Contents
of February 2001
EDITORIAL
Wetland rehabilitation initiative
UPFRONT
News
LETTERS
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Neil Fishwick selects the
White Thorn
BOOK
REVIEWS
A photographic tree guide, EIA fir developers and Delta's 25th celebration
WORDS ON WASTE
FEATURES
Rebuilding a
constructive relationship after litigation
Sustainable Technologies The Village at Spier
Water supply and conservation
Multipurpose constructed wetland
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EDITORIAL
Wetland rehabilitation initiative
This year,
World Wetlands Day on 2 February coincided with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the
Ramsar Convention and, at a celebratory event at Rietvlei Nature Reserve near Pretoria,
the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Valli Moosa, commented that the
Convention had grown considerably since its inception Ð with 123 countries as contracting
parties in 2001 and 1050 wetland sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance,
worldwide. South Africa has 16 of these and was one of the original signatories to the
Convention.
In his
address, Minister Moosa highlighted the work done by the wetland rehabilitation
partnership between the DEAT and Working for Water, with technical support provided by the
highly successful Rennies Wetland Project (known as the NGO ‘that delivers’).
During the current financial year, government has allocated R18 million to wetland
rehabilitation projects and the figure is to be increased to R30 million for the next
financial year. He pointed out that this initiative had successfully linked wetland
rehabilitation to the provision of jobs and the development of skills for the
disadvantaged.
He spoke
about the way wetlands purify water by removing sediment and many harmful substances and
how they reduce flood peaks and slowly release water during periods of low flow:
“When these functions are taken into account, it is no wonder that wetlands are often
referred to as ‘the kidneys of the landscape’. .....The symptoms of ongoing and
incremental wetland loss are beginning to show. The outbreak of cholera plaguing
KwaZulu-Natal testifies to the consequences of destroying those very ecosystems which are
capable of removing disease-causing organisms from water. Similarly, the chronic flooding
experienced last summer may well have been made more severe by the loss of wetlands which
would have soaked up some of the excess water.”
On page 38
of this issue is an article (illustrated on the front cover, in recognition of World
Wetlands Day) on a wetland that was constructed in a degraded area adjacent to
Hartbeespoort Dam. The wetland not only serves to increase the habitat of water birds and
other wildlife, it aims to purify the runoff from neighbouring agricultural lands before
it enters the Dam, which is already overloaded with nutrients and other pollutants, and to
prevent flooding of the housing estate on the property. The wetland has been established
in an area where there were indications that a wetland had existed prior to the building
of the Dam.
UGF wishes
to thank those who responded to the anti-AlienBusters letter in the previous issue and to
confirm that there is little danger of the public thinking that all exotic plants are
harmful because the AlienBusters pack, with its delightful educational comic book
‘aliens’ (featured on the ‘Letters’ pages), contains the new weeds
list and the little AlienDirectories specify the worst weeds in specific areas.
Congratulations, once again, to Working for Water - I have seen plenty of support for
AlienBusters.
And for my
last and possibly most important comment in this editorial, the developers of Spier
(article on page 25) in the Western Cape deserve the highest commendation for basing their
development on a set of sustainable principles which are, not only, admirable but should
be held up as a blueprint for projects, countrywide.
-----
UPFRONT
Smith Turf’s new lawn mower range
Smith Turf
Equipment has recently won the rights to distribute the Kubota range of lawn mowing
equipment in southern Africa.The Kubota F1900’s compact design provides
manoeuvrability in tight corners where larger front mowers cannot go. This is due to
Kubota’s unique bevel gear 4WD system which provides a tight turning radius and
delivers smooth power transfer to the wheels, even during sharp turns.
Goscor introduces
new street cleaner
The cleaning
division of Goscor Industrial Corporation has introduced its new Tennant Litter Hawk - a
machine that ensures a litter free environment by quickly and quietly picking up litter
from light debris and cigarette butts to beverage cans and bottles. The unit is ideal for
urban environments such as schools, hospitals, shopping malls and offices and works
without causing dust or noise pollution.
Vermeer launches
low noise brush chipper
The new
Vermeer BC 1000L brush chipper is available in South Africa from Wirtgen South-Africa. The
chipper’s unique design limits noise pollution and vibration without sacrificing
horse-power. Noise is limited through the isolation of the cutter housing, rubber-mounting
of the engine and sound-proofing of the chute. The 54 HP Deutz engine meets European and
South African sound requirements and the machine is also completely roadworthy. A large 25
x 43 cm feed opening reduces the need to trim material that is being fed into the chipper.
The Vermeer
Manufacturing Company manufactures a complete line of trenching equipment, a line of tree
products including tree spades, brush chippers and stump cutters, a line of directional
boring systems and pneumatic boring tools and a line of agricultural products.
New Cat machines
for environmentally-aware Assegaay Bosch Ranch
Barloworld
Equipment recently delivered a Caterpillar D8R track-type tractor and a Caterpillar 330B
excavator to Assegaay Bosch Ranch in Van Wyksdorp near Ladysmith. Assegaay Bosch Ranch
comprises a large-scale ostrich farming enterprise as well as game ranching. It has been
operational for about two years and, says owner Pieter Coetzee, is committed to the
restoration of the environment. It forms part of the 50 000 ha Rooiberg Nature Conservancy
- a conserved corridor stretching from the Swartberg to the Outeniqua mountain ranges that
affords free passage to game species, especially leopard.
"In
line with this allegiance, I have been doing everything in my power to rehabilitate eroded
areas to their former pristine condition - the main problem being the degradation of the
veld due to overgrazing," comments Coetzee.
Before
starting any project, Coetzee does an Environmental Impact Assessment in conjunction with
nature conservation specialists. "We identify environmental problems and use
straightforward techniques to address them in a systematic and scientific manner. Prior to
work being done, approval is also obtained by the Cape Nature Conservation
Department," says Coetzee. Currently, only 1 500 ha of the 30 000 ha farm are farmed
intensively, leaving 28 500 ha for conservation
Coetzee
bought a Caterpillar D8R track-type tractor from Barloworld Equipment based on the optimum
performance of one he bought a year earlier. "In comparison with the performance of
competitive track-type tractors, my D8Rs have been doing a sterling job in assisting with
the construction of my dam walls," he comments. "Their field-tested, specially
designed modifications work in even the most severe conditions. Guards on the radiator,
belly and tilt cylinder line protect critical machine components and body panels in harsh
applications, while debris protection guards on the idler seals, pivot shaft seals and
final drive seals help prevent damage to the seals."
Coetzee has
also added a Caterpillar 330B excavator to his Caterpillar fleet. "My 330B, delivered
in November 2000, has logged record hours to date and applied itself to dam construction
pit-work, most productively," he says.
Through the
integration of the B-series 300-family excavators' Mastro and Hydraulic Pumps Management
Systems, Barloworld Equipment has a decisive lead in the market. "The auxiliary
hydraulics are now given the same degree of control over flow and pressure as the digging
circuits. This enables Coetzee to change attachments with widely differing flow and
pressure requirements and simply to press a button to select the correct setting. Up to
four auxiliary flow and pressure choices can be made and programmed into the computer,
including a combination of single or double acting circuits. These can be reset simply and
quickly if more attachments are added at a later date. All the operator is required to do
after fitting the attachment is select one of four buttons on the control panel. The
computer automatically selects the correct flow mode, checks engine speed and limits pump
flow.
The new
integrated auxiliary hydraulic system extends machine versatility and optimises attachment
efficiency and performance without the worry of mechanically matching flows and pressures.
Further benefits of the new system include the hour meter which independently records the
time each attachment is used, so that correct servicing schedules can be easily identified
- and the computer records any unauthorised entry to change the original flow and pressure
settings.
"I've
been very happy with the exceptional after-sales service I've received from Barloworld
Equipment over the past years and feel it should be held up as an example to other
earth-moving equipment dealers, worldwide. Its benefits are comprehensive as shown in the
excellent technical courses my operators have received from its Human Resources
Development (HRD) centre at Isando, its Scheduled Oil Sampling (SOS) laboratory which is
at my disposal, and excellent parts availability," says Coetzee.
MAGFLO Verificator
facilitates accurate water meter reading
With the rising prices of drinking water, it is becoming imperative for local
authorities to be able to read and document water meters accurately. Documented
consumption metering requires frequent calibration of flow meters, which is often time
consuming and expensive for water supply companies. This is especially so where large
meters are involved, as these are often installed in inaccessible places that make
servicing difficult. For these reasons, the water supply sector has started to request
measuring equipment able to check flow meters while they are in operation, without having
to calibrate them on a test rig in a completely different locality.
One of the
reactions to this demand has resulted in electronic simulators, but since these units can
only check signal converters and not sensors, Danfoss (Pty) Ltd have developed the MAGFLO
Verificator - a tool that checks the entire flow meter, both sensor and converter, with
access only to the latter. The MAGFLO Verificator quickly and easily gives an accurate
picture of any changes that may have occurred in a MAGFLO magnetic-inductive flow meter
since calibration and installation. A test using the MAGFLO Verificator accurately
documents flow meter settings to ensure that they are in line with the calibrations made
before delivery and whether settings have been changed since installation.
The test
routines of the measuring system also include an insulation test of the sensor and cables,
the magnetic properties of the sensor, signal converter amplification, linearity and zero
point as well as digital and analogue output tests. In addition to accurate documentation,
the MAGFLO Verificator offers a number of user-friendly features such as initiating the
test by one push of a button and this then performs the entire procedure without further
settings or adjustments. As a robust, stand-alone tool that is packed into a carrying case
and does not have to be backed up by a laptop pc, the MAGFLO Verificator ensures that no
data has to be evaluated in the field - and the equipment can be operated by any employee.
The memory accommodates 20 measurements, which on return to the office can be downloaded
onto a PC and printed as a complete test report. If a meter does deviate, the matter can
be reported immediately.
A SENSORPROM
memory unit is built in to all magnetic-inductive MAGFLO flow meters and it stores data on the characteristics of the magnetic
field, at the time of the original calibration. In the test, basic data is automatically
taken as a reference for the actual measurement of the magnetic field. Such direct on-site
comparisons of data ensures maximum certainty and thereby reliable and accurate
documentation - far better than can be obtained with systems where measured values are
compared manually with data from a database.
The
verification is not a recalibration of the meter, but rather a function check that
documents the meter’s current status. The test is also valuable as an early warning
when it reveals that the meter is beginning to deviate, indicating that the unit should be
examined, perhaps on a test stand. Water supply is the primary application for the MAGFLO
Verificator, but the equipment is also an ideal tool for industries operating with ISO
9000 production and where there is a need for the effective and easy control of measuring
apparatus.
OSMS software for
water meters
Meinecke
Meters has custom designed the Optimal Sizing and Maintenance System (OSMS) software
package to guide municipalities in the correct selection and maintenance of water meters.
Incorrect
sizing and selection of meters is widely regarded as a prime contributing factor to
unaccounted for water loss (UAW) and resultant loss of revenue to water utilities. The
software gives valuable assistance in implementing the SABS 0306 Code of Practice for the
Management of Potable Water in Distribution Systems, according to Meinecke SA managing
director, Basil Bold. The software utilises a ‘storehouse’ of well researched
economic analyses of existing water meter installations, as well as guidelines on the
sizing and selection of meters for new installations.
“It is
generally accepted that it is not possible to derive a meaningful water balance if bulk
meters are not accurate or are incorrectly sized or selected,” Bold says. “A
common problem with many water authorities is the lack of bulk meters at strategic points,
or alternatively incorrectly sized or maintained meters, resulting in significant
measurement errors. The net result is an inconclusive
water balance and, in many instances, a total inability to produce any water
balance at all.”
He says this
can expose the utility to legal action and possible fines for not having complied with the
provisions of the Water Act. It also implies an inability to identify ongoing water losses
through leakage and inaccurate metering.
“It is
evident that many municipalities have neither the resources nor the expertise to comply
with SABS 0306 in the management of their potable water distribution systems. It’s a
problem by no means unique to South Africa,” says Bold.
The Code
states that a fundamental element in any management system is the sub-division of the
water service into districts, sub-districts and zones, which need to be monitored by
suitably sized meters.
The Meinecke
software incorporates an extensive database providing typical consumption patterns of all
types of consumers. It also allows for the importing of logged data of specific metering
points. This information is used to prepare an economic analysis of various meter points,
giving the user the optimal meter selection criteria for specific applications.
Fast, easy data
capture boosts productivity in local government
These days
computer software is easy to use and produces optimal results with minimal training.
However,
traditional Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tend to be very complex and users have
to go through a lengthy and steep learning curve in order to use the systems effectively.
“Often, because of the complexity and the lack of time and resources for extensive
training, the GIS never gets used optimally and the quality and integrity of the data
suffers,” says Chris Tolken, Managing Director for MunSys Technologies.
MunSys
Technologies offer a suite of spatial data management software designed specifically for
the needs of local government.The applications are extremely user-friendly and, says
Tolken: “This greatly reduces training time, as new users certainly do not need to
become GIS experts in order to use the full system power and capability.”
Based on
Oracle’s enterprise database technology for open systems, MunSys incorporates a
database design with built-in business rules for each municipal discipline (electrical,
water, sewerage and cadastral). Data capture can be done faster, more accurately and with
greater confidence than with traditional approaches. In an electrical network for example,
the system will alert the user to any connections that do not comply with the particular
rules of the electrical network. In this way, costly and potentially dangerous errors are
avoided and the overall quality and consistency of the database is protected.
The main
focus of MunSys is the provision of a total solution for all municipal spatial
applications. The system currently comprises six fully integrated packages including
cadastral, electricity, roads, stormwater, sewage and water, as well as an
Internet/Intranet data distribution and reporting system.
Floatron solar
powered water purifier
A solar
powered water purifier presents the solution to keeping water features clean so as not to
harm fish and plant life with chemicals. The Floatron purifier utilises an ionisation
process to keep the water clean.
The
ionisation process was first developed by NASA for use aboard moon bound Apollo spacecraft
to keep drinking water pure. By introducing atomic amounts of specific minerals into the
water, micro-organisms such as algae and bacteria are unable to survive. Whilst the
mineral ions, or atoms, are non-toxic to humans and animals, microscopic life forms cannot
exist in their presence. Unlike chlorine which loses potency after only a few hours, the
mineral ions produced by Floatron remain effective for weeks, as long as it is in a
contained water body.
While
Floatron inhibits the growth of algae (both green and black) and bacteria, it also results
in pure, clear potable water that is within Environmental Protection Agency standards for
drinking water for both humans and animals.
BreatheCoat -
environmentally friendly coatings
BreatheCoat
is a breathable coating system using membrane technology Ð the breathable membrane lets
residue moisture escape through minute pores in its membrane, thereby preventing damp from
building up inside the structure. It also does not allow water in to create more damp.The
product is ideal for houses without damp courses, such as national monuments, as it bonds
exceptionally well to flaky or dusty surfaces like limewash.
