/2005 uMlalazi Integrated Development Plan
(IDP) review document describes the town as follows: “Mtunzini is a coastal town and
serves as a dormitory town for Richards Bay, Empangeni and the University of Zululand. It
is an attractive town by virtue of its locality on the coast and besides the residential
sector, has little in the form of employment opportunities, primarily as a result of a
poorly developed commercial and business sector.
The emphasis
placed on development in and around the town is conservation”.
A
socio-economic study on Mtunzini commissioned by Ticor SA and done by Nemai Consulting,
confirms this observation: other than residential development, not a lot of activities are
taking place in sleepy Mtunzini. The retail activities are small and cater for the
sustenance and needs of the local community. For larger purchases, residents travel to
nearby urban centres such as Richards Bay, Empangeni and Durban. A prawn farm, occupying
25 ha, is located along the mouth of the uMlalazi River. Plans are on the table for the
development of the prawn farm, but nothing has been approved yet.
Mtunzini has
been marketing itself as a tourist destination and as a result there are a number of
places offering accommodation in Mtunzini. According to Nemai Consulting the two major
ecotourism resorts are the Mtunzini Chalets and the uMlalazi Nature Reserve. Visitors are
apparently attracted to the many eco-tourist attractions in the region. Prominent among
these attractions are the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, the Umfolozi Game Reserve and
Lake St
Lucia. Other locally based attractions include a birding route and the Raphia Palm
Monument. A mixture of national and international tourists are attracted. Owing to the
absence of shark nets, Mtunzini’s beaches are not considered major swimming
destinations. However, Tim Hornby of the uMlalazi Local Municipality is of the opinion
that the ban on vehicle access to beaches has had a significant impact on Mtunzini.
The uMlalazi
Nature Reserve is located on the seafront running along the length of Mtunzini. It
controls access to the beach of Mtunzini. The northernmost boundary of the reserve is the
uMlalazi Lagoon, with the southern boundary located near the Mtunzini Chalets (the latter
was recently in the news after the controversial intended sale of the chalets and
adjoining and surrounding forest by the municipality).
The Siyaya
River runs in the southern portion of the reserve. Nemai Consulting estimates that in the
order of 22 000 visitors visit the resort during a year.
According to
Barbara Chedzey, chairperson of the Mtunzini Conservancy, the eco-heritage of the town
plays a very important role in the land use and activities of Mtunzini. Numerous
initiatives have been undertaken to remove alien and invasive plant species and plant
indigenous trees.
Service
delivery in Mtunzini is the responsibility of the uMlalazi Local Municipality and the
uThungulu District Municipality. As in many other South African municipalities water and
sanitation is a major issue and a large proportion of the municipal budget is allocated
towards providing infrastructure and services.
Mtunzini is
supplied with water from the Ntuzi River with a backup of eight boreholes. The raw water
from the river is pumped to a treatment and storage facility located in the town, on
Magistrate Street. Daily pumping is carried out from the boreholes to keep them in running
order. In future the water provision will be supplemented with water provided by uMhlatuze
Water.
Discussions
on the ideal methods for future waste disposal are currently taking place. According to
Hornby the establishment of a regional landfill site is under consideration.
Current vision and
planning for the future
The vision for uMlalazi Local Municipality is said to be based on three
pillars: (1) one community, (2) access to all basic services and (3) poverty eradication.
Mtunzini is
currently in the process of compiling a Land Use Management System (LUMS), which will
replace the existing Town Planning Scheme. Paul Zietsman of Midplan & Associates, town
planners to the uMlalazi Local Municipality, is leading the project.
Zietsman has
been working in the area for some two decades, but some residents have expressed their
concern that a Gauteng-based firm has been appointed to do Mtunzini’s planning.
Extensive
consultation is taking place and the idea is to give the municipality a flexible tool that
can be used to evaluate the ever-increasing flow of development applications being lodged
in the area. Zietsman expressed the hope for the LUMS to be completed early in 2006. Other
issues that might need attention in the future are the integration of future housing
developments and smaller urban design aspects such as dealing with the activities along
Hely Hutchinson, the main street.
Currently in
the IDP, the role of Mtunzini as a dormitory town with an eco-tourism focus remains.
However, according to Nemai Consulting the type of leisure that the average tourist in the
area desires is focused on holidaymaking and not on eco-tourism.
Conspicuously,
some of the most far-reaching proposed developments in Mtunzini are not mentioned in the
IDP. The Balcomb Farm development towards the north of the town might have been too recent
to include in the current planning, but the Ticor SA development towards the south of the
town has been in the pipeline for quite a while and the fact that it is outside the
boundaries of the town does not diminish the impact it will have on the town in any way.
“The nuisance has
come to us”
During the latter half of the nineties, IHM Heavy Minerals (Pty) Ltd, now
operating as Ticor South Africa, conducted intensive studies to determine the operational,
financial and environmental feasibility of mineral sands projects in the area of Mtunzini.
A decision
was made to mine in four phases. These phases are Fairbreeze A, B, C and C Extension.
Fairbreeze C Extension is closest to Mtunzini and will thus have the greatest impact on
the town.
According to
Rob Hattingh, Manager: Technical Services at Ticor SA, the plan is to start construction
in 2006, depending on the outcome of the relevant application process that is not yet
completed. Mining of the Fairbreeze C ore body will commence in 2008 with mining at
Fairbreeze C Extension set for 2011.
According to
Ticor SA’s website, mining will take place by means of the monitoring (wet) method,
whereby the sand is loosened by pressurised water applied to the base of the mining face.
This jet of water on the mineralized sand face is also used to break up the material into
a slurry, which gravitates to a pump station. The slurry is diluted with water and pumped
to a collection sump, where the waste is removed on a screen. Make-up water is added and
the slurry is then pumped from the collection sump to a surge tank at the primary wet
plant. The result is an opencast mining void in 10 m terraces which will progressively
move forward. The linear ore bodies will be mined from the south end to the north end of
the ore body over a 12-year period.
According to
Hattingh certain control mechanisms have been put in place to minimise the impact of the
mining activity on the town of Mtunzini. No infrastructure other than that used for the
extraction of ore will be situated on or near the Fairbreeze C Extension area. Refueling
of vehicles will for instance not take place on the mining site. Another mechanism to be
put into place is the optimising of water. Plans are in place to recycle as much water as
possible. Open areas are also limited to a minimum.
Heavy
mineral concentrate will be transported from the wet plant to Empangeni using side-tipping
trucks with a capacity of 35 t.
The mining
area will eventually be several metres lower than the original topography, on completion
of mining activities.
Hattingh
says that rehabilitation of the site will commence after only two years of mining.
Wherever possible or desirable the rehabilitated areas will be returned to their
pre-mining land use.
The concern
of the residents of Mtunzini is the close vicinity of the Fairbreeze C Extension mining
activity. Mining will take place a mere 100 m from the town, abutting the Xaxaza Caravan
Park and several single residential dwellings.
The current
land use on the site is forestry (Eucalyptus plantations) and large scale commercial
agriculture (sugar cane). Three years ago Ticor SA planted 5 500 indigenous trees along
the boundary of the site in an effort to secure a sound and visual barrier for the future.
Socio-economic impact
An extensive public participation process was launched as part of the
development. The Ticor Mtunzini Monitoring Committee meets every three months. Approval
for the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) from the Department of Minerals and
Energy (DME) and the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAEA) is still
awaited.
The
objections of residents against the mining activity include a decrease in property values,
visual impact, increase in crime, noise, dust, ecology (specifically water pollution),
ecotourism and fauna and flora.
The
socio-economic study conducted by Nemai Consulting made the following observations and
conclusions regarding the impact on the town of Mtunzini by the proposed mining of
Fairbreeze C Extension:
*
The largest percentage
of value created by the project would be spent or invested outside the immediate area of
the mine. It was estimated that 45% of the total value added by the project would go to
shareholders who would live outside the mining area. The remainder comprises tax (32%) and
wages (23%) generated by the project. Of this it was estimated that at least
*
25% of the tax revenue
would accrue to local government, and all of the wages amount would be spent in the
region. Thus at least 31% of the value added by the project would be spent in the project
area. This value alone was four times the entire value added by the existing land uses. It
should be noted that the entire value created by current land uses does not get spent in
the region, on the contrary, 66% of the value is created at the secondary processing
level, which is primarily in Empangeni. Thus the local economic benefits of the proposed
project are very large when compared to the current land uses;
*
The number of jobs
created would be much larger that the current land use options;
*
Given the generally
high marginal propensity to consume exhibited by wage earners, it was concluded that the
multiplier effects of the mining project would create a larger percentage impact in the
local economy than the current land uses would, even discounting the fact that value added
by mining is larger than the current land uses.
Using a
nominal discount rate of 16%, the nett present value of Fairbreeze C Extension is
estimated at R247-million. This figure represents the value that the mine will create,
revenue minus expected costs, over its lifespan when measured in current currency units.
During the
lifespan of the mine it is expected to contribute R804-million to the National Treasury in
the form of taxation and will contribute a further R170-million to the state in the form
of royalty payments. The taxation to be paid will be a combination of direct taxes, income
tax, secondary tax on companies and payroll taxes, as well as Value Added Taxes.
Although
significant income will be generated in terms of taxes, the Nemai study is of the opinion
that work opportunities to be created by the mine will be small in comparison to the total
employment in Mtunzini, and transport infrastructure was sufficient to cater for any new
mine employees, thus the mine would hopefully not result in any informal settlement around
the mine. It was concluded that the mine would have an indirect and negligible impact on
employment in the surrounding rural areas since the likely mine employees would be those
with skills and experience and thus employed. These employees would move to better jobs
Increasing the
residential component by half
The second proposed development in the area that could potentially have a major
impact is the development of Balcomb farm (sometimes referred to as Kramer’s farm).