BreatheCoat
is supplied dry, in a powder form. No initial primer is needed on new surfaces as it bonds
and adheres to any porous surface. Because of the porosity of the membrane, BreatheCoat
can be applied to surfaces before they have completely dried.There are no solvents, so
coated rooms can be occupied immediately without irritation to asthma or allergy
sufferers. The product is water-based and the residues are pollutant free.
Seagro - organic
fertiliser
Seagro is a
highly concentrated 100% organic fertiliser that is made of liquid fish emulsion. It has a
very economical usage rate of 1 part of Seagro concentrate to 200 parts of water. Seagro
is manufactured by Premier Fishing and is available throughout South Africa in 200 ml, 500
ml, 1 L and 5 L high density polythylene containers from national chain stores, nurseries
and hardware stores. Premier Fishing is also exporting Seagro and the United Arab Emirates
have already purchased substantial quantities of Seagro for the cultivation of date palms.
Engergy saving
Osram Dulux table lamps
Osram's
Dulux Table Color 21W lamps have excellent lighting credentials. It has the same lighting
comfort and economy as its closest relative, the extremely successful Osram Dulux Table EL
20W. The fully adjustable spring-loaded arm and the rotatable glare shields over the
compact luminaire head, enable the light to be directed precisely where it is needed. The
unit is equipped with an Osram Dulux EL economy 21W compact fluorescent lamp that provides
the same amount of light as a conventional 100W bulb but lasts eight times as long and
consumes 80 percent less electricity. The energy-saving lamp has electronic control gear
for instant flicker-free starting and flicker-free operation. Osram Dulux Table Color 21W lamps are available from The Lighting Warehouse
and other Osram distributors.
Concor returns to
profitability
In line with
Cocor's repositioning, closure of its Property Development division is well under way and
some 40% of properties in the portfolio have been sold with a further R 50m expected to be
sold by year-end. Delivery of these projects will have a positive effect on the interest
bearing debt.
The company
has forward order to the value of R 650m already, including some prestigious projects in
joint venture with others. These include the R 400m Johannesburg International Airport
Domestic Terminal and the R300m privatised Louis Trichardt Prison. In addition,
negotiations for the R2,7 Billion N4 Platinum Toll Road have reached an advanced stage,
with work expected to commence soon.
"The
management team is confident that the half-year break-even result will translate into a
profit for the full year and is now well structured to perform" says Concor's newly
appointed CEO, John Willmott.
Everite launches
call centre
Everite
Building Products' new Customer Contact Centre goes live nationally at the beginning of
March 2001. The call centre forms a critical component of the company's integrated
business strategy to streamline its production, sales and services.
With
production now centralised at Everite's Kliprivier manufacturing plant and new product
developments scheduled to come on stream through the year, the call centre is a further
initiative to improve levels of customer service. All
initial enquiries - from architects, contractors, builders' merchants or distributors -
will be handled by the call centre and, as marketing manager for Everite Building Products
Luis Falcoa points out, the major advantage to customers will be immediate answers to
their questions. Representatives will follow
up on technical queries that require face-to-face and on-site assistance.
"Where
additional service, information or support is required by a customer," says Jays
Pillay, manager of the Customer Contact Centre "the system affords us the facility
for seamless transfer of any enquiry - by phone, fax or e-mail. If the answers cannot be provided directly, the
software prompts us to record a 'service request', which can then be dispatched to the
relevant person to action. It's my
responsibility to manage the responses and the response time on those service
requests."
Pillay is
well aware of the obstacles encountered in some call centres, which actually work against
the objectives of the system, and acknowledges that a personal response remains important.
"Our aim is to answer 90% of calls within 10 seconds and we have endeavoured to
minimise IVR - or interactive voice response mechanisms - so that our customers get
answers promptly. The system also has a built-in check on dropped calls, hold-times and
other such factors which will allow us to keep a watch on our service levels."
The Everite
Customer Contact Centre will operate initially within standard office hours - weekdays
07h30 to 17h00 - which suit the building industry. Shifts
will be extended should the market indicate that this is necessary.
MacWall system
ensures stable retaining walls
The new
MacWall retaining wall system from African Gabions provides the solution for the proper
connection of the blocks to the soil, so as to resist lateral earth pressures.
One of the
most basic types of retaining wall, the gravity wall, relies on the mass of the blocks and
cross-sectional geometry to resist lateral earth pressures - but these walls are generally
limited to low heights and non-critical applications. Retaining blocks in taller, more
critical walls are often combined with geotextiles in order to create larger composite
structures. The main problem, however, has always been the connection capacity between the
geosynthetic soil reinforcement and the segmental block facing system.
A geotextile
is well suited as reinforcement, because it is thin and therefore minimises the reduction
of the block-to-block friction. To overcome this reduction, the blocks can be mortar
grouted and the reinforcement is then effectively cast into the block facing. An
alternative to overcoming the connectivity problem is to provide more layers of geotextile
in the structure, thereby reducing the individual pullout stresses of each layer. The low
strain requirement of segmental retaining walls is compromised by using non-woven
geotextiles which offer high strain performances at low stresses.
However, the
patented MacWall interlocking fibreglass pin system ensures a positive connection between
the structural wall units and the soil reinforcement. Laboratory tests have been conducted
on all major geosynthetic soil reinforcement types working in conjunction with the compact
units in order to evaluate the connection strength parameters, an integral part of the
design process.
The
introduction of the pins allows the walls to be constructed vertically and also allows for
ease of construction. This added innovative benefit makes this block a superior option for
heavily loaded applications, both structurally and hydraulically. This mechanically
stabilised earth (MSE) system is designed using a Windows based software package which
accommodates various reinforcement types, including double-twisted steel mesh. Steel
ladder reinforcement is also easily accommodated, through another design method, and will
be undertaken by the supplier.
The block
dimensions have the highest manufacturing tolerances, which results in less experienced
contractors being able to provide a quality finished product, with the minimum of effort.
The block is available in different colours, has either a three plane split or a straight
split face to form a close-faced wall. The closed face is important to ensure that the
reinforced zone is kept dry and no material is lost from behind the wall, which means that
the structure performs at its optimum. The block allows for a vertical or stepped face,
which has the unique hidden pin support.
Gabions for
environmental applications
Land
Rehabilitation Systems manufactures a large selection of gabion units. These units conform
to strict standard gabion specifications and are manufactured in South Africa. Some of the
applications include:
*
slope reducing weirs
built from gabions to reduce velocities of stormwater and allow silt to be deposited
behind the weirs.
*
River groynes to
‘train’ rivers and re-establish eroded embankments. The sand or silt is
naturally re-deposited and the embankment restored to its original form.
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LETTERS
Concern
expressed about AlienBusters campaign and list of weeds
I was
interested to read your editorial comment on the AlienBusters campaign recently launched
by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. I welcome your proposal to increase your
coverage of the issues around the environmental problem of invading plant species and the
new 'weeds' legislation. However, I would also like to express some concerns which have
been raised here in Cape Town about the nature of the current campaign and the criteria
used for drawing up the list of invader plants to be promulgated by the Department of
Agriculture.
My concerns
are about:
•
The negative,
aggressive and xenophobic marketing style and presentation of this campaign to seek and
destroy invader plants.
•
The apparent lack of
consultation of interested and affected parties who play an important role in 'greening'
and environmental upgrading of our urban landscapes. To my knowledge the following
organisations were not involved with the process - the
Institute of Landscape Architects of South Africa (Cape), the Cape Town City Council and
other Cape Town Metropolitan councils, the Nurserymen of the Cape, Permacore (the
Permaculture Society of the Western Cape) and the Cape Town Heritage Trust.
•
The lack of debate
around the cultural, historical, recreational and spiritual value of any living plant and
specifically exotic plant species which exist in South Africa today and play a significant
role in our heritage.
I would like
to call on the landscape architectural, horticultural, development and planning industries
to enter into an open debate about the issues surrounding so called 'alien' plants and
their role in managed and sustainable environments. We could then offer a more informed
and balanced approach to handling environmental and conservation issues, which currently
seem to be decided only by the botanical and scientific community advising the
authorities.
I suggest
that the approach of the current AlienBusters campaign to the process of controlling
invading weeds is fundamentally flawed as it depends on aggressive and negative marketing
strategies rather than promoting the positive use of the correct and most suitable plants
for environmental purposes and creating a sustainable resource base for the future. We
should be encouraging the planting of more trees and shrubs, creating useable resources,
woodlots, food and medicinal gardens, and generally encouraging the youth and unemployed
to grow suitable plants, wherever possible. Instead, the campaign encourages people to
attack and destroy alien and invader plants but it does not explain how the public are
going to be taught to diferentiate between one species and another that closely resembles
it, or what we are expected to plant as replacements in the windswept, eroding and barren
landscapes that will result after clearing has taken place.
On a
personal note, I am a landscape architect who has been practising for nearly 20 years in
Cape Town and I am concerned that some of the plant species which have been listed in the
invader plants categories are trees that we regularly use to 'green' the City of Cape Town
and specifically the densely populated Cape Flats, a notoriously challenging horticultural
area, where no large indigenous trees grow naturally. On the Cape Flats there are
extremely harsh wind and drought conditions with poor soils and within the urban context
there are very few trees which survive and grow to provide shade and shelter for the
inhabitants. It should be noted that the Western Cape has a Mediterranean type climate and
therefore has completely different growing conditions and requirements from the rest of
South Africa.
It is
therefore distressing to see such species as Eriobotrya japonica, Eucalyptus lehmannii,
Ligustrum spp, Myoporum tenuifolium, Nerium oleander, Populus alba and P. canescens,
Schinus terebinthifolius, Tecoma stans, Tipuana tipu and Metrosideros excelsa listed in
the NDA Categories 1 - 3, and to hear (without prior warning) that we are no longer able
to specify or plant these species and, in some cases, that they must be removed. Many
nurseries in Cape Town have large stocks of these valuable trees and will be economically
disadvantaged by the new legislation. These may be problem species and invasive in other
parts of South Africa but in the City streets and on the Cape Flats they are highly
valued.
I hope that
this letter will encourage response from everyone involved with the protection,
conservation and promotion of our valuable and unique environment and enable the
development of a more balanced and sensitive approach to the problem of invading weeds in
our landscapes.
Clare Burgess, landscape
architect
Letter from Bernard Oberholzer
"I agree in general with the contents of Clare Burgess’ letter. Three
hundred and fifty years of recent settlement in the Cape has resulted in many superimposed
layers of cultural landscape, all of which have symbolic meaning and material value.
Surely, it is not intended that this slate should be wiped clean, along with all the
inhabitants of European, Asian and other origins.
Within the
expanding metropolitan areas, we live in a highly altered landscape which is under immense
pressure predominantly for water and food. Are the alien wheatlands, orchards and
vegetables in the Cape also to be cleared? Are the farm shelterbelts, avenues, timber
plantations needed for construction, all to revert to fynbos, eventually? The oaks of
Stellenbosch and the stone pines on the lower slopes of Table Mountain form part of the
region’s legacy.
On the other
hand, there are certain plant species which are invasive in natural or rural areas and
which need to be removed because of the threat they pose to local floral diversity, animal
habitats and river systems. The point is that human influence and dependence on the
landscape is today so great that the entire landscape needs to be managed.
In the
peri-urban and rural areas, large landowners, farmers and speculators are guilty of not
managing or caring adequately for the land, either through ignorance or lack of resources
Ð and this is where the new legislation will be useful. Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops) in
coastal areas and black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) along rivers, have had a particularly
devastating effect in the Cape, with little indication that Cape Nature Conservation have
the resources, or the co-operation of the landowners, to cope with the problem.
I believe
that Clare’s observation about the value of exotic trees in urban areas and
particularly on the environmentally hostile Cape Flats, is correct. Many of these trees in
the relentless sprawling townships provide relief from the heat and wind and cannot, by
any stretch of the imagination, be considered ‘invasive’. The previous
indigenous strandveld of this area was seldom more than knee-height and would provide
little amenity in the crowded housing estates.
I do see an
urgent need, however, for more natural veld areas, and particularly wetlands, to be set
aside, both in urban and agricultural areas, to maintain an adequate ecological balance. A
proactive conservation strategy for such areas to be set aside, in the face of
indiscriminate sprawl, deserves as much attention as the clearing of invasive alien
vegetation.
I share
Clare’s view that blanket legislation on exotic invaders is unwise and impractical.
Each region, and even each district within a region, needs to be assessed on individual
merit, in terms of bio-climatic conditions, ecological imperatives and historical-cultural
values. In short, there needs to be a more balanced, common sense approach to vegetation
management in the country, based on regional differences and local needs."
Bernard Oberholzer,
landscape architect - senior lecturer and convenor of the Landscape Architecture Programme
at the University of Cape Town
Letter from Dr BW van Wilgen
"In reference to the letter by Ms Clare Burgess: the topic is a complex
one, and both time and space will not allow me to expand on all of the aspects to the
level of detail that I would like to. However, I would like to place the concerns raised
into perspective. Firstly, the negative environmental impacts of invading alien plants are
recognised globally. Working for Water has produced an informative booklet (mentioned in
the Nov/Dec 2000 issue of Urban Green File on page 34 in the article ‘New weeds
legislation’) which outlines the impacts of this growing threat, and it is available
free of charge from the programme.These impacts include the following in South Africa:
*
water use increases
where short vegetation is invaded by alien trees, which use an estimated 7% of the
country’s runoff;
*
fuel loads at invaded
sites are increased tenfold, increasing fire intensities and causing soil damage,
increased erosion and decreased germination from indigenous seed pools;
*
South Africa has
unusually high levels of biodiversity and alien plants could eliminate several thousand
species of plants if spread is not controlled, seriously affecting the delivery of
ecosystem services; and
*
while economic impacts
have not been well studied, the impact of alien plants on water use alone justifies
intervention. Other available studies show that invasions have reduced the value of fynbos
ecosystems by over R70 billion; that the total cost of invasion would be about R20 billion
on the Agulhas Plain alone; that the net present cost of invasion by black wattles amounts
to R8,5 billion; that invasions by red water fern have cost R350 million; and that the
cost to clear the alien plant invasions in South Africa is around R7 billion.
There is a
clear and urgent need to tackle this problem and that is what the Working for Water
programme has set out to do.
The
AlienBusters campaign is an initiative of the educational arm of Working for Water and was
modelled on the very successful Australian WeedBusters campaign. Both were launched to
raise awareness of this significant environmental problem, and the response has been
gratifying. We have had more than 800 calls since the AlienBusters’ toll free line
was started.This is a very positive spin-off to the campaign - where there was nothing
before, there is now an opportunity for questions to be asked and for referrals to take
place to inform people who want to make a difference.
Ms Burgess
has also raised the concern about an “apparent lack of consultation’. The
opposite is probably a truer reflection. The programme as a whole, as well as component
projects, are advised by representative steering committees that meet regularly. Important
stakeholders, such as the forest industry, the nursery industry, organised agriculture,
and others are regularly consulted (for example, the process of identifying and releasing
biological control agents for important forest plantation species is done in full
consultation with the forest industry). The intention to list certain species as weeds in
terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act was published for public comment
in the Government Gazette.
The Working
for Water programme would also welcome the debate, called for by Ms Burgess, on the
“cultural, historical, recreational and spiritual value of any living plant”.