The land in question lies south of the Umlalazi River and to the north east of the country
club. There are approximately 172 ha of which 75 ha are proposed to be developed. Zietsman
says that approximately 40% of the 172 ha site is under the floodline. According to
background information document for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) the
development proposed for the site include approximately 370 special residential sites, 60
medium density sites and associated infrastructure. This R30-million project could
therefore potentially double the population of the town.
According to
Neville Williams, Manager: Corporate Services the uMlalazi Local Municipality the DFA
Tribunal date for the hearing of the application is set for November 2005. If approved,
owners will be forced to build within three years of purchasing the land.
Development
will take place in four phases. Hornby says that an alternative road will be built by the
developers to ensure that construction vehicles do not disrupt local traffic. The uMlalazi
Local Municipality welcomes the proposed alternative route, as it opens up the potential
for development of council-owned land in the north-western part of Mtunzini.
Between the devil and
the deep blue sea
Still one of the most challenging green development issues, the question
whether mining can form part of sustainable development, is once again asked. Can we use
decades of experience (mostly mishaps when viewed from an environmental perspective) to
provide the town of Mtunzini with appropriate answers to its problems? Prominent
environmental commentator Fiona Macleod asks whether mining and sustainable conservation
can exist side by side? Or are the two realities in perpetual conflict? Is it pure
“greenwashing” to say mining can make a contribution to sustainable development?
From an
environmental perspective the easiest approach is to say that mining should be opposed at
all costs as the processes and legacies of mining are generally destructive. However, the
World Conservation Union (IUCN) opted in recent years to negotiate with the mining
industry. The intention of the IUCN is to assist the mining industry in cleaning up its
act and focus on areas that are really worth conserving. A world without mining is
unlikely.
According to
the Nemai report eco-tourism in Mtunzini would be affected if the mine causes noticeable
impacts on the natural environment in the areas where eco-tourism is located. The sense of
place will be impacted in that the number of transient residents in Mtunzini will increase
and the pace of life will be increased owing to increased economic development. Current
legislation provides for extensive participation.
Interested
and affected parties raised issues and concerns. But the reality is that, in a country
such as South Africa, the promise of economic development is a promise of survival.
However all is not lost and all developers cannot be tarred with the same brush.
To a large
extent decision-making can be influenced to achieve a negotiated outcome.
The people’s voice
In a recent interview with the Mail & Guardian Helen Duigan, chairperson of
the Rhenosterspruit Conservancy near Lanseria airport and a member of the National
Association of Conservancies, said the conservancy movement has to radically reinvent
itself in response to threats from developers. “In the past, the focus was on being a
voluntary association of landowners who had a life quality they wanted to preserve”,
she said. “The new front is promoting community-responsible development and
conservation in the face of unscrupulous exploitation of rural areas vulnerable to urban
encroachment. The only weapon in our hands is the legal process - environmental
legislation which is largely new, untested and possibly not well known by the authorities
who have to implement it.”
The same
approach is found among Mtunzini residents and that might be the saving grace of the town.
Jim Chedzey argues in the July 2005 issue of The Hornbill, the local Mtunzini newsletter,
that “A functioning democracy requires much more than mere communication and
consultation – it actually requires participation by members of the community”.
In future, especially in smaller municipalities, planning and development will be
dependent or at least influenced by the active participation of residents’
associations.
Our
municipalities are under-staffed and in many cases under-skilled and the situation is not
likely to change significantly in the immediate future. The reality of living in South
Africa is a reality of taking more responsibility.
Residents’
associations and interest groups can make a big difference at local level, but the extent
and the impact of that difference also depend on the way people participate. In the highly
politicised consumer society that we find ourselves living in, the manner in which you
“package” arguments and complaints are essential. Small towns have to be
strategic in the way they approach challenges such as those found in Mtunzini. Providing
persuasive solutions are probably the only way of managing and conserving what residents
regard as precious.
Jeremy
Steere, a local architect and developer, warns against blanket opposition to development.
Residents are scared that Mtunzini will become what they call “a second Ballito”
and therefore oppose any kind of application for development. In a letter to The Hornbill
Steere argues that “To build more on less land is not to become ‘like
Ballito’. Absence of aesthetic control, rampant consumerism and lack of vision is
what makes Ballito what it is.
The LUMS is
the enabling framework. It is not a license to discard sound planning principles; it is
intended to facilitate change where change is inevitable. It is hoped that unreasonable
aversion to all development does not stifle the future growth of Mtunzini”.
Plan-as-you-go?