Our hope would be that the debate would take relevant factors into account. For example,
continuing to use highly dangerous invasive plants in the horticultural trade because of
perceived values needs to be balanced against the costs to the environment, outlined
above. The thousands of plant species that are threatened with extinction by a handful of
highly aggressive invasive alien species needs also to be considered in such a debate.
These species, which have evolved on the African continent over millions of years, and are
found nowhere else, represent a cultural, spiritual and historical heritage of
irreplaceable proportions, besides a storehouse of genetic material of huge potential.
Ms Burgess
finds it distressing that the sale and use of certain species will be restricted in
future. There are very good reasons, however, for listing these species in the draft
regulations. Examples include Eucalyptus lehmanni (the spider gum), which is an aggressive
invader of fynbos ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and increasing water use and fire
risk. Another example, Schinus terebinthifolius (the Brazilian pepper) is the worst weed
in Florida, where it has all but taken over the Everglades. The rapid invasion by
Brazilian peppers happened many decades after it was widely planted as an ornamental,
apparently in response to some subtle (and as yet not understood) change in environmental
conditions - we should not take the same risks here.
No-one is
suggesting that all alien species are to be eliminated - this would be both
counter-productive and totally impractical. The real challenge for horticulturists lies in
finding species that can meet the developmental needs of the country without the wholesale
and uncontrolled introduction and spread of invasive species. We need to recognise that
the negative impacts of invading alien plants, even if they include some old favourites,
simply cannot be tolerated if we are to be truly environmentally responsible. This
challenge is multi-faceted - it includes an ability to predict which species will become
invasive and which will not, a commitment to the additional effort that it will take to
find acceptable alternatives and an elevation of the debate through raising public
awareness. I look forward to a stimulating debate on these issues from your readers."
Dr BW van Wilgen,
Scientific Advisor: Working for Water programme.
Letter from Hildegard Klein
"The concerns Clare Burgess voices in the November/December 2000 issue of
Urban Green File are important. They also need some comment.
I support Ms
Burgess’ views about the AlienBusters campaign. It would indeed be disastrous if the
public at large were to gain the impression that all non-indigenous plants were harmful
and that a witch-hunt should be launched against all of them. Plants are, generally,
valuable and so are a large percentage of non-indigenous species. Our Institute is
committed to the protection of plants: both our natural vegetation and beneficial alien
plants. However, the protection of these species also entails the control of alien
invasive plants, if these threaten our indigenous vegetation or crop plants.
Ms
Burgess’ criticism of the shortage of information on the identification of harmful
plant species, possible replacements for them and the rehabilitation of denuded areas is
partially true: the AlienBusters campaign does not provide this indispensable information
but, fortunately, other sources do. The bookshops of the National Botanical Institute sell
some valuable books and pamphlets on indigenous plants that are suited to particular
climates and need to be planted for specific purposes. I have also recently seen an
extremely useful booklet by Geoff Nichols, Richard Boon and Wayne Jayes: Guiding
Principles for the Landscaping of the Durban Inner City and KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt.
A book
entitled Rehabilitation Recommendations after Alien Plant Control, containing
recommendations for all the climatic regions of the country, has been prepared mainly by
Peta Campbell from ARC-PPRI, with contributions by other organisations. An illustrated
guide to all the declared weeds and invader plants, with information on their
characteristics, distribution, abundance, reasons that they are regarded as harmful and a
complete copy of the two relevant regulations from the Conservation of Agricultural
Resources Act, concerning declared weeds and invader plants, will also be available soon.
It was prepared by Lesley Henderson from ARC-PPRI and will be printed as soon as the
amended regulations have been promulgated.
In response
to Ms Burgess’ concern about the criteria used for selecting plant species for
inclusion in the list: the species were selected for one or more of the following reasons.
They are invasive, particularly difficult to eradicate, a health risk to humans or
livestock - they cause financial losses, or they degrade the country’s natural
resources (soil, water and vegetation) and biodiversity. Invasive species threaten our
biodiversity heritage by driving indigenous species to extinction - the World Conservation
Union regards alien invasive plants to be the second most important cause of extinction of
plant or animal species, worldwide. Eucalyptus lehmanni, Myoporum tenuifolium, Populus
canescens and Metrosideros excelsa fall within this category and have all been recorded as
invading fynbos and other ecologically sensitive areas close to the Cape Flats.
The
inclusion of certain other plant species was based on their invasive behaviour in similar
climatic regions in other countries - such as, Schinus terebinthifolius, which is one of
the worst invaders in parts of the USA. Others were included because of their proven
ability to become harmful in South Africa, even though they might still be at an early
stage of invasion - such as, Tecoma stans. The latter species is also a declared weed in
the USA. Only the original,
single-flowered
varieties of Nerium oleander appear in the list because they invade water courses in the
arid regions, but all varieties are toxic and, in fact, lethal to humans. The other
species mentioned by Ms Burgess are invasive in other parts of the country, and might or
might not cause problems on the Cape Flats.
The species
were selected by scientists, such as weeds researchers and botanists, who are likely to
know, before most other people, which plants will probably harm the country. They have
gathered valuable experience through their research into the causes of plant invasion and
into ways to combat invaders; they constantly monitor the weeds situation in the country
(through the South African Plant Invader Atlas project of ARC-PPRI) and have close ties
with weeds researchers in other countries, from whose experience SA researchers can learn
a lot. But apart from ‘scientists and botanists’, the committee that drafted the
amended regulations included representatives from different government departments, as
well as the private sector. All affected parties who identified themselves were consulted
(the process is described on pg 34-39 in the previous issue of Urban Green File). A great
effort was made to accommodate all presently known users of invasive plant species by
allowing the continued utilisation of at least those invasive species that were known to
be indispensable to anybody.
Ms Burgess
is certainly correct in saying that the climatic conditions in some parts of the country
will not allow particular plant species to become invasive there. The designers of the
amendment to the regulations have gone to great lengths to ensure that the actions
prescribed in the regulations for such species do reflect these regional differences.
Several species are forbidden only in the subtropical provinces but may be retained in
other provinces. Unfortunately, very few studies have so far been carried out to compare
the invasive potential of commonly used alien plant species in different regions of South
Africa. Therefore, evidence was lacking for fine-tuning these regional distinctions even
further. Persons who have solid evidence that would support the exemption of any regions
from any of the requirements of the new regulations should submit this evidence to the
National Department of Agriculture (NDA) for consideration.
The
Executive Officer has the power to grant exemption from many of the provisions of the
regulations. The NDA certainly needs to undertake (or to contract suitable research
organisations to undertake on their behalf) such scientific studies to determine the
invasive status of the plants that are presently included in the list, as well as any new
ones that are being considered for future inclusion, to ensure appropriate changes when
the regulations come up for revision in the future.
Ms Burgess
is not the first to point out that many of the declared weeds and invader plants are
valuable to certain groups of people. The conflict that exists between those who derive
benefit from a particular plant species and those who are harmed by it or who are
concerned about the harm it does to the environment, has been a controversial issue for
many years. In the past, this conflict has prevented the inclusion in the weeds
regulations of numerous obviously harmful plant species, just because they were being
utilised by somebody. The country can no longer afford to let this detrimental situation
continue, hence the amendment to the weeds regulations.
Everything
possible was done to ensure that nobody would lose an important source of income or an
important amenity by adhering to the requirements of the regulations Ð a careful study of
the regulations will confirm this.
I would like
to point out that most of these conflicts of interest in South Africa can be resolved by
finding, importing and releasing host-specific insects or pathogens that destroy the seeds
of the offending plant species or prevent the production of seeds, through the process
known as biological control. Biological control agents that specialise in seeds will
reduce the invasive potential of the plant without affecting the plant’s use as a
forestry species, source of fodder, shade tree or ornamental plant. Biological control is
one of the approved methods of control specified by the new weeds regulations, and where
biological control is effective, no other control methods are required by law.
Effective
biological control agents have already reduced the ‘weediness’ of commercially
valuable but invasive trees such as the Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), and
numerous similar projects are in progress (as reported in previous issues of Urban Green
File).
However, for
many of the newly declared weeds or invader plants, no research has yet been undertaken to
find effective biological control agents. Persons or organisations that stand to gain from
the continued presence of plants included in the list of weeds and invaders could consider
funding research into the biological control of that plant species. I would be happy to
supply more information to anybody who is interested in this control option."
Hildegard Klein, ARC-Plant
Protection Research Institute (PPRI)
Letter from Dr Erika van den Berg
"In response to the call for an open debate on the issue of aliens,
invaders, weeds and ‘water-guzzlers’ made by Clare Burgess in the last issue of
UGF, I would like to bring a number of points to the table.
Firstly, a
few comments:
*
The South African
general public often needs hard-hitting advertising campaigns to get their attention and
reaction to an issue. Advertising and marketing has to be focussed on the issue at hand,
in this case the ‘busting of alien invaders’. It would detract from the
effectiveness of the campaign to offer solutions to environmental management, as well.
This is being addressed in other areas and through other departments.
*
When unsuitable land
has been developed, as on the Cape Flats, surely the adverse factors should be seen as
severe constraints which call for super-creativity when it comes to both building and
landscape design, rather than using solutions which have the potential to create problems
for people in other areas. Here planners, architects and landscape architects could really
show their prowess.
*
Designs are solution
driven. One problem that needs to be solved in a design is the capability of the
environment to support the design. This is, from a planting point of view, based upon
sound botanical and environmental scientific knowledge. Therefore, if botanists and
scientists are asked for the most basic input about the real dangers that aliens pose to
the environment, their advice should be taken as a basic point of departure. Planners,
horticulturists and designers should then come to the table to find solutions within the
constraints - and with the materials that remain. It might not necessarily be easy - it
has clearly been shown that the easy options used until now have come at a cost - both
environmentally and financially, and should not be allowed to continue. A stance has been
taken by the authorities and new solutions need to be found.
*
When issues such as
the lack of consultation are mentioned, I often wonder why this should always be seen
collectively, in terms of interest groups. Draft legislation, changes to regulations, etc,
are available to all persons either through government departments, the Government Gazette
or the internet. A lot of publicity was given in the media when the draft regulations
concerning weeds and invaders were open for comment. I, for one, was personally contacted
and asked for my comments. South Africans, in general, are slow to respond in their
personal capacity. Maybe we should all strive to be more opinionated about issues that are
close to our hearts and professions. Maybe we should be more keen to find out what is
going on and not just rely on those around us to alert us to opportunities to make our
feelings known.
*
Historical
environments should be managed in terms of their alien/exotic planting - but that does not
imply that the use of those plants in newly planned landscapes is necessarily correct or
should be encouraged.
Secondly, an
observation:
Nowadays, when looking at plant material application in illustrations of international
landscapes, it is often quite impossible to determine where in the world the particular
landscape is located. It might be in California, in Sydney or in Cape Town, in Mexico, or
in the Seychelles. Built landscapes tend to no longer have an ecological identity and
therefore contribute to the demise of the existing and functioning sustainable natural
ecosystems. Should the emphasis not rather be on drawing the natural ecosystem into the
urban landscape, rather than continually driving it further away, as the urban environment
and the application of exotic plants expands? Obviously, I am aggressively campaigning for
the use of indigenous vegetation. For every exotic species used, the indigenous
counterpart should be more aggressively sought by both growers and designers. This brings
me to my last point.
Lastly, fact
and challenge:
The plant material supply industry (not unlike most human beings) prefers to take the
easier route to obtain maximum financial success in as short a period as possible. Many
indigenous plants are currently on the market. Generally, these species are the ones that
are easy to germinate or grow, that grow quickly and become attractive specimens - drawing
the gardener’s attention on the retail floor. More often than not they are suited for
use as focal plants in a design because of their beautiful flowers, shapes and textures.
Sadly, from a planting design point of view, the necessary ‘fillers’ and
‘backdrop’ type of plants on the indigenous palette have been neglected, to
date. This means that many components of a particular ecosystem’s plant groupings are
not cultivated and complicates the situation for those worthy designers who want to create
imitation ecosystems.
Academics,
researchers and plant growers should co-operate in attempting to make available a larger
variety of indigenous plants, particularly the ones that are more difficult to grow and
that take longer to grow into presentable specimens. It asks for commitment and sacrifice
of both time and money - it is a social responsibility.
South Africa
has a wide range of vegetation habitats. Each of our major cities with its associated
urban development occurs in a different vegetation community. This makes the challenge
even greater. However, as more suitable indigenous plants become available in every
region, the less we will have to rely on the use of exotic material. So let’s get it
done - weeds, invaders and water-guzzlers out! Indigenous plants in!"
Dr
Erika van den Berg, landscape architect and chairperson of the Central Committee of the
Dendrological Society.
Unethical or
ill-informed nurserymen are a danger!
My husband
and I have been involved at various levels with the Wits National Botanical Garden since
its inception and, on a wider scale, are deeply concerned about loss of habitat and
biodiversity due to invasive organisms throughout our country. As such, we fervently hope
that the new draft legislation on invasive plants goes through soon - as little changed
from its present form as possible.
In October
1999, we moved into the housing complex, Boophane Lodges, which is described as an
‘Indigenous Park’ (see article in Urban Green File Nov/Dec 1997, page 11) and is
near the Wits Botanical Garden. The members of our small community are really trying to do
their bit to maintain the integrity of our ‘indigenous park’ but they don’t
all know what is indigenous and what is, dangerously, not - and unscrupulous nurserymen
are ripping off the botanically uneducated. For the most part, we’ve not had problems
and the few exotic plants that have been brought in have not been wicked invasives and
people have either taken them out - or sometimes chosen not to.
Last week
the game changed, when our nice next door neighbour bought a huge ‘thorn tree’
for more than R2000 - this included freighting it here on a flatbed and raising it into
position with a crane! Before buying, he asked if it was indigenous and was told by the
nursery that it was. It definitely had thorns - and just as definitely was not indigenous.
At first we thought it might be a mesquite but the pods and growth habit weren’t
quite right - and we suspected honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos). We wanted to be sure
and took a sample to Andrew Hankey at Wits BG. He confirmed our suspicions.
We showed
our neighbour the draft weeds list on which both mesquite and honey locust are listed as
Category 2 invader plants. Our neighbour is intending to go back to the nursery and get
his money back. He knows the legislation is not yet in place and it is not yet illegal to
sell or plant honey locusts. But the whole deal was unethical and we have the feeling that
the nursery deliberately misrepresented the facts to make a good sale. Some nurserymen are
either unscrupulous or ill-informed - whichever way, they are dangerous and Green Joe Soap
had better beware!
Astri
Leroy, arachnologist
Stop Press: Our neighbour has persuaded the guilty nursery to come and take the honey
locust out and replace it with a large White Stinkwood. He insisted on looking carefully
at the leaves to make sure it was not Celtis sinensis or a hybrid!
-----
BOOK REVIEWS
Photographic Guide to Trees of Southern Africa
Authors:
Braam van Wyk, Piet van Wyk and Ben-Erik van Wyk
Publisher: Briza Publications
Photographs: largely by Piet van Wyk
We are
privileged to have the number of in depth 'guides' to trees in this country that we do
and, although there is good reason for this, seeing that an estimated 1 700 trees are
indigenous to southern Africa and a fair percentage of these are found nowhere else in the
world, it is a clear and very gratifying indication of
growing environmental awareness amongst our lay population that there is a
good market for books of this nature in South Africa.
We welcome
yet another 'tree guide' and this one makes up for the aspect that was noticeably lacking
in the 'Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa' published by Struik in 1997 and also
authored by Braam and Piet van Wyk - the aspect of their imposing architecture. The Struik
publication featured masses of excellent, detailed photographs (also largely taken by Piet
van Wyk) of the individual features of more than 1 000 species of tree, but there were
very few photographs of the overall appearance of these trees. As the introduction to this
new Briza publication mentions: "Our main aim was to show the interesting and
characteristic crown shapes and branching patterns of trees" and "we have made a
selection of the most commonly encountered large trees, but have also included a few small
ones with distinctive growth forms". To
help the amateur naturalist or 'tree spotter' to
recognise a tree from its shape in the distance, and from the habitat in which it occurs,
is the main aim of this book.
A few pages
in the introductory section of the book on the 'architecture of trees' show diagrams of
some of the more common architectural models, while it is interesting to note that the
authors say that "... most southern African trees have not yet been classified
according to architectural model. This presents a challenge especially to growers of
indigenous trees to contribute to our knowledge of this aspect. The plan of growth in a
tree is best expressed in young plants grown from seed. In older trees the recognition of
models is often difficult because the architectural pattern is obscured by continuous
environmental stress to which trees respond by constantly adjusting their growth."
The book
also records alien tree species which have become naturalised in southern Africa and are
causing environmental degradation by invading and replacing natural vegetation. Maps are
provided for most of these alien species showing the areas which these trees have invaded
- Populus canescens (the Grey Poplar), for example, which invades river banks, vleis and
moist dongas, is evident in all but the driest areas of the southern African region and
has been declared an invader in the proposed new weeds legislation; while Melia azedarach
(the Syringa - see article in Urban Green File Nov/Dec 2000 issue, page 35) has invaded an
even more extensive area and is also a declared invader.
Along with
photographs of the overall appearance of the tree, smaller photographs of its flowers,
fruit and bark have been used to help with identification - and icons have been used which
clearly illustrate the tree's leaf type, leaf margin and leaf arrangement, how the tree
can be utilised - for fodder, fuel, food, crafts and horticulture - and whether parts of
the tree are poisonous. Ben-Erik van Wyk's input is evident in the descriptions of the
tree's traditional medicinal uses and other traditional uses - information such as the
fact that the roots of Acacia ataxacantha (Flame Thorn) are used to make long-stemmed
tobacco pipes and the powdered burnt bark of Erythrina lysistemon (Common Coral Tree) is
used to treat open wounds in traditional medicine, while the wood of Celtis africana
(White Stinkwood) has been known to be used as a protective charm.
Although it
is mentioned in the introduction that trees occupy a special place in nature and provide a
habitat for a myriad of organisms, the ecological relationships of the trees are not
discussed in this book. Facts such as the relationship between the Garden Acraea butterfly
and Kiggelaria africana (Wild Peach) will have to be found in another of Briza's special
tree books 'Making the Most of Indigenous Trees' by Fanie and Julye-Ann Venter, published
in 1996. So called 'utilisation by animals' is a vitally important and interesting aspect
which is underplayed in the so called field guides to our flora, tending to give the
impression that the only relevance of nature is to serve as a resource for man.
Contact Briza Publications, PO Box 56569, Arcadia 0007.
A South African
Developers Guide to Environmental Impact Assessment
Author:
Ian F Holme
Published by: Environmental Impact Management Services (EIMS)
Editor: Robert Millard of EIMS
Reviewed by: Dr Andries Venter of EIMS, Dr Zoe Budnik-Lees of the Industrial Environmental
Forum and John Clayton of Rooth & Wessels Inc
This
publication looks at the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)Regulations, which were
promulgated under the Environmental Conservation Act in 1996 and came into effect in 1997,
from a developer's point of view. The booklet was compiled in conjunction with developers
who discussed issues that they had found problematic in the regulations. Author Ian Holme
is of the opinion that developers need to know enough to understand what the environmental
consultants are doing and the publication of this booklet was undertaken by EIMS to
redress this lack of knowledge. Holme asks for feedback about the booklet, which is
available from EIMS (see particulars below), from both developers and consultants.
The
publication provides developers and any others involved with activities requiring
environmental authorisation, with information that they need to avoid falling foul of the
law and to avoid some of the pitfalls that are commonly experienced. The document is
intended as an aid only and cannot take the place of legal advice in a specific situation
governed by legislation. The penalties for contravening the regulations are discussed. The
misconception that preliminary work can commence on a development 'pending' the outcome of
the environmental investigation, as long as the authorities have granted planning
approval, is pointed out - 'commencement' entails any activity that impacts on the
environment, including preliminary minor earthworks or site clearing. The point is
emphasised: "Even if the environmental study does not bring to light any reason why
the development should not go ahead as planned, it is a serious offence to commence work
on the development prior to a formal Record of Decision (RoD) being received from the
relevant authority."
The list of
activities that fall under the EIA regulations is provided. The Application, Scoping and
EIA Stages are discussed. It is emphasised that the regulations require that public input
be actively encouraged and that detailed records be kept of the public participation
process, even during the Scoping Stage.
Amongst a
number of other problems that developers may experience, the point is made that developers
consistently underestimate the time required for the technical environmental studies, the
public participation process and the subsequent evaluation period required by the relevant
authority. It is suggested that sufficient buffer time should be allowed in the project
schedule to accommodate unanticipated delays. The time required will vary, depending upon
the number of applications under consideration at the time, the nature and scale of the
activity and the quality of the report.
Delta
Environmental Centre: The First Twenty-Five Years 'Environmental
Education in Action'
This
publication is co-sponsored by: Standard Bank and Eskom Development Foundation
Seven authors contributed to the publication: Di Beeton, Norman Bloom, Jane Carruthers,
Vincent Carruthers, Geoff Lockwood, Don Macey and William Martinson
Consultant editor: Robbie Vermont
Graphic designer: Pam Burland
The foreword
to the book is by Dr Ian Macdonald, chief executive of WWF SA, and he makes a highly
pertinent comment backed by a quote of great profundity: "That Delta's premises (an
old sewage disposal works) are themselves a living example of the 're-use' of an existing
facility, is in itself a real tribute to the originators of the initiative. One is
reminded of the sage advice of that dean of conservation, Professor Paul Ehrlich, in his
keynote address to the Conference on the Conservation of South Africa's biodiversity held
in Cape Town in 1988: 'Our first priority in this uniquely biodiverse portion of the
planet should be to ensure that all developments are located on already disturbed sites -
all pristine areas' he said 'should be considered sacrosanct!' "
Another
comment by Macdonald that warrants repeating is: "The simple truism that we will
never conserve what we do not love, that we will not love what we don't understand, and
that we won't understand what we have not been taught, is as true today as it was decades
ago when it was first coined. Delta has enabled hundred's of thousands of South Africa's
people to be exposed to the wonders and values of our superb natural heritage."
A chapter in
the book talks about the changing philosophy of environmental education and the inclusion
of environmental concerns in several of the Critical Outcomes in Curriculum 2005 - in
which the environment is a cross-curricular theme. "Changes in environmental
education reflect an increasingly broader understanding of the environment and the
environmental crisis. Increasingly, environmental educators are able to acknowledge that
the issues are more than biophysical. They are multi-dimensional and comprise a complex
set of interacting social, political and biophysical factors.... It is increasingly
recognised that there are no simple solutions to environmental issues, no one best method
of environmental education, and that a range of methods and processes are needed to
resolve issues and problems as they arise."
The
publication deals with the first 25 years of Delta Environmental Centre's history and
plans 'the road ahead' for the Centre. The point is made that: "If this book inspires
others to work for the establishment of similar community-based environmental education
centres in SA, it will have achieved an important objective." And it should be noted
that Delta's dedicated staff are ready to assist any fledgling environmental education
initiative.
-----
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Neil Fishwick selects the White Thorn
Acacia Polyacantha Subsp Campylacantha
The White Thorn
Horticulturist
Neil Fishwick of Fishwick's Nursery, which is located about 20km west of Nelspruit in
Mpumalanga, has chosen the White Thorn as the Tree of the Issue. He says whenever
customers arrive at his nursery, they invariably ask: "What are those trees over
there?" - pointing at a grove of Acacia polyacantha, planted nearby. The reason they
ask about these trees is because of their striking tall, white trunks, which rival the
green trunks of an adjoining grove of Fever Trees (Acacia xanthophloea). Neil says that
most people seem to be unfamiliar with this acacia.
He says that
the White Thorn is as fast growing as, or even faster than, the Fever Tree and is more
cold hardy than the latter. He recommends that those interested in seeing a mature tree in
a garden should go to the panhandle section of the Johannesburg Botanic Garden in
Emmerentia, bordering on DF Malan. (Ed: There are fairly small specimens to be seen in the
parking lot of the Witwatersrand Botanical Garden in Roodepoort.)
Neil
comments that the tree has a flatish crown which creates the typical African feel in the
landscape and is therefore an alternative to the Paperbark Thorn, Acacia sieberiana var
woodii and the Inyanga Flat Crown, Acacia abyssinica. The tree does not shed its paired,
hooked thorns as eagerly as do the two above-mentioned species shed their long white
spines - and the paired thorns are retained on the main trunk where they add interest and
character, as do the thorns of the Knob Thorn, Acacia nigrescens.
A.
polyacantha is most common in Zimbabwe and Tanzania and only occurs naturally in South
Africa, north of the Oliphants River in the Northern Province, where it is found growing
on alluvial soils, usually near rivers or streams.
Its leaflets
are more numerous and dense than those of most other Acacia species and are retained on
the tree until very late in the dry season (September), meaning that A polyacantha makes
an excellent shade tree. The tree has many uses, including edible gum. It is believed to
have magic properties for warding off wild animals and can reputedly be used as a snake
bite antidote. It produces excellent firewood.
"Its
height and grand stature make it a memorable sight, particularly when it is in flower and
seen from a distance, as the flower spikes reach up to 15cm in length. In general, this
little known species is a very good 'all-rounder' both aesthetically and functionally and
should be used more often in both 'tame' and 'wild' landscapes," concludes Neil.
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WORDS ON WASTE
Waste aware
An
attempt to reduce the waste stream through education and communication
The Greater
East Rand Metro trading as an entity of the Eastern Gauteng Services Council (EGSC) has
been developing and implementing the Waste Aware programme for the past six years.
Utilising education and mass communication, the council hopes to reduce the waste stream
by encouraging recycling and re-use. Gerald Garner reviews the effectiveness of this
campaign.
The
exorbitant cost of discarding waste at landfill sites is well documented. In the
July/August 2000 issue of Urban Green File (page 41), it was reported that the cost to the
Western Metropolitan Local Council in Johannesburg was R 22 per tonne during 1999. On the
East Rand, the Solid Waste Division of the Urban Development Department at the EGSC
embarked on a Waste Aware programme during 1995, so as to reduce the amount of waste that
ends up in landfills.
Waste Aware
is a public/private partnership between the EGSC, local councils (these have just been
merged into the Greater East Rand Metro) and recycling companies, environmental
organisations and waste management contractors. The partnership promotes waste
minimisation by educating the public, establishing public disposal facilities for
recyclables and conducting pilot studies on recycling and composting at residential
properties.
With the
help of communications specialist Liz Kneale, Waste Aware focuses on specific target
markets through a variety of methods, including educational programmes,
‘adoptions’ of schools and youth groups, distribution of promotional items like
rulers and fridge magnets, outdoor advertising, publications and exhibitions.
Educational booklet for
primary schools
As part of its educational programme, Waste Aware has developed a series of
publications. The first of these documents, The incredible adventures of Robo 2R and his
waste aware friends, targets 8 to 11 year olds. ‘We decided to focus on specific
target markets, rather than use mass communication, so as to communicate the message
effectively,” comments Kneale, “... and international research has established
that children between 8 and 11 are the most receptive to the Waste Aware message.”
This cartoon
booklet tells the story of Robo 2R - a ‘space alien’ made of tins, bottles,
paper and plastics who made a crash landing on a landfill. He meets four friends made out
of plastics, glass, cans and paper respectively. The booklet teaches children where
materials like plastic and glass come from, how they are used through their
‘lifespans’ and how they normally end up on landfills when they could have been
re-used or recycled. The nature of the drawings and various games/riddles in the booklet
ensures that children will have fun while learning about waste and recycling. The booklet
is available on request to schools and community organisations and is used by facilities
like the Blesbokspruit Environmental Education Centre (see September/October 2000 issue of
Urban Green File, page 4).
Adult literacy
programmes
Another three manuals focus on adult literacy. Developed for use by literacy
agencies registered with the Department of Education and the Independent Examinations
Board, this programme can be used to teach adults English reading, writing, listening and
speaking skills - using waste as a theme. However, learners will gain more than just
language skills as the programme also teaches life skills - learners are taught, for
example, how to do surveys of their areas, how to identify waste related problems and
recommend solutions, as well as how to plan and chair community meetings. This programme
is designed in such a way that it can be used to obtain credits towards a formal Adult
Basic Education and Training (ABET) qualification. As these educational manuals were only
printed in June 2000, the programme has not been implemented yet and its implementation
will now depend on the new Greater East Rand Metro.
Pamphlets
One pamphlet, Are you guilty of wasting waste? is distributed in the East Rand
region to households, schools and community organisations and informs the public of
materials that can be recycled and who to contact about cans, glass, paper, oil and
plastics for recycling. Watch your waste turn into cash gives advice on how to start a
waste buy-back centre and who to sell the collected waste to.
Public disposal sites
To back-up the communication and education strategy, the EGSC has instated
collection points with containers for voluntary recycling of separate types of waste at
its public disposal facilities.
The
Weltevreden, Simmer & Jack and Rietfontein Landfills provide separate containers for
garden refuse, paper, steel and aluminium cans, plastics, glass bottles, scrap metal,
ordinary domestic waste and building rubble. Containers for hazardous waste like engine
and hydraulic oil, batteries, paint tins, household cleaners and pesticides/herbicides are
also available. Gail Winter of the EGSC and chairman of Waste Aware has advertised the
fact that these containers are available at the Simmer & Jack site in a recent
newsletter for the Germiston Local Council and has had an overwhelming response.
Review
The EGSC should be commended for its initiative in launching the Waste Aware
campaign and the care taken with developing the various educational publications and
pamphlets, as well as for involving the private sector role players. However, it is a pity
that the educational material (Robo-2 booklet) is not more widely and actively
distributed. At present, it is only available on request and one wonders whether it should
not be incorporated into the environmental education curricula of the schools in the
vicinity, and whether it is not possible to use the same material on a nationwide basis -
with adaptations so that local contacts are listed where appropriate. One also hopes that
the newly formed Greater East Rand Metro will realise the value of the Waste Aware
campaign and allocate funds to sustain and further develop the programme - especially
since the Adult Literacy programme has not yet been implemented.