The Mtunzini Residents’ Association is in the process of developing a new
vision for the town. It is a pro-active way to deal with the issues at hand, as a
sustainable outcome will never be achieved with a plan-as-you-go approach. Errol van
Staden, Chairperson of the Mtunzini Residents Association expressed this concern in a
letter titled “Goodbye Mtunzini, hello Ballito” that was distributed to
residents: “It is evident that the uMlalazi Municipality has no vision for Mtunzini.
Their single aim seems to be to ensure that they increase their rates revenue from the
economic node that already has the highest rates recovery percentage in the whole of the
uMlalazi Municipality. Development along the lines of what is happening in Ballito is a
means to achieve their aim. It is about money”.
In order to
give power to plans one needs to get the buy-in of all the diverse roleplayers in an area.
It is not an easy task, but nonnegotiable if we are to avoid Van Staden’s fear that
“Consultation, when it happens, has become a smokescreen.”
-----
A river runs beside it
Building
on previously untouched coastal land may be vital to preserve our natural resources –
if such development is as sympathetic to the environment as the Chintsa River Golfing
Estate to be established near East London plans to be.
Building on
previously untouched coastal land may be vital to preserve our natural resources if such
development is as sympathetic to the environment as the Chintsa River Golfing Estate to be
established near East London plans to be. Edith Webster reports from the Eastern Cape.
A river runs beside it
Farmland along the Eastern Cape coastline near East London and beyond
(including further inland) is fast making way for fenced-off residential and leisure
developments – much like those you can buy into elsewhere but these, being situated
on relatively pristine sites, are distinguished by extreme sensitivity to the surrounding
natural environment.
Yes,
it’s modern progress in motion (as it appears anywhere else) but when the contractors
bring in their bulldozers, they are hardpressed to ensure the indigenous fauna and flora
aren’t trampled in the scramble to erect several (albeit architecturally
down-to-earth) buildings where a lone farmhouse and a few sheds once stood.
The farm
The construction teams had not yet moved on site when Urban Green File visited
the old Swiss Villa Farm on Schafli Road leading to the Chintsa seaside retreat, which
holds a special place in the hearts of many holidaymakers who flock there at least once a
year and perhaps dream of staying permanently. Incidentally, the villages of Chintsa East
and Chintsa West, divided by the Chintsa River, already include longestablished,
relatively small communities of people whose houses are now among the most expensive in
the province.
Having been
told Swiss Villa Farm had been sold to a UK developer, David Eastall, who planned to make
many urbanites’ dreams come true by setting up the Chintsa River Golfing Estate
before the end of the year, we were there before the sod had been turned. The farm’s
certainly not barren.
It’s
not only rich in natural heritage but also boasts an illustrious history. According to
Cintsa East: Then and Now (written by Beryl Bowie), when the original owners Conrad and
Anna Schafli arrived from Switzerland with their five children in 1877, they were given 53
hectares at Paardekraal, about 1 km from the mouth of the Chintsa River and just 30
minutes or so from the port of East London. They lived under tarpaulins slung over the
thorn trees before they were able to build mud-and-stone dwellings and then a more solid
home of wood and iron before the actual brick-and-mortar Swiss Villa was erected in 1923.
Jan van der Bank bought the house in 1982 and his family lived there until Eastall
purchased the property to turn it into the Chintsa River Golfing Estate.
The
homestead built in 1923 and other well-maintained, somewhat stylish buildings erected
after it, still stand and will feature prominently as a country-style restaurant among the
650 houses, 200-room hotel, golf training academy and 18-hole golf course, as well as
shops on the developed estate.
Many
indigenous plant species, including typical vegetation like the thorn trees, as well as
small wildlife, like the frolicking monkeys, also continue to thrive among alien invaders
like the Australian wattle, which will be removed as development progresses.
Our host,
site manager James Bryden, said it was envisaged the healthy but foreign bamboo on-site
could be used by local people to manufacture a variety of marketable products, as is done
in the Far East, after it had been uprooted.
Opportunities
If it gives rise to more opportunities for all (an idyllic lifestyle for some
and work, particularly in their home province, for others), perhaps the Chintsa
development will also bring about reverse migration. People have long migrated north from
the more downat heel Eastern Cape in search of employment – and this trend continues
today simply because Gauteng remains the country’s industrial hub. Now, we could be
witnessing employment opportunities decentralising as more well-to-do residents build
their homes in coastal estates and thereby boosting the local economy.
This has
already happened further along the coastline where golf estates have mushroomed.
Bryden
agreed the Chintsa estate would attract very highincome earners from various parts of the
country, in fact the world. After all, the developer (Eastall), architect (William Stroud)
and golf-course designer (Peter McEvoy) are all based in Europe.
With
experience from similar developments, like Fancourt in the Western Cape and Mount
Edgecombe in KwaZulu-Natal, the work to be done by Group Five, designated managing
contractor and main contractor for the first phase of the Chintsa project set to begin
late this year, will include the development and training of local SMME contractors and
on-site skills training in conjunction with the local Border Training Centre.
Frank
Enslin, managing director of Group Five Housing, said the Chintsa housing estate would be
developed in four phases, including civil works, at a cost of approximately R800-million.
Buildings
All construction in a particular phase will be done at approximately the same
time to ensure no one has to live on a building site and suffer noise, dust and other
inconveniences, explained Bryden. Neighbours won’t be too close for comfort as there
will be one home per 6 000 m² on erven ranging from 700 m² to 4 000 m².
With
sweeping forest, valley, river and sea views, the rambling two to five-bedroom houses (a
choice of eight different designs with natural finishes) have been designed to evoke
something of a bygone era. To make it even more romantic, the roads will be gravel and no
cars will be allowed to drive across the estate. But there will be a security fence around
the perimeter of the property (resembling a game farm fence with an indigenous hedge
growing over it) and 24-hour foot patrols.
Phase 1
includes 104 houses, the main entrance to the estate, the security fence and the start of
the golf course.
In keeping
with the environmentally friendly approach, the golf course will be irrigated by a system
of streams and lakes forming reservoirs for rain water, and fed from boreholes. Water
demand will be lowered by using mulch mowers and planting indigenous grass on the
fairways. To further preserve the environment, walking decks and buggy paths will be
erected to discourage people traipsing through the indigenous bush.
The rest of
the golf course, a 16 000 m²club house with tennis courts, spa, shops and more houses
will be constructed, and a desalination plant installed in Phase 2, due to begin in
January 2006.
Water everywhere but
not enough to drink
Environment-sensitivity certainly appears top of the mind in this development.
Plans
include the installation of a desalination plant to be situated about 1 500 m from the estate and designed to blend
in with the surrounding landscape. “The plant only utilises a small footprint and
will not emit any noise outside the building,” said Neil Bezuidenhout, director of
GrahamTek, a Cape Town-based expert in this field. “People will not notice any large
industrial equipment as the building is underground.”
Why a
desalination plant? After realising the existing infrastructure would not be able to
provide the quantities of potable water needed when it was all up-and-running, the
development team had to come up with a solution. And it had to be cost-effective. A
pipeline from the nearby city of East London would have been prohibitively expensive.
Further
research into alternatives found desalination of the sea water (of course, so readily
available there) would be best.
Using
desalination technology GrahamTek is, apparently, able to provide large volumes of potable
water from a very small footprint without the use of chemicals in the process flow.
“This allows for the brine reject portion of such a plant to be pumped back,”
explained Bezuidenhout.
How does it
work? By a process of reverse osmosis or hyperfiltration – not unique but “the
finest filtration known”, according to Bezuidenhout. The water passes through a
semi-permeable membrane while contaminants are rejected. The driving force behind this
process is a high pressure pump. In this way, water is purified while salt and other
impurities are removed to improve the colour, taste and properties, producing water that
meets current specifications.
There are
similar plants worldwide – at Bushman’s River mouth and on Robben Island in
South Africa.
One of the
major advantages in a project committed to being environmentally-friendly is that this
system is chemical-free, except for the addition of chlorine after treatment in order to
stabilise the water and ensure it is free of bacteria, which is quite normal and used in
all water reticulations, Bezuidenhout assured.
The water
will cost the consumer the same as the conventional water supply. Bezuidenhout said the
average cost of GrahamTek desalinated water in a plant producing 1 Ml per day is between
R4,50 and R4,85 per 1 000 l (including electrical costs and amortisation of the capital
costs). But, he added, apart from being “the highest quality water available to man
today”, there is no limit to the amount that can be produced. “In fact, the
larger the plant, the cheaper the process becomes because more water is produced per hour
to justify the capex as well as operating costs.” GrahamTek uses a 16” system
and not the world-standard 8” to produce more water more energy efficiently and with
less plant maintenance.
Way of life: Chintsa
River Golfing Estate
To limit environmental impact, the Chintsa River Golfing Estate development
aims to
*
be self-sufficient
with its own water and sewage systems (using treated effluent from on-site sewage package
plants and boreholes for irrigation; feeding water produced into a new network of streams
and lakes on golf courses; producing potable water from a desalination plant)
*
control waste disposal
by separating it at source (including a compost area)
*
connect fire hydrants
to lakes
*
place electrical and
telephone cables in underground ducts
*
make more gravel and
less asphalt roads
*
attract birds and
wildlife with lakes
*
plant natural hedges
rather than fences
*
build firebreaks with
fire-resistant hedges
*
use electric- rather
than diesel-powered golf cars
*
discourage the use of
motor vehicles in favour of golf cars estate
*
plant local grass
(needing less water than other species) on fairways
*
reduce water
consumption by using mulching mowers on fairways
*
irrigate golf courses
with state-of-the-art electronic control
*
control traffic
through virgin forest and bush with walkways demarcated trails
The team
Conceptual Architect: Bill Stroud
Golf Course Design: Sporting Concepts represented by Peter
McEvoy & Craig Cooke
Town Planners & Project Managers: Setplan
Environmental Consultants: Coastal & Resource Management
Civil Engineers: Lukhozi Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd
Electrical Engineers: Taylor & Associates
Quantity Surveyors: Pulana Baxter & Associates
Land Surveyors: MEH Surveys
Management Contractors: Group Five (Pty) Ltd
-----
Illegal dumping of Hazardous Waste
Government
recently clamped down on a number of companies that operate illegal dumping sites. Urban
Green File found out whether recently promulgated legislation addresses the problem
sufficiently and if government will be able to enforce its environmental legislation .