It is also
unfortunate that the effectiveness of the programme has not been closely monitored or
measured. No mechanisms are currently in place to measure whether the campaign has had any
influence on reducing the waste stream. According to Kneale, a separate project was
initiated by the Springs Council in 1997/98, where the council provided a certain number
of households with containers to separate waste at source and then measured the reduction
this had on the waste stream. Half of the households received face-to-face education and
posters on how to utilise the system, whereas the other half only received posters but no
education at all. Although the waste stream was reduced by about 60%, it was found that,
in the short term, there was no difference in the participation of the two groups. This
might give the impression that education is ineffective - however a long term educational
strategy such as Waste Aware creates good waste handling habits. By targeting
‘impressionable groups’ like children aged between 8 and 11 or adult literacy
classes, the long-term effect might be far more impressive.
-----
FEATURES
Rebuilding a
constructive relationship after litigation
The
story of Sasol and SAVE - and the proposed strip mine on the Vaal River
The story of
Sasol and SAVE - and the issue of strip mining adjacent to the Vaal River
This article
strives to recount something of what happened in the complex conflict between the
environmentally concerned group SAVE (Save the Vaal Environment) and Sasol Mining over the
proposed North West Strip Mine that led to litigation and a landmark appeal court decision
- and to show that the relationship between the two parties has come a long way since the
court case.
The first
part of the article comprises a slightly abridged version of a paper given by Sasol’s
environmental legal advisor Kate Farina at the recent IAIAsa (International Association of
Impact Assessment - SA chapter) Conference, while the second part is based on a discourse
between Susan Sellschop of SAVE and Kate Farina , which reveals SAVE’s perspective
and reflects the process of rebuilding a constructive relationship through frank and open
discussion of the interests of the two parties.
Farina wrote
the following paper to provide a broad outline of what the North West Strip Mine issue was
all about, what the implications were for Sasol and to describe the steps that have been
taken, subsequently.
Sasol Mining
recently experienced the pressure that can be brought to bear by environmentally concerned
groups. The company was taken to task by SAVE concerning its proposed expansion of mining
activities adjacent to the Vaal River in an area called the North West Mine. The core
issue, which was highly publicised in the media, was SAVE’s opinion that a wetland
along a tributary of the Vaal would be irreparably damaged if mining was permitted to go
ahead. The public participation process initiated as part of the impact assessment was
abandoned by SAVE which instead made the decision to take its concerns to court. This
decision to go the litigation route was essentially based on the group’s viewpoint
that its concerns would not be given due consideration in the current legal process which
authorises mining activities in terms of the Minerals Act, 1991.
The history
Sasol has a guiding policy which expresses its corporate values and ethics and
these policy principles are intended to guide and manage the impact of Sasol’s
activities on the environment and on communities. Sasol Mining is one of many divisions
within Sasol which stand together under the umbrella of one guiding policy. This policy,
together with the processes supporting its implementation, was tested by the public
confrontation that occurred in respect of the proposed North West Strip Mine. The
intensity of the community’s reaction took Sasol Mining somewhat by surprise and
meant that its response in terms of a legal and communications strategy was to an extent
retroactive rather than proactive.
Certainly, a
general awareness existed within industry, at the time, of the ‘environment
clause’ contained in the Constitution and the right of interested parties to be
heard. These constitutional environmental rights had, however, never really been tested
since their inclusion in the Bill of Rights, in 1994.
The South
African mining industry had hitherto operated within the defined, and to some extent
rigid, framework of the Minerals Act, 1991. In terms of this Act, the Department of
Minerals and Energy (DME) is given the role of both coach and referee. The Act promotes
optimal utilisation of South Africa’s mineral resources and the DME has historically
vigorously supported and protected the associated mineral rights. However, the DME is also
expected to regulate the environmental impacts of the exploitation of such mineral
resources.
The issues
Sasol Mining had good reason to propose an extension of its mining operations
into an area known as the North West. The plant of Sasol Chemical Industries (SCI), one of
the founding companies of the Sasol group which was built up around the conversion of the
by-products of synthetic fuels production into downstream chemicals, was located in
Sasolburg, adjacent to Sasol’s Sigma mining operations, to facilitate access to the
coal that is used to generate power for the steam stations which drive the plant.
In the mid
1990s, it became clear that an additional source of coal would be required - coal that met
the quality requirements of the SCI process in terms of ash content. The existing Sigma
underground mine was in the process of closing down and there was the additional problem
of job losses, if the mining operations could not be transferred to another area.
The mineral
rights were already held by Sasol Mining, in the area known as the North West. However,
after extensive surveys, it was concluded that mining this area by underground methods
presented major safety problems. The only option considered feasible was a strip or
opencast mine.
It was clear
from aerial photographs, as far back as the 1970s, that the area adjacent to the Vaal
River, and more particularly along the Rietspruit (a tributary of the Vaal River), had
already been cultivated as farmland. The area along this portion of the Vaal is
affectionately known as ‘Millionaires Row’ because of the expensive residential
developments along the river. The Vaal River itself is a major source of drinking water
and is also of great importance in terms of recreational activities and its ecological
status.
Of
particular concern to those residents living across the river, was the potential visual
impact of the drag lines, as well as dust, noise and night-time illumination. Despite
Sasol’s proposed mitigatory measures, the local residents believed that their
property values, the ‘sense of place’ and ecological aspects of the environment
would be detrimentally affected by mining activities in the North West area.
The process followed
The potential impacts of mining the North West area were recognised upfront by
Sasol Mining. In line with Sasol’s policy, a decision was taken at the beginning of
the project to adhere to a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process which went
substantially beyond the existing legal requirements of the Minerals Act.
A
world-class environmental study was initiated with numerous specialist assessments and
extensive public participation. Open days were held involving both the local communities
and all relevant authorities. The input of all Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs) was
encouraged. The regulatory authorities, including the notoriously difficult Department of
Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), were satisfied with the process of identification of
potential impacts, as well as the proposed measures to mitigate such impacts.
All issues
of concern raised by any IAP were noted and addressed in terms of the EIA process. These
included a variety of environmental and social issues, most of them common to any proposed
mining activity. However, Sasol perceived the real challenge to be the distinction between
true environmental issues and the concerns about the reduction of residential property
values along the Vaal River. In addition to this, a perception was quickly entrenched in
the public’s mind, that an ecologically important and vital wetland fell within the
mining area and would be irreversibly damaged by Sigma’s mining operations.
Various
measures were suggested to try and counteract concerns and reduce the potential impacts of
the proposed mining activities. An effective sterilisation of a portion of the reserves
was proposed in order to move the mining area further away from the Rietspruit.
An extensive
berm was proposed to address concerns relating to noise, dust, night-time illumination and
visual impacts on residential developments across the river. A comprehensive water
management plan, as well as an extensive rehabilitation plan, were also tabled.
Re-engineering of machinery design was undertaken in order to reduce noise impacts and
similarly a complex blasting programme was designed to this effect.
The legal challenge
The environmental concerns of residents were taken up by the media and Sasol
found it close to impossible to refute the perception that a ‘classified’
wetland was at risk, finding that a wetland could be as emotional a subject as the
maltreatment of baby elephants!
The
organisation SAVE was made up of residents from along the river and its main objective was
to take their concerns forward and to publicise them. SAVE withdrew from the public
participation process and declared that any environmental management plan coming out of
the process would be a ‘non document’ in their view. Frustrated at the
authorities’ apparent lack of response to their concerns, SAVE then appealed to the
High Court for a review of the administrative actions taken by the DME in terms of the
Minerals Act.
The mining
authorisation procedure had traditionally been a two-phased process. The first stage was
the granting of the mining licence, mainly on the basis of the financial and technical
ability of the applicant. The letter of the law did not provide for environmental
considerations to be taken into account at that stage and it was generally perceived to be
the screening process whereby the DME could satisfy itself that the applicant had the
resources to ensure optimal utilisation of the mineral reserves. Only departmental
officials were therefore involved in decision-making during this phase.
This mining
licence did not, however, constitute authorisation to commence mining before an EIA had
been conducted and an Environmental Management Programme Report (EMPR) forumlated. This
was the stage at which IAPs were consulted in respect of the proposed mining method,
potential impacts and mitigation thereof.
SAVE,
however, felt that for added security, IAPs should have been consulted during the process
of granting the mining licence.
Although the
court action was essentially brought against the DME, Sasol Mining was joined as a
respondent due to its interest in the matter. Based on legal opinion obtained, the view
supported by both the DME and Sasol Mining was that the mining licence process was
essentially an administrative procedure entailing the involvement of the department only,
whilst the opportunity for IAPs to be heard was provided for in terms of the EMPR
requirement. It is important to note that this ‘rights approach’ was based on a
well established precedent set in the past by the Minerals Act. The decision was,
therefore, taken by both respondents to defend the court case (and the Minerals Act) -
while the rest of the mining industry looked on with much interest.
The High
Court decided that IAPs do indeed have a right to be heard during the mining licence
application. Once again legal opinion received advised the DME and Sasol Mining to defend
their interpretation of the technicalities of the Minerals Act and the court decision was
subsequently appealed. The mining industry, as a whole, wanted a successful outcome to
this appeal as the court’s decision essentially meant that extensive public
participation would be required at both stages of the licensing process to obtain the
go-ahead for mining - involving additional costs and delays. The mining industry was
perhaps also wary about being dictated to by the community, an idea which contradicted the
precedence that mineral rights had taken over other rights in the past.
The Appeal
Court reaffirmed the Brundtland definition of sustainability and further supported the
right of IAPs to be involved in all decision-making processes as part of the
constitutional right to protect their interest in the well-being of the environment.
The case was
therefore not about saving a wetland, but rather a determination of the role of IAPs in
all activities of the mining industry.
In this
respect, it is important to note that the appeal lodged by the DME and Sasol Mining was
not an attempt to restrict the rights of any IAP to be heard, but rather to clarify at
what stage this should happen in terms of the process laid down by the Minerals Act.
The results
The mining licence covering the rest of Sigma’s mining operations was
declared invalid as a result of the court’s decision. Sigma then faced the added
pressure of having to legalise its existing mining operations which had been in operation
since 1952. The mining licence would have to be reapplied for and this would entail
consultation with the very IAPs that Sigma had come up against in court. Sasol Mining
began the difficult process of rebuilding trust and co-operation in an atmosphere of
intense hostility.
Numerous
round table discussions were held with SAVE. For the first time, core issues and concerns
were discussed in a frank and open manner and the discussions became interest based rather
than rights based. SAVE was able to discuss the concern its members had about the
potential impact on property values. Sasol was able to discuss the implications of the
introduction of natural gas as an alternative fuel source for the Sasolberg operations,
which had up until then been confidential.
It was
significant that both parties were feeling their way through a new process without the
safety net of clear legal rules and without guidance from the authorities. They had only
the court judgement to work with, which dealt very generically with the upholding of
constitutional rights and promotion of sustainable development.
After many
long hours spent in often heated discussions, Sasol Mining and SAVE were finally able to
release a joint media statement, in which SAVE agreed to constructively support the
reapplication for mining authorisation of Sigma’s existing operations, whilst Sasol
Mining in turn undertook to consider alternative energy resources to supplement the SCI
feedstock. Significantly, both parties agreed to continue their partnership in the
interests of pursuing continued sustainable development.
The lessons learnt
The greatest lesson that Sasol learnt from this process was about the
significance of constitutional rights and their practical implementation, in terms of
overriding all other legislation. This aspect goes hand in hand with the active law reform
process in South Africa, in terms of which the rules are constantly changing.
Another
valuable lesson, which Sasol has applied to other projects, concerned the need to avoid,
wherever possible, the settlement of disputes in the legal arena, in the interests of
trying to maintain constructive relationships. It is only through such relationships that
sustainable development can be explored properly.
Sasol Mining
has continued with its strategy of ongoing communication with its neighbours. An open and
transparent programme was developed for finalising the licence for its existing operations
and Sasol is open to the inputs of IAPs, in terms of their value in promoting sustainable
development. The local community in turn is committed to helping Sasol Mining to balance
social and environmental aspects with developmental needs. A programme of open days has
been initiated on which the community and the mine come together for interactive sessions
on subjects such as the technicalities of blasting, ISO 14001, rehabilitation and water
management.
All parties
concerned have learnt a great deal from the process of sharing perspectives - a positive
start along the road to sustainable development.
Sellschop
initiated the discussion by emphasising that SAVE held the view that not only the wetland,
adjacent to the Rietspruit, but all the issues raised were of importance and were relevant
to the case, including, amongst others, the effect the proposed mine would have on
property prices due to the impact on the ‘sense of place’ and the effect it
would have on job creation in Zamdela in Sasolburg. She said that the real issue was
‘the hole in the ground’ and that this could be looked at from different
perspectives Ð air pollution, wetland destruction, loss of sense of place and, in
particular, the threat of contaminated water from the proposed open cast mine flooding or
seeping into the Vaal river system. Sellschop described the formation of the environmental
group, Save the Vaal Environment, which was set up within three weeks, and said that the
main objective of the group had been to stop the mining because of the value of the place
that Sasol intended to mine. She objected to the implication in Farina’s paper that
SAVE was hiding behind environmental issues to mask real concerns.
She
explained that SAVE’s advocate Duard Barnard had said that they should put a value on
everything: red data species, sunsets, sense of place, water sports, loss of trade to
shops, bird watching on the river and jobs lost. He had said that the total value of what
the community would lose would have to be ‘externalised’ by Sasol - in other
words, the community would have to be compensated for their loss. Barnard said that the
number of jobs lost to the community along the river, because of the mining, would have to
be weighed up against the number of jobs created by the mining - which would also have to
be offset by the number of jobs lost by the closing of Sigma’s underground
operations.
She said:
“Property values were obviously one of the issues as they linked up with the loss of
sense of place. The reason for buying a home on that part of the river would be gone. We
bought there to listen to the owls, not the mining operations. We had the right to fight -
and we did say we were fighting for our property values, along with other concerns, at the
time.”
Sellschop
spoke about the importance of the wetland saying that the Rietspruit continued to overflow
into the adjacent grassland area with a heavy storm and that it would be quite possible to
rehabilitate the wetland to its former status by filling up an old agricultural drain. She
said that SAVE had also had a strong objection to Sasol’s proposed diversion of the
‘Cloudy Creek’, part of the Rietspruit, during mining operations because it was
a breeding site for the Goliath Heron and had, accordingly, been demarcated as a ‘no
planing zone’ for motor boats.
She said
that after several legal encounters, the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein had
vindicated SAVE’s stance that the community had the right to be heard before the
decision to grant the authorisation to mine was made. SAVE’s concern had been that
the granting of the aforementioned permit would mean that there was no opportunity for a
‘no go’ option - only for mitigatory measures.