The Gauteng
Department for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (GDACE) recently clamped down on
a number of companies that operate illegal dumping sites, which pose potentially serious
health and environmental risks to local communities and the environment.
Hans Alink
asks whether the recently promulgated legislation addresses the problem sufficiently and
if government will be able to enforce its environmental legislation.
Although it is common knowledge that the disposal of waste, whether it is general
(domestic) or hazardous is an activity that requires authorisation from the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and, until October 2005, also requires a permit
from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), illegal dumping of general waste
is very common in Gauteng. In some areas piles of general waste have unfortunately become
part of the landscape.
Illegal
dumping of hazardous waste, that is: “waste containing or contaminated by poison,
corrosive agents, flammable or explosive substances, and chemical or any other substance
which may pose detrimental or have a chronic impact on human health and the
environment” is however, not as easy to identify and manage. The amount of hazardous
waste generated and the disposal of such waste in Gauteng is not exactly known.
Current status of
illegal dumping of hazardous waste
Discussions with officials of the Gauteng Department for Agriculture,
Conservation and Environment (GDACE) revealed that in the absence of requirements to
report waste data there are limited statistics on the practical status of hazardous waste
generation in Gauteng.
In 1999 a
study was undertaken for the GDACE which provided projections for the generation of
hazardous waste in Gauteng. The study suggests “that it can be expected that
associated with the population growth in Gauteng there will be industrial growth and
increased generation of hazardous wastes, as well as the recognition that some wastes
which had previously been accepted for disposal to general waste sites will now need to be
considered, and handled as, hazardous wastes”.
“EnviroServ’s
Holfontein Hazardous Waste Disposal Site is the only large permitted commercial site in
Gauteng,” said Dr Dhiraj Rama of the GDACE. “There are also a dozen or so other
smaller permitted sites for the processing of hazardous waste in Gauteng which belong to
various industries, mainly large industries”.
Reports from
the GDACE indicate that Holfontein received 204 751 t of hazardous waste in 1997, compared
with a volume of 180 000 t in 2003. The decrease in tonnage experienced at Holfontein is
attributed to the delisting of previously hazardous waste to a lower hazard rating, which
influenced disposal requirements, on-site waste treatment by industries, changes in raw
material usage, the implementation of cleaner technologies by industry, and reduced and
mineral processing.
However, it
could be suggested that some of the waste found its way to illegal disposal sites.
“The
GDACE is beginning to address illegal dumping of hazardous waste through its compliance
and enforcement programme which was launched about a year ago,” explained Dr Rama.
“However, one of the challenges is that there is no baseline data on hazardous waste.
The GDACE relies mainly on complaints from the public, which tends to be reactive,
although there are some proactive steps to be taken through structures such as the Gauteng
Waste
Management
Forum. However, a lot has been done to get a handle on health care risk waste in Gauteng.
A database to monitor generation and treatment rates has been set up”. This is
important because health care waste streams are managed as hazardous waste streams by the
GDACE.
“The
compliance programme has been in a planning phase and implementation should start this
year,” commented Frances Cragie of the GDACE’s Legal Services, Compliance and
Enforcement Unit.
Available legislation
Over the past decade South Africa has become more environmentally conscious.
South African environmental legislation is being sharpened up in a way to cause polluters
to clean up their act and “go green” by taking into account the likely impact of
their actions on the environment. This has led to the expectation that anyone affected by
pollution should be able to convert their fundamental rights, which are guaranteed under
the Bill of Rights, into reality.
The GDACE
recently clamped down on a number of companies that operate illegal dumping sites that
pose potentially serious health and environmental risks to local communities and the
environment. Officials from the DEAT and from provincial government environment
departments, like the GDACE, are expected to increase co-ordination efforts on their
enforcement activities much more closely since the Second Amendment Act, Act No. 8 of
2004, of the National Environment Management Act (NEMA) came into force on 7 January 2005.
Apart from
providing more stringent mechanisms for enforcing environmental legislation and penalising
non-compliance, this Act gave the wrongdoers a window period of six months to rectify
their activities and comply. This window period for voluntary disclosure and to come clean
and apply for rectification ended on 7 July 2005. Companies and individuals that
contravene the Act can now expect to feel the full weight of the law.