Farina said
that the court’s decision was clearly reflected in the draft of the new Mineral
Development Bill which proposed that the application for a mining licence should
henceforth include a forecast of environmental management and remedial costs and a social
plan which would reflect the socio-economic impact, together with an environmental scoping
report which would identify IAPs and provide details of initial discussions with these
parties. This would include a procedure for objections to be heard, which could take the
form of a formal hearing, if it was considered necessary. Subsequent to a mining licence,
an EMPR would still have to be submitted, entailing a full EIA, public participation, etc
-before mining could commence. She said that, in terms of the draft, the ultimate
decision-making powers lay with the Minister of the DME.
Sellschop
said that SAVE had objected to the EIA for the North West Mine, indicating that it was not
a legal document because IAPs should have been consulted before the mining licence was
granted. She also said that they had been of the opinion that the EIA was merely a public
relations exercise for Sasol and they had questioned the so called
‘independence’ of the independent consultants that had been appointed to do the
EIA.
Sellschop
said that the consultants had invited the community to a meeting and refused to give out
information on possible alternative fuel sources (it is necessary to consider alternatives
in an EIA) and that SAVE had, as a result, felt that Sasol had not investigated
alternatives, adequately. Farina explained that the timing had been unfortunate, as Sasol
was in the process of discussing the option of piping natural gas with the Mocambique
government and the information was classified, at the time. She went on to say that coal
would nevertheless have been necessary as a feedstock in the interim period - and that
coal was having to be trucked in from elsewhere as an alternative, at present. She added
that the EIA for the natural gas alternative had subsequently been initiated.
The issue of
the media coverage given the event was also discussed by Farina and Sellschop. Farina felt
that the wetland had been used as an emotive issue by the media and blown out of
proportion. She said that Sasol had been unable to react directly to the press articles
because there is never an easy way to react to emotive issues - and that the media had
seemed much more inclined to report on the negative, such as the impact on a wetland,
rather than the positive aspects put forward by Sasol. Sellschop said that SAVE had
initially also battled to get coverage because certain of the media had not wanted to step
on Sasol’s toes Ð but that SAVE had persisted because they felt they needed to make
the issue public.
Farina and
Sellschop both spoke very positively about the frank discussions that had finally come to
pass between Sasol and SAVE because of the need of both parties to build a good
relationship. Sasol had to reapply for Wonderwater’s authorisation to mine and SAVE
was concerned that Sasol was going to resubmit the application for authorisation to mine
the North West Strip. As mentioned in Farina’s paper, SAVE undertook to give
constructive input into the Wonderwater reapplication, while Sasol undertook to look at
alternative fuel sources. After extensive input from SAVE, the mining licence and EMPR for
the existing operations were recently approved by the DME. Sellschop complimented Sasol on
the educational value of its newly instated ‘open days’, saying that the effect
of these regular public meetings was very positive and that the community was starting to
understand mining issues.
SAVE’s
goal, according to Sellschop, is to have a section of the proposed North West Mine area
declared a nature conservation area, so that it will in effect be ‘sterilised’
for mining. Sasol’s shareholders, according to Farina, will not take kindly to the
idea of their mineral reserves being sterilised, in perpetuity - they would want the
mining option to stay open. But discussion is underway between the two and the possibility
of some of Sasol’s vacant mine buildings being turned into an environmental education
centre and a craft market to provide employment for the Zamdela community is also being
mooted. Both sides agree that the discussions have to continue as this is the only way
that the goal of sustainable development can be achieved.
-----
Sustainable technologies
The
Village of Spier
The recently
completed hotel on the Spier Wine Estate in the Western Cape is just one element of wide
ranging development on the estate and the adjacent Lynedoch properties. All development at
Spier is guided by a series of principles that have evolved from the original vision of
Dick Enthoven when he purchased the 90ha north bank werf of the Spier farmstead in 1993. The ecological values of Spier, as well as its
concerns with economic prosperity and social justice, are demonstrated in the new hotel.
The wastewater treatment system and the solar panels for heating water serve as examples
of 'green' technologies in use at a commercial scale.
Dick
Enthoven bought the original Spier farmstead on the north bank of the Eerste River in the
Cape Winelands near Stellenbosch in 1993. The buildings date from around 1680 and after
decades of neglect were sadly decayed. Enthoven bought the property with the specific
objective of restoring the buildings. This concern with heritage is core to ongoing
development at Spier. Enthoven explains it this way: "We see ourselves as custodians
of this land, we are not owners. What we do here either in restoration of the old or
development of the new should not be antagonistic to the heritage of Spier. In 150 years
from now, I would like people to look back and say: 'They did a good job.'
"As
custodians we have a responsibility with regard to the land, our cultivation of it and the
buildings we construct. We also recognise a responsibility to the culture that has grown
up in this land - as a part of our heritage. We invest in the performing arts via the
Spier Festival Trust, for example, and we are looking at other opportunities to provide a
stage or a venue for South African artists and African art."
From this
foundation, Dick Enthoven envisages development at Spier as guided by two key concerns:
wealth creation and the restoration of equity in a society that has been distorted by
social engineering. He sees these guiding concerns linked to the economic and social needs
of South Africa today and to its taking its place in the world.
A simple Cape
architecture
Architect Tom Darlington was appointed to restore the old farm buildings and,
as the resident architect for Spier, he has been involved throughout the development of
the north bank and is responsible for the design of the new hotel - The Village at Spier.
"When
we were working on the original buildings," says Darlington, "we put ourselves
into a time warp as it were. What would these people have done if they had had the money
to maintain and develop the property? We had here a nucleus, a collection of old
buildings, long established trees, the remnants of a rose garden. We did not endeavour to
create a pristine restoration. Rather we considered what might have evolved. We rid the
buildings of damp, rethatched them and re-established the perceptible relationships
between the buildings with a geography of paved courtyards and pathways. The buildings are
put to new uses and the heritage is preserved."
The
development of the north bank has evolved in line with the goal of creating wealth within
the local community while retaining the integrity of the site and without overloading it.
The amphitheatre was created as a venue for the Spier Festival Trust and it introduces a
facility that was not previously available to this community. The new hotel is the most
recently completed element of the organically evolving north bank development.
Darlington
describes The Village as a cluster of simple Cape buildings. "They are an expression
of the different influences that have shaped the Cape's architectural heritage: what are
loosely termed the Malay influences - those of the Arabic and Indian traders - and the
influences of the Dutch settlers."
The hotel is
designed to engender a sense of community, in contrast to the connotation of transience
typically associated with hotels. As the name implies, it is designed as a village and
rooms are conceived as single or double-storeyed villas in a small group of buildings. The
buildings are close to the land, they are not stacked. They are domestic in scale and
treatment; they are not high-tech buildings which would have required highly specialised
craftsmen. "They do not make a huge impact on the environment," says Darlington,
"and they are, I hope, what you might expect to find in relation to the original
farmstead."
The main
building of the hotel, which accommodates reception, a lounge, bar and dining room, as
well as the kitchens, is placed on the site to embrace the residential village without
restricting it. A wide south-west-facing verandah opens the main building to the gardens
and the village beyond.
"In
further support of the concept of community," says Darlington, "The Village is a
pedestrian precinct - as it might have grown up before the impact of cars." Cars are
parked at the periphery of the site and golf carts are used for automotive transport of
baggage or when required by the guests. "By giving precedence to pedestrians and
promoting pedestrian movement we have created a place where people will encounter one
another, in the communal spaces, the courtyards, walkways and stairways of the village.
The site is predominantly flat and we have injected interest by turning the buildings
along gently curving streets, creating courtyards, linking the streets with thoroughfares
and introducing a water furrow that channels stormwater along the street edge."
Service
rooms, of which there are nine, are accommodated within the form and mass of the buildings
and allowed for variations in design of different rooms; some open onto decks over the
service rooms, others are accessed via adjacent stairways.
Local
contractors were employed in the construction of the buildings and local materials have
been used wherever feasible. Criteria such as invested energy, sustainability and
non-toxicity were taken into account in specifying materials. The floors, for example, are
finished with a material that is a sawdust compound bound with resins. It is laid onto the
screed wet, "like clay and cow dung," says Darlington, and dries to a colour and
texture similar to cork. Timber beamed interior ceilings, reed ceilings to verandahs, and
the exterior plasterwork, represent further references to the Cape architectural heritage.
The
buildings in The Village are oriented east-west, with the streets following a
predominantly north-south axis. Window placement in the rooms allows for cross
ventilation. Timber shutters, typical to the Cape, extend the options for controlling the
interior environment to individual preferences. While bulk ducted air-conditioning is
avoided, air-conditioners are included in each room, with provision for individual
control. A power saving device is cleverly incorporated into the card control used for
room access. When guests leave their rooms, the lights and air-conditioning are
automatically switched off when the card is ejected as the door is locked.
Furniture is
selected to provide comfort and to avoid clutter by incorporating multi-functional pieces.
This is in keeping with an overall aesthetic of simplicity.
The
150-roomed hotel provides accommodation mainly for guests using the conference facilities
at Spier, as well as international and local holiday makers.
Darlington
emphasises a need to embrace our history and heritage. "We can learn from it,"
he suggests. "In a world swamped by commonality, it is the cultural heritage of a
country that defines its uniqueness. While these buildings are of the Cape, and I hope, of
Africa, they nonetheless acknowledge and reflect the diverse influences of our history,
from the east and from Europe, as well as expressing what is unique to this part of the
world. There are no inventions here. We have in our own environment sufficient interest,
character and heritage to draw into a contemporary holistic development which, in its way,
contributes to extending and perhaps enlarging that heritage."
For the
future, Darlington sees a strengthening of the relationships and connections between the
buildings along the north bank, enhancing the visual continuity across the site and
creating pedestrian links from the original farmstead buildings to the amphitheatre, the
conference centre and the new hotel, through the gardens and along the river frontage.
Waste and wastewater
treatment at The Village
An innovative, ecologically sustainable, on-site waste treatment system has
been installed at The Village. After extensive research into alternative sustainable waste
treatment systems for the Spier Estate, Professor Mark Swilling, a director of Spier
Holdings, discovered the Biolytic Filtration(tm) process in 1998. The Biolytic Filter(tm)
was invented in Australia and the patents pertaining to the process and the equipment are
owned by an Australian company called Dowmus (Pty) Ltd (DPL). The first commercial system
was commissioned in Australia in 1995 and there are now reportedly over 2 000 domestic and
industrial installations in Australia and New Zealand. During 1999, DPL sold a site
license for the Spier Estate to Biolytix Southern Africa - a company that was formed
within the Green Technologies subsidiary of Spier Holdings - to investigate the commercial
potential of the Biolytic Filter in Southern Africa.
Initially
two pilot systems were installed at different sites on Spier to test the technology with
local adaptations. One pilot was a household system, capable of treating up to 2kl of
wastewater and organic solids each day; the second was a larger commercial system
installed at the Spier Institute of Culinary Arts (ICA), with a capacity to treat up to
12kl of industrial waste per day. As a result of the success of the pilot projects,
Biolytix has installed a larger scale system at The Village and is investigating the use
of the Biolytic Filtration system for the treatment of all waterborne and solid organic
waste on the Spier Estate.
An engineered ecosystem
Reinhold Viljoen, who is responsible for design and development at Biolytix SA,
explains the system. The Biolytic Filter is an engineered ecosystem that is designed to
treat waste in an oxygenated environment. In effect it is a replica of the natural systems
in which a myriad organisms digest organic waste under aerobic conditions. Most
conventional wastewater treatment systems, such as septic tanks and some large-scale
treatment plants, use anaerobic biological breakdown processes. In these systems the
solids are broken down by anaerobic bacteria that survive in water.
The Biolytic
Filter can treat waterborne waste, including 'grey' water - from showers, hand-basins,
washing machines and similar, as well as 'black' water or sewage. It can also treat
organic or putrescible solid wastes from the kitchen and the garden.
The
principle advantages of the Biolytic Filtration system over conventional systems are that
the treatment process is faster; the filtrate is reusable as a highly nutritious liquid
fertiliser; there is no odour and it does not produce sludge. The system is cyclical,
rather than linear, and thus sustainable.
In simple
terms, the system comprises a robust container - scaled according to the treatment
capacity required - in which there is a matrix of aerated spaces: a base layer, or
drainage media element, created using sections of coiled plastic pipe; a Biolytic
Filtration layer of humus which provides the medium for worms and bacteria; and a top
layer of drainage media elements in mesh bags.
The
wastewater filters down through the matrix gradually. Solids are broken down by both
larger organisms, such as earthworms, and a multitude of tiny microbes which thrive in the
aerobic environment. It is these creatures that are responsible for the speed of the
process, the absence of odour and the effectiveness of the system in producing a cleaner
filtrate. The filtered water collects at the bottom of the container from where it is
pumped out to a secondary filtration system in which a similar process is followed.
The Biolytic
Filter can be coupled with optional secondary treatment systems to produce filtrate of
different qualities for different uses - ranging from a liquid fertiliser with a high
content of phosphates, nitrates and organisms that are beneficial to the soil, to pure
water.
First of its kind
The Biolytic Filtration system installed at The Village at Spier is the first
of its kind on this scale in the world. It has the capacity to treat 120 000l of waste a
day. The project was undertaken as a joint venture between Biolytix SA and MWD - a
Stellenbosch-based firm that is reportedly a world leader in membrane filtration. The
system was designed by Biolytix SA in consultation with ASCH Engineering, who were
responsible for the design - as far as the lift station - of the sewerage system in the
hotel. The sewerage system separates the wastewater into two streams: one for grey water
and one for black. From the lift station, where the system changes from one driven by
gravitation to one driven by pressure, the wastewater is pumped to the treatment plant
along the respective grey or black lines.
Organic
waste from the kitchen, the dining room, lounge, terrace and reception is flushed to the
black line, as is the sewage from the main building and the accommodation units. Grey
water is carried to the grey line. It is important to note that Spier uses environmentally
friendly, non-toxic cleaning chemicals and even the soaps in the hotel are hand-made with
natural ingredients.
The outflow
chambers at the lift station are five metres deep and the black water tank includes two
macerator pumps to break up the solid waste. From here the wastewater is pumped to the
respective grey and black processing systems in the treatment plant, which is located
about 350m to the south-west of the hotel. A third pipeline is available as an auxiliary
line should either one of the others fail.
The initial
treatment phase for grey and black water takes place in separate concrete tanks, each
about 1,7m deep and about 9m in diameter. The tanks, which are partially underground,
contain the Biolytic Filtration media and are covered with heavy duty plastic. (After the
testing phase of the new system is complete the plastic tarpaulins will be replaced by
fibreglass covers.) Wastewater is sprayed over the filtration media in the tanks and seeps
down through the vast surface area of the matrix. The filtrate at the base of the tanks is
drawn off and pumped to secondary filtration containers.
In the case
of the grey water system, the filtrate is passed under pressure through an
ultra-filtration membrane. The second stage filtrate is then transferred to plastic
holding tanks where it can be tested before being used for irrigation or released into the
river. The filtered water from the grey water treatment system is reportedly well within
the DWAF's special standard for rivers, even after only the initial filtration. According
to Viljoen, the filtrate issuing from the secondary membrane process will be close to
potable quality water.
In the case
of the black water system, filtrate from the initial treatment is transferred to secondary
filtration tanks where the distribution and filtering process is repeated. In the third
processing phase the filtrate is passed through a reverse-osmosis membrane. The membrane
processing eliminates potentially harmful pathogens that are typically found in black
water. The final filtrate is used in sub-surface irrigation across the hotel site.
A control
room at the treatment plant provides for monitoring of all phases of the process. Viljoen
stresses that because this is a first and essentially an experimental plant, a
conservative approach is being pursued and target indicators are being carefully observed.
At the time of writing the hotel had been open for one month and the plant was being
monitored to optimise details such as flow distribution, dosage controls in the secondary
filtration tanks and time controls in the different phases of the process.
Reject water
from the membranes and, in winter, the black filtrate, is fed into two berms or mounds
that have been built up with sand and humus adjacent to the treatment plant. These berms
are heavily planted with indigenous species, many of which are also medicinal plants. They
will be used as an educational exhibit, amongst other things, to demonstrate that all
plants have value - in their roots, leaves or bark.
Peter Hill,
project manager at Biolytix who was responsible for the specification and the zoning of
the plants on the berms, makes the point that: "Instead of an isolated and
unattractive engineering works we have a useful sewerage system that suits the ecology. We
are creating a small indigenous habitat here for plants, birds and insects." Hill
describes the berms as above-ground sand filters. They actually serve several purposes.
They provide a disposal site for the nutrient rich reject filtrate which is either
absorbed by the plants through transpiration or gradually percolates through the sand and
soil so that it is filtered further before it reaches the groundwater table. They provide
a seed bank for natural dispersal by the wind, the river and the birds, as well as a
nursery for replanting along the river where the removal of aliens is an ongoing process.
As an
environmental planner formerly with Cape Nature Conservation and before that the then
Natal Parks Board, Hill comments that he has seen a number of failures in sewage
treatment. "There is a pervasive ignorance about sewage and what to do with it,"
says Hill. "This is exacerbated by the fact that, in terms of budget, sewage
treatment usually comes at the end of the line! The all to common result is that we
pollute the ground water. When there were fewer visitors to the parks and game lodges
septic tanks were adequate, but with the increasing impact of higher tourist numbers we
need to find alternatives - and the Biolytic Filter is one."
Landscaping of The
Village and the north bank
Sustainability is also taken into account in the landscaping of The Village, as
it is throughout developments at Spier, by way of conserving resources, conserving
habitats and recycling cuttings to the composting unit at Spier Home Farms.
Barry Horn
has been involved in the landscaping of the north bank since restoration and development
work began in 1993. While he acknowledges that "we have not done everything right and
there is still a long way to go," he points out that the clearing of alien vegetation
along the river banks is an ongoing challenge. Although it was initiated when work began
on the north bank, it requires constant vigilance. "We keep an eye out for new
saplings coming up along the banks and we watch for seeding of aliens in the compost. We
also keep a watch on the kikuyu," he says, which is kept away from the water's edge -
at the river and at the small dams on the site - by pathways and planting of tufted
grasses and reeds. These provide a buffer against the invasive runner grass. Horn reports
that trials are currently under way with various tufted grasses planted out on different
areas of the site, with a view to stimulating the recovery of natural grasses in some
areas along the north bank.
Landscaping
at The Village combines indigenous and exotic species. Horn was keen to demonstrate that
indigenous material can be used in a "grand landscape." Plant material has been
selected to suit the Cape vernacular architecture, with foliage and flowers predominantly
in the greys, greens and blues. Exotics are planted mainly in the lined boxes against the
buildings and in courtyards where a leafier aesthetic was called for. While the planters
prevent problems of damp against the buildings, they require intensive maintenance,
according to Horn, with water levels needing constant monitoring. All plants are waterwise
and only formulated and natural organic fertilisers are used.
The heavy
clay soil of the site had to be compacted before building of the hotel began and Horn
explains that this required excavations about two metres deep along the river bank, so
that the building platform could be raised and then compacted to meet the engineering
specifications for the buildings. In turn, the compacted earth made landscaping and
planting more difficult.
A small
attenuation pond for stormwater runoff has been created to the south-west of the hotel.
This allows the runoff water to settle before it seeps through to the wetland that lies
between the hotel and the wastewater treatment plant at the south-western corner of the
north bank, and then to the river. The wetland further slows the water and prevents it
rushing into the river. It too is marked for restoration. "Already there are signs of
recovery," says Horn. He keeps a list of the creatures that are returning to the
habitat around the attenuation pond and the wetland and happily reports that frogs are
coming back and he has seen yellow-billed ducks return and mongooses.
Other key
components in the landscape of The Village include: the berms outside the wastewater
treatment works, planted with indigenous and medicinal plants; the pear orchard, which was
transplanted from the site of the wastewater works and which, together with a bank edging
the Lynedoch Road newly planted with 1 500 indigenous trees, will screen the buildings
from the traffic noise and the western sun; and the organic herb garden which provides a
flourishing source of culinary and fragrant herbs which are used in the hotel.
Walking
along the river bank Horn points out the gabion structures which are angled from the bank
into the flow of the water. The groins are built according to an American design which was
introduced to Spier by Professor Rooseboom in the Department of Hydrological Engineering
at the University of Stellenbosch. They are designed to force high water to the centre of
the river and away from the sides, so protecting the embankment from erosion, and are
spaced to prevent the water from bouncing - which creates a vortex in the flow and scours
the river bed.
Ironically
the rock used in the gabions had to be imported to the site because Spier could not obtain
a licence to use its own rock. "This licence," says Horn, "has to be
obtained not from the Department of Water Affairs, nor the Department of Conservation, but
from the Department of Mining - and we don't have any experience in mining."
The gabions
are stacked with rocks and backfilled with sand and soil which has been planted to
stabilise the structures against the river bank.
A better way of doing
things
Adrian Enthoven, chairman of Spier Holdings and a director of Biolytix, amongst
other companies within the group, says that the approach at Spier makes good business
sense. "The whole world is moving in this direction - towards ecological
sustainability. Economic imperatives are driving it, and economics relies on social
sustainability. These three issues are inextricably linked and this is why, at Spier, we
call for accountability in terms of the triple bottom line: financial viability, social
equity and ecological sustainability.
"As a
business practice this enables us to realise our values in the work that we do and it is
actually a better way of doing things - with social and commercial benefits as well as
environmental benefits.
"One of
our objectives in terms of sustainability, for example, is to achieve zero waste. This
means we focus on reducing consumption in the first place and further, it means we look at
ways of reusing or recycling all organic and inorganic waste. This obviously generates
cost savings. The Biolytic wastewater treatment plant at The Village - which is just one
of our endeavours in this area - saves us capital costs in terms of the once-off
installation rather than ongoing sewage disposal rates; it saves us water costs because we
can reuse the filtered water for irrigation; it is an ecologically sustainable waste
treatment system and it has spawned a new business enterprise.
"So,
our view is not purely altruistic; we are as much concerned with economic sustainability
as with social and ecological sustainability. They work together."
Spier has
grown considerably since Dick Enthoven first purchased the old farm buildings on what was
then about a 90ha site. The farmstead has subsequently been reunited with its vineyards to
the south-east of the river and the estate has been extended to incorporate what used to
be research farmland belonging to the University of Stellenbosch, as well as land to the
west of the Lynedoch Road. Today Spier extends over about 1 000ha.
"In the
developments at the estate and the values that govern it, we are really extending and
giving form to Dick Enthoven's original vision when he began the restoration of the old
buildings," says Adrian Enthoven. "We have a spatial development framework in
place - prepared by AR Design - and, while this is a dynamic and evolving plan, it is in
line with the Integrated Development Plan for the Winelands District and stands true to
the values of Spier. We have a long-term view," he says, "and we are open to
change and to new ideas and opportunities - which keep arising."
Solar panels for water
heating at The Village
An array of 275 roof-mounted solar panels will provide a calculated 85% of the
hot water requirements for the hotel during the summer months. It is estimated that this
will reduce to between 20 and 30% of the demand in winter. Viljoen explains that the solar
water heating system is summer optimised. The panels are fixed with aluminium brackets to
the box profiled steel roof sheeting which is pitched at 5°. This low roof pitch was
specified for aesthetic reasons and the panels are not visible from the ground or from the
upper level rooms of the hotel. It also minimises the risk of wind damage to the solar
panels and roofs. A winter optimised system would have required the panels to be pitched
at about 35° in order to capture maximum solar gain from the winter sun at its lower
angle in the sky.
The solar
heating system is entirely manufactured in South Africa and was installed by a local Cape
contractor. Each panel, about 900mm wide by 1 800mm long and 90mm deep, is
aluminium-framed with a PVC base and a glass outer cover and contains a heating manifold
of copper tubing. Above the manifold and fitted over it, absorber plates of aluminium with
a heat absorbing coating maximise the transfer of solar energy into the water circulating
through the manifold. An insulating base layer restricts the loss of heat from the panel
and establishes what we commonly know as 'the greenhouse effect'. Glass is an efficient
absorber of solar energy and it emits this energy at a shorter wavelength so that within
the confined space of the solar panel the heat transferred by the glass is captured and
bounces back and forth between the copper tubing and the glass, all the time increasing
the temperature of the water in the manifold.
The solar
water-heating system is designed as a closed circulation system. This means that the
potable water is separated from the water in the heating circuit which moves continuously
from the heating manifolds in the panels, down to heat exchangers in the geysers and back
up to the panels.
Sequences of
six panels on the individual buildings that make up The Village are linked to 300l
geysers, each of which serves two rooms. Cold water is fed into the geysers from the
hotel's water supply and the heat exchangers serve to heat this water to the required
temperature of around 60°. An electric element is also included in each geyser and is
activated automatically if the temperature of the heat exchanger is not sufficiently high.
Viljoen
calculates that the electricity cost savings achieved by using this solar water heating
system will recover the costs of the installation within six years, although this is
dependent on the intensity of use of the hotel.
Similar
solar panels are installed on the roof of the main hotel building to heat water for the
kitchens and for public and staff facilities in this building.
Black solar
mats are used to heat the water for the swimming pools, in the main courtyard outside the
dining room and in the smaller courtyards within The Village. The mats operate in a
similar manner to the solar panels and, although they are less efficient, they serve well
for the less critical requirement of heating swimming pool water.
The Spier Values
Spier Holdings is a multi-facetted organisation that encompasses the publicly
listed Winecorp and subsidiary Afrika Vineyards, as well as hotels, restaurants, the Spier
Institute for Culinary Arts, farming concerns - including the vineyards and Spier Home
Farms which incorporates a land reform programme and enables local farmers to work their
own plots of land, organic farming and a packaging and distribution company for the farm
produce, a host of development projects, a green technologies initiative, plus the Spier
Institute and the Spier Festival Trust - an arts sponsorship and development project.
The values
that inform and guide development at Spier are described as follows.
•
Custodians of heritage
Everyone working at Spier is here to keep and protect the land - the natural, the built
and the cultivated environment - for the generations to come.
•
Financial viability
and economic sustainability
Spier is sustained by economic activities that are financially viable; by focusing on
local economic development we make a contribution to the national economy.
•
Unexpected pleasures
By developing a beautiful environment Spier makes space for creativity at every level - in
the way we farm, collect compost, plant trees, welcome guests, treat each other, prepare
food or make wine - in whatever we do.
•
Places of the soul
By creating and protecting places that nurture the soul, we make space for personal
reflection, relaxation and the exploration of meaning.
•
Sustainable resource
use
Environmentally responsible operations in terms of land use, building, energy conservation
and waste reduction are central to ongoing activities and developments at Spier.
•
Community building
Spier is fostering new community and cultural lifestyles which accommodate social equity
in respect of housing, education and diverse livelihoods.
•
Learning for
development
Sustainability requires continuous learning and while this is inherent in the different
dimensions of Spier it is also formalised in training programmes such as the Spier
Management Development Programme and the Organic Farmers Training Programme.
While
everyone at Spier is very aware of the guiding values of the organisation, Eve Annecke,
who is responsible at executive level for the implementation of these values in all
operations, holds a perspective of how the shared values integrate the diverse projects
within the whole, around the core concern of sustainability.
"We see
these shared values of economic prosperity, social justice and environmental integrity
translating into reality in many different ways," says Annecke. Every company within
the Spier group has to answer for a triple bottom line. Business plans take account of
each of these three issues and objectives are set accordingly - determining the respective
company's goals in terms of not only profitability but also social development and
ecological concerns.
"A goal
in terms of social development, for example, might be to employ people from within a five
kilometre radius of the project, and to provide skills training for those people. In
environmental terms, the objectives may be to pursue organic farming methods, or to use
environmentally friendly materials in the construction of the school and the houses for
farm workers."
With the
objectives established in an annual business plan, each company is accountable for
achieving those objectives.
Annecke
emphasises: "We are not on some sort of moral trip here. We're dealing with practical
technologies and looking for better ways of doing things. We learn as we go and we face
contradictions all the time: what good is organic farming when women are subject to
regular abuse at home, or when babies are born with foetal alcoholism. We live in a
violent society. We are not pretending to solve all the problems but we are acknowledging
that the problems exist and we work at resolving them where we can.
"One of
Spier's concerns is to create places of the soul. We need to acknowledge spirit, to offer
hope in the face of despair. It is important to offer people places of retreat, or
contemplation, places of wilderness or serene places."
The Spier
Institute, which currently is a virtual institute, is intended to provide a forum in which
what has been learned at Spier can be shared with others who are grappling with the same
concerns - here in Africa and elsewhere - through real, practical case studies. "It
will be a place of learning," says Annecke, "but it is important to link
thinking to practice, to demonstrate its application and its real consequences.
"A lot
of what we do at Spier is by dialogue, it is really about opening the way, bringing people
together to realise opportunities. Consider the zero waste principle: we are not there
yet, but a range of opportunities have arisen from this objective. We have contracted a
local entrepreneur to collect the recyclable, inorganic waste from all the Spier
operations and he then sells it on to different recycling organisations. He is setting up
his business on this basis and he can extend it to provide a service to our neighbours and
other organisations in the district. This is an opportunity realised. It creates jobs;
it's a sustainable business.
"Another
example is the sewing group that we resourced to make various items for the new hotel:
dressing gowns, face cloths, shoe bags and similar. This also meshes with our social
development strategy - meeting the objective of redirecting financial flows from the Spier
group to reach other organisations within our geographical orbit. We found a group of
women who work near Stellenbosch. They tendered for the sewing contract like other
companies and they did the work.
"It's
about building networks - on a small scale - and this connectivity grows spontaneously.
The soaps used in the hotel are also made nearby, using natural ingredients.
"It's
not all about healing the wounds of the past, it's also about new opportunities,"
says Annecke. The tennis courts at Spier will host international championship players;
they will also provide the children at the new Lynedoch school access to tennis clinics.
The Festival Trust resources South African talent - from across the country - and offers
those people expert training and an opportunity to express their talent to a public
audience. The activities of the Festival Trust are spiralling with the Spier opera
festival and other arts initiatives.