“The
main pieces of national legislation directly relating to waste management in Gauteng are
the Environment Conservation Act (ECA, 73 of 1989) and the National Environmental
Management Act (NEMA, Act No. 107, 1998) and the associated regulations thereof,”
explained Dr Rama. “In order for the GDACE to meet its obligations in terms thereof,
the GDACE last year promulgated the Waste Information System Regulations and the Health
Care Risk Waste (HCRW) management regulations, in terms of Section 24 of the ECA. In terms
of these regulations, no person may segregate, containerise, store, collect, transport,
treat, dispose of or otherwise manage HCRW other than in accordance with these
regulations.”
The GDACE is
also finalising the Gauteng Waste Management Policy, which focuses on waste minimisation,
which should be completed within the next six months. The policy will be used to support
environmental impact assessment (EIA) decision-making.
According to
Frances Cragie the National Waste Management Bill (NWMB) is also expected to provide the
GDACE and other provinces further clarity on waste management requirements. The Bill is
still in the early stages of consultation and development.
Although the
DEAT heads the nine provincial departments, primary responsibility for successful
implementation of the policy has been decentralised and now lies with provincial
governments, while municipalities will be responsible for providing waste management
services, and manage waste disposal facilities.
Recently promulgated
legislation
In a media statement of March 2005, Khabisi Mosunkutu, Gauteng’s MEC for
Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, explained that the National Environment
Management Second
Amendment
Act, Act No 8 of 2004, came into force on 7 January 2005. He specifically pointed out that
it provided wrongdoers with a window period of six months to rectify their activities and
comply.
“The
Act stipulates that unauthorised commencement or continuation with activities identified
in terms of Environment Impact Assessment
(EIA) regulations, unless rectified by an application and endorsement by the relevant MEC,
now face stiff penalties of up to R5-million and or 10 years jail term,” said
Mosunkutu. He emphasised that offenders who failed to use the window period provided to
rectify their activities are committing a criminal offence and would be prosecutable. They
would not be immune from the harsh penalties imposed by the Act.
“With
the powers vested in us, we can now also direct that such harmful practices must cease and
the environment be rehabilitated, in addition to the other stiff penalties,” said
Mosunkutu.
He warned
that anyone who commenced or continued with unauthorized activities as described in EIA
procedures would be liable for prosecution.
Clarifying
the position Mosunkutu explained that an application for rectification does not
automatically result in authorisation.
Where the
activity illegally undertaken has resulted or is resulting in substantial detrimental
impact on the environment or human health or well being, the GDACE may direct the
applicant to cease and rehabilitate. “Non-compliance with such a directive will be an
offence in terms of the Act and may result in the severe penalties that I have mentioned
earlier,” said Mosunkutu.
The GDACE
established the special S24G unit — named after section 24 of the Act —to assist
applicants. Frances Cragie confirmed that the unit has received 84 applications over the
past six months.
Enforcement — the
“Green Scorpions”
In May this year the GDACE made provision for environmental management
inspectors (EMIs) better known as the “Green Scorpions”. These inspectors have
been endowed with a range of enforcement powers — from routine inspections to the
right to search and seize, as well as to set up roadblocks and arrest suspects.
“These
inspectors have been given the power to issue formal notices to individuals or
corporations breaking the country’s environmental laws, or not complying with the
terms of their licences,” explained Cragie. “The EMIs will have a legal
background and will focus on enforcing NEMA legislation, as well as laws pertaining to
pollution, air quality, protected areas and biodiversity. It is anticipated that their
ranks will include between twenty and thirty members in each of the nine provinces. The
EMIs will also work in conjunction with the South African Police Services (SAPS).”
Capacity requirements
Cragie said that in terms of centralising compliance functions, additional
staff are required. Dr Rama’s waste section currently has a core staff of 30, which
works closely with other sections. the next financial year the GDACE needs to train
specialists to become EMIs. The inspection teams need a mix of legal and technical
experts.
Discussing
the National Waste Management Strategy, Rantsade Moatshe of the DEAT noted that as from 1
October 2005 the responsibility for Waste Management will be transferred from DWAF to the
DEAT. This will require additional technically competent staff at national and provincial
level.
According to
Tina Costas of Deneys Reitz Attorneys the NEMA requires an amendment as section 28 of the
Act is difficult to enforce. This section states that “If more than one person is
liable under subsection (8), the liability must be apportioned among persons concerned
according to the degree to which each was responsible for the harm to the environment
resulting from their respective failures to take the measures required under subsections
(1) and (4)”. According to Costas this is not practical and will be difficult to
achieve as it requires both capacity and technical knowledge.
National level
Melissa Fourie, Director Enforcement at the DEAT and lawyer deals exclusively
with enforcement of the NEMA at national level, said her department is busy with a number
of prosecutions.