Annecke
points out that another important concern is not to separate the for-profit and the
non-profit organisations within Spier Holdings. "Each endeavour must be economically
sustainable as much as it is environmentally and socially sustainable. We like to see the
business of business as development. The conventional view that the for-profit businesses
should sustain the non-profit businesses - is actually not sustainable.
"The
diversity and dynamics at Spier are its strengths and as the long-term plan unfolds roles
change. We have a long way to go and we're learning at each step on the way."
Professional Team
Project Managers: Proman
Architects: Spier Architects
Consulting Civil Engineers: ASCH Consulting Engineers
Electrical Engineers: Arthur Morris & Partners
Mechanical Engineers: Pearce & Nair
Quantity Surveyors: BTKM
Landscaping: Spier Architects
Interiors: Spier Architects
Construction Contractors: B L Williams Construction, Boshard Construction, Murray &
Roberts Construction, Shar Civils
-----
Water supply and conservation
Water
supply and conservation at Wesleyville School, Eastern Cape
The
construction of the Wesleyville School and Community Centre in the Chalumna district of
the Eastern Cape, about 40km inland from East London, was funded by DaimlerChrysler at the
behest of former president Nelson Mandela. The school was formally opened in September
2000. Leigh Darroll spoke to architect Sue Clark, from AUB Projects, and consulting
engineer Vollie Brink, from DSB Consulting, about the supply and conservation of water in
this remote settlement.
The funding
for this project was approved by DaimlerChrysler at the end of 1998 and the site of the
old Wesleyville School was selected for the new development. Eastern Cape premier
Makhenkesi Stofile, in consultation with the provincial department of education and local
government representatives, had identified the Wesleyville/Chalumna community as the most
needy and the community itself, working through an elected committee, indicated the old
school site as that most suitable for the project. The old school had been built in 1906
and is on tribal land. Although still in use it was in a state of severe disrepair and the
facilities were clearly inadequate for the schooling of some 400 children from the
district.
The Chalumna
community was also keen to establish a clinic and a hall for community gatherings and thus
the scope of the project escalated from the moment it began. The buildings are designed to
accommodate these different needs by incorporating multi-functional spaces. Some offices
and administration rooms double to provide space for a weekly visit from the staff of the
mobile clinic that serves the district. The school hall serves also for community
functions and outdoor spaces between the school buildings are open to public gatherings
and market days at weekends. Ten classrooms provide dedicated teaching and learning spaces
for the primary grades.
One of the
main problems presented by the site is that district services of water and electricity are
unreliable. At present the Chalumna community does not have a reticulated potable water
system. Although this is planned and partially constructed its completion date is
uncertain. Currently, water is brought into the village by trucks. At Wesleyville, Vollie
Brink designed the water supply and wastewater systems to enable the school to function
self-sufficiently.
Rainwater conservation
Rainwater runoff from the roofs of the school buildings is harvested, filtered
and chlorinated to provide drinking water and for use in the showers at the school. Banks
of drinking fountains are located in all the courtyards and pupils, teachers and the
community are advised that only this water - from the fountains - is for drinking.
The
corrugated fibre-cement roofs of the school buildings are pitched at 30¼ and hollow
fibre-cement columns, which catch the rainwater from downpipes, are made a feature of the
design. Runoff from the roofs is captured and channelled into two underground tanks which
have a combined capacity of 15 000l and are installed at the lowest point of the 20 000m2
site, below the terraced playing fields.
Robust,
submersible, electrically powered pumps are positioned in the underground tanks to
transfer the stored rainwater to a 5 000l elevated tank, situated at the highest position
on the site. The pumps are controlled by float switches in the elevated tank. The elevated
tank is three metres above the highest water flow fitting in the school, in order to
provide a minimum water pressure of 30kPA to operate the fittings, which were specified to
suit this low pressure system (rather than a typical 200kPA system).
Borehole water
A borehole on the site provides water for the hand basins and flushing toilets and
urinals. The borehole water is pumped directly from the borehole to a second 5 000l tank
located on the same tower as the rainwater tank.
District water supply
Provision has been made in the water reticulation system installed on site to incorporate
a district mains supply, should it become available in future. This would be used to top
up the stored rainwater if and when necessary.
Ablution facilities
In the ablution facilities, hand basins, urinals and toilets are of low-maintenance
stainless steel and cisterns built into the walls are closed with stainless steel panels.
Brink explains that the low pressure flushing system uses a six-litre flush instead of the
standard nine litres. As is typically the case in schools, water reticulation pipes are
sized to provide for quick reflushing to suit peak demand.
Wastewater
treatment
Wastewater
is managed on site via a septic tank, which incorporates three consecutive chambers and a
trans-evaporation bed. The septic tank provides for anaerobic breakdown of solid waste so
that the effluent issuing from it is quite clear and free of solids. The evaporation bed
was constructed because the heavy clay soil of the site will not readily absorb the
processed wastewater. The filtered water is transferred to the evaporation bed - a
compact, contained, sunken system of sand, rocks and building rubble - which enables it to
evaporate quickly. The intention is to establish plants on and around the evaporation bed
in order to increase the rate of water absorption.
By
installing these simple and robust water supply and treatment systems at this remote
settlement, the project ensures that running water is always available to the school; that
scarce water resources are conserved by substituting rainwater runoff where suitable; that
consumption - and costs - of water from the district service are minimised and that the
school can manage its own wastewater treatment without relying on district sewerage
services.
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Multi-purpose constructed Wetland
Lakeland
on Hartebeespoort Dam
The 150 unit
resort/residential development of Lakeland on Hartbeespoort Dam in the North West Province
has been in existence for over 10 years and is managed by Lakeland Homes Shareblock
Limited. In 1999, the owners decided that a 5 ha piece of vacant land, which had formerly
been maizelands, adjacent to their rows of boathouses, needed to be put to some
constructive use to increase the value of the development. Resort manager Garth Marsh came
up with the idea of creating a wetland in this wasteland area, which was already inundated
with water in the summer months, so as to extend the natural areas within the development
and increase the ecological habitat potential. Problems had already been experienced with
a high water table and runoff from the freeway adjacent to Lakeland and from adjacent
maizelands, and it was thought that a constructed wetland would have the added value of
serving to alleviate these problems.
John Masson
of Ecoscapes was employed on a design/build basis to implement the wetland. Masson saw the
constructed wetland as simulating what would have occurred there naturally and increasing
the wildlife component by bringing back wetland and grassland - while extending the
woodland component which was an existing, valuable, natural feature of the development, in
amongst which the units were carefully positioned, alongside the dam. Masson' s objective
with the wetland was to recreate some of the characteristics that would have been there
prior to the flooding of Hartbeespoort. The overall fall of the land was 9m and this made
it possible to create the natural flow of a stream interlinking with four bodies of open
water.
Masson
worked with surveyed plans, taking into account the water flow from roads (and other
existing hard surfaces), the positions of culverts, together with the fall of the land and
the shape of the piece of land that was demarcated for the wetland. His concept utilised
both the surface water and the groundwater that had previously been problematic for the
development. He planned to use soil from the excavations as fill to manipulate the
topography so that the water bodies and meandering stream could be placed naturally in the
landscape of the site. Masson comments that without this careful shaping of the site, some
of the water bodies would have been situated higher than the adjacent landscape,
contradicting natural positioning.
He said that
soil testing was a vitally important aspect of the work, prior to the start of
construction, and that this had been necessary to determine the characteristics of the
clay. If clay is implosive, it will not hold water. He said that a simple test could be
employed here by taking a bucket of water and dropping a clod of clay into it - if the
clay broke apart rapidly, it would not hold water. The percentage of clay on site that
would need a waterproofing agent also had to be determined, as did the depth of the good
clay. He explained that a band of good quality clay could be harvested and stockpiled to
be reinstated as base in sections of the wetland where the soil required waterproofing.
Utilising the services of a soil testing laboratory to determine the various clay zones,
Masson found that he would be working with soil that was predominantly 80% quality clay
and would not require additional waterproofing. The compaction rate of the soil was also
determined during the soil tests.
The
sub-contracted earthworks company to be utilised on the project came in at planning stage
to quantify the volumes of soil that would need to be moved and make decisions on the
equipment that would be required. Timing was important and the work had to done during the
late winter and early spring because the machinery was less likely to bog down in the clay
soils during the dry period. Masson commented that the earthmoving and compaction phase
had gone smoothly and that the next phase had involved the addition of structures to the base of the wetland.
Conventional
rip-rap was used in the inlets and outlets to avoid scouring caused by fast moving water
after heavy thunderstorms. Cement was added to the soil and compacted in some of the
outlets to prevent washaways. Masson pointed out that the rip-rap captured sediment
enabling the growth of reeds. Ridges of rock were placed on the bases of the open water
bodies to provide refuge for fish and dead tree trunks and branches were salvaged from
Hartbeespoort Dam to provide further shelter for fish and perches for birds. The rocks and logs in the wetland support bacteria,
plankton and algae, creating the start of a natural system. These are primary producers in
terms of the food chain and will ensure a healthy population of primary consumers such as
snails, dragonfly nymphs, etc - the next step in the food chain. The latter will ensure
that there is ultimately a healthy fish, frog, crab and bird population. Water mongoose
and leguaan have been seen in the wetland. All the rocks utilised in the construction of
the wetland were either found on site or brought in from a neighbouring sand quarrying
operation.
Mudflats
were created on shallow slopes in the pans of water to allow waders, such as the
Blacksmith and Threebanded Plovers, Marsh and
Wood Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Ruffs (the latter four species are migrants with
intercontinental links, that have all been seen in the wetland) and Hamerkop to forage
along the shoreline - and to provide refuge and nesting areas for the indigenous fish.
Masson commented that the mudflats would, periodically, have to be cleared of reed growth
by manual means, as part of the on-going management programme, because there were no large
herbivores to keep the mud exposed.
The wetland
was flooded by means of piped water from the existing boreholes on the property and Marsh
confirmed that the lowering of the water table, especially during the heavy rains of the
summer of !999/2000 had helped to curtail the flooding of the septic tanks in the housing
development and served to dry the site out. Another objective of the wetland is to filter
the runoff from the freeway and particularly from the adjacent farmlands where quantities
of fertiliser are used on the maize crops, cleaning the water of excess nutrients and
pollutants in the reedbeds before it goes into the stormwater canal which leads into
Hartbeespoort Dam. Masson created a fork at the so called 'headwaters' of the waterway so
as to make as wide an arc as possible for the collection of runoff from the road and the
neighbouring farm.
The nutrient
rich runoff from the farm has, however, created problems with algal bloom in this
establishment stage of the wetland and Marsh has utilised a bio-active treatment to help
eliminate the green algae. The bio-active reducer contains a synergistic blend of new
bacterial strains which have been scientifically developed to cope with difficult
wastewater conditions. The blend is reputed to ensure the continued maintenance of bio-
and natural systems to enable optimum performance.
The waterway
has been structured so that it can function as a seasonal or perennial stream/wetland
depending on the water supply - it can be allowed to partially dry out in winter or water
can be added to the system. With summer rains adding to the borehole supply, more areas
will be flooded and the response will be increased bird and insect life. At present, water
is only being piped in when necessary so that the seasonal effect is retained.
Masson
planted trees and shrubs indigenous to the area, such as Combretum erythrophyllum, Olea
europaea, Celtis africana, Buddleja salvifolia, Diospyros lycioides, Rhamnus prinoides and
Grewia occidentalis, in groupings between the water bodies to extend the dense woodland
component adjacent to the dam and to provide additional habitat for birds in the wetland
area. Irrigation points in the form of turf valves were installed to irrigate the trees
during the dry season. Appropriate grasses, such as Arundinella nepalensis, Miscanthus
capensis, Cynodon dactylon and the fast growing Panicum maximum were seeded to create
areas of wet grassland in proximity to the wetland. Masson had access to plugs of the
former two species and these were utilised to create quicker and better cover. Chironia
palustris, a perennial herb of damp grassland, was in existence in clumps on the degraded
site prior to the construction of the wetland and it continues to produce its attractive
pink flowers annually in the summer months
Several
emergent or vlei species in the form of reeds and sedges were planted in the streams,
along the banks and on the islands of the open water pans. The common reed, Pragmites
australis, was planted in the form of truncheons - some of which were left upright while
others were laid down is shallow furrows immersed in mud. The latter method of planting
enables roots and shoots to grow and establish from each node on the truncheon. The
bulrush, Typha capensis, was planted in the form of lateral runners, and as whole plants.
Masson commented that Typha had done better than Phragmites on this site, spreading by
means of its fluffy seed which are dispersed by both wind and water - probably because it
was better suited to the types of clay on site. Three different types of sedges, that were
in evidence locally, were planted - a Scirpus ficinioides, Simbristylis complanata,
Schoenoplectus corymbosus and a Cyperus species. Masson said that he had found at least
three other sedge species which had come in of their own accord and colonised the wetland.
Aquatic
species in the form of submerged or floating plants that were introduced to the bodies of
open water included the Wavy-leaved Pondweed, Potamogeton crispa, a submerged plant which
helps to keep the water clear and is a favoured food of duck and fish species. It produces
white or pink flowers above the surface of the water and provides a refuge for aquatic
insects and molluscs. The waterlilies, Nymphoides indica and Nymphaea nouchali are
deciduous, producing floating leaves and flowers in the spring, summer and autumn months.
Masson commented that there was an insufficient supply of indigenous wetland plants
available from nurseries and he warned buyers to be careful that they were not being sold
exotic waterlilies by ill-informed nurserymen.
The pans of
open water were stocked with indigenous fish species - several species of Tilapia. An
interesting regular visitor to the shallows of
the open water bodies is a solitary Black Egret with his large orangey-yellow feet. When
he is feeding, he spreads his wings forward to overlap in front of him, forming a small
tent or canopy. He stirs the muddy bottom with his feet and jabs fish with his beak.
Canopying attracts fish to the dark shelter formed by the wings and improves visibility
for the bird by eliminating reflection.
Adjacent
areas of grassland were recreated by seeding a pioneering species of Aristida, along with
Melinus repens, Hyparrhenia hirta, Eragrostis curvula and Cynodon dactylon. Themeda
triandra plugs were planted to provide good grazing for the Blesbok on the property, while
both the grassland and the woodland will cater for the Impala which are mixed feeders.
Paved
pathways create a trail around the wetland which leads to a series of bird hides and a
viewing platform - so that the various features of the wetland and their related birdlife
can be viewed at close hand. The hides are positioned to take advantage of sunset or
sunrise, overlooking mudflats or with a clear view of an island or a peninsula or reedbed.
The viewing platform provides an overall perspective of the site, with possible sightings
of the antelope species. The hides cater for children as well as adults through the
provision of raised seats, alongside the regular height of 500cm.
Maintenance
of the wetland will be done by Marsh and his team who are, at present, still dealing with
the weeds that are typical of the establishment phase. Rotational, bi-annual burning of
compartments of grassland is planned for the near future. If the bullrushes and reeds
encroach extensively into open areas of water, they will be removed. Amongst the on-going
improvements, Marsh is planning to build an embankment to encourage the Whitefronted
Bee-eaters to nest on site. |