Although
they have only received about five applications for authorisation of certain activities
like development and dumping, she said that the nine provinces have received thousands of
applications for illegal activities.
“From a
national perspective we don’t have lots of prosecutions,” said Fourie.
“About 98% of all applications have gone the provinces. That’s where most of the
prosecutions are happening, rather than at national level. We deal exclusively with
transborder cases which involve EIA applications.”
Zini Manana,
Acting Director Chemicals and Hazardous Waste Management of the DEAT, concurred, saying
her department provided technical support to the DEAT’s Enforcement Department and
are responsible for the implementation of the Basel Convention, which involves the
trans-boundary movement of hazardous waste, like for instance nuclear waste, from one
country another, and to ensure compliance.
Practical
implementation and implications
The processes and procedures for managing toxic and hazardous waste have been
under discussion for a while. Responsibility shifted between various spheres of government
and between various departments of government. The time has definitely come for
implementation.
In May 2005
the GDACE reported their intention to have a clampdown on some companies that operate
illegal dumping sites which pose potentially serious health and environmental risks to
local communities and the environment. Illegal sites were identified in Marlboro, near
Alexandra and off Eloff Street Extension in Central Johannesburg.
Subsequent
to the May 2005 directive to cease all business operations in its Marlboro premises, one
of the would-be culprits, SA Waste, now has a conditional green-light to resume
operations.
Investigations
by officials from GDACE confirmed a high potential for environmental degradation due to
seepage arising from the illegal dumping, including dumping of hazardous material, on the
site.
On the 11th
August 2005, subsequent to closure of the business, the company submitted an application
to conduct legal operations in terms of section 24 G of the NEMA, as amended. The company
also submitted a request for an interim permission to resume operations while awaiting
finalisation of their section 24 G application.
On the basis
of documents submitted, more specifically their operating plan, the MEC agreed to grant SA
Waste a conditional interim approval for the usage of the site for recycling, rather than
as a waste dumpsite.
The interim
approval was granted on condition that, among others:
*
The company introduces
odour control measures as stipulated in their plan;
*
Pest control measures
are implemented as per operating plan;
*
The stormwater
drainage system is upgraded; and
*
Non-recyclable and
hazardous waste is removed from the site, to an appropriately permitted facility, on a
daily basis.
The question
arises whether the plethora of pieces of legislation and related policies and an equal
number of enforcers could potentially create procedural loopholes? As the directive was
served to SA Waste following urgent calls from local communities for government to act, a
further concern is the question whether it is acceptable that these types of prosecutions
depend on tipoffs and complaints from the public? Many of the hazardous and toxic waste
dumps are located in or adjacent to industrial areas, where it might not have an immediate
effect on residential areas, and might not be noticed by residents’ associations but
might still have a long term damaging effect on our environment. ¦
What is hazardous
waste?
Industrialisation has brought us the benefits of a comfortable modern
lifestyle: health-giving pharmaceuticals, labour-saving household appliances, vehicles and
ships, paints and detergents, synthetic fibres and polythene packaging, personal computers
and TVs, just to name a few out of an endless list of manufactured goods.
However,
behind the luxury and convenience of modern living lies the real price of this industrial
production – the generation of hundreds of million tons of hazardous waste every
year. Wastes that too often pour out of smokestacks and outlet pipes, lie abandoned in
dumps or leaky storage drums, or are shipped off illegally to distant places, exposing
local communities to great dangers.
According to
the US Environmental Protection Agency hazardous wastes come in many shapes and forms.
They can be liquids, solids, contained gases, or sludges. They can be the byproducts of
manufacturing processes or simply discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or
pesticides.
Four
defining characteristics of hazardous waste are:
•
Ignitability:
Ignitable wastes can create fires under certain condtions or are spontaneously
combustible. Examples include waste oils and used solvents.
•
Corrosivity: Corrosive
wastes are acids or bases that are capable of corroding metal, like storage tanks,
containers, drums, and barrels. Battery acid is a good example.
•
Reactivity: Reactive
wastes are unstable under “normal” conditions.
•
They can cause
explosions, toxic fumes, gases, or vapours when mixed with water. Examples include
lithium-sulphur batteries and explosives.
•
Toxicity: Toxic wastes
are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed. When toxic waste are disposed of on land,
contaminated liquid may leach from the waste and pollute ground water. Certain chemical
wastes and heavy metals are examples of potential toxic wastes.
Listed activities
identified in the Act
The development of land – in most cases – and the initiation of most
industrial activities should first undergo EIA scrutiny for authorisation. Activities
identified in Government Notice No. 18 261 of 5 September 1997 under section 21 (1) of the
Act as amended can be broadly divided into five categories, namely those dealing with:
•
Construction and
upgrading of structures and infrastructure;
•
Transformation of
land;
•
Interference of
eco-systems and bio-diversity;
•
Industrial processes;
and,
•
Treatment and disposal
of waste. |
