Contents
of December 2002
EDITORIAL
About golf course
developments and PICA Awards
UPFRONT
News
LETTERS
BOOK
REVIEWS
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Dugal Bennie chooses two
Rothmannia species
WORDS ON WASTE
FEATURES
Is demolition the best solution?
The 2002 IAIAsa National Premium Award
Green electricity on the market
Jewel of the Flats: Edith
Stephens Wetland Park
Access to an urban river
Green open space in Alexandra
Surface water management on urban
golf course
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EDITORIAL
About golf course developments
and PICA Awards
Urban Green
File writes about golf course developments, believing that golf courses, particularly in
urban areas, have an important role to play in the conservation of open space and wildlife
habitat. We only write about those developments that have either shown sensitivity towards
the environment, an intelligent approach towards water management (see Inanda Greens on
page 40) or have rehabilitated degraded land.
The Links at
Fancourt is still one of the best examples, countrywide, of a golf course development that
has made a difference (see May/Jun 2001 issue of UGF). The course was built on what was
essentially a wasteland, and this is being turned into wildlife habitat through the
implementation of a five phase environmental plan. The end result is intended to cater for
birders and other nature lovers (including golfers) through a series of trails and
interpretative facilities. The environmentally responsible owners, Hasso and Sabine
Plattner, hope to declare The Links and surroundings a conservation area with access for
visitors.
Having
spoken in favour of the right kind of golf course development, I sincerely hope that South
Africa is not on its way to becoming (and along the Garden Route this looks very possible)
a wall-to-wall golf course estate. The number of these developments, and all of them
require Environmental Impact Assessments, that have been given permission to proceed by
the local/provincial authorities is beginning to cause a wave of concern amongst
environmentally conscious citizens. (Plettenberg Bay is up in arms about the proposed
Roodefontein development with its possible inter-basin transfer requirement to provide
water to irrigate the course.)
The ad hoc
development of these mini-towns (which they are, in essence) outside of designated
development nodes is not only creating a disturbing precedent but is making a mockery of
regional planning and impact assessment. The cumulative impact must have serious
implications, particularly in the broader context of what is appropriate in the landscape.
There is also always the possibility that some of these developments might fail. A
Strategic Environmental Assessment of the whole area is surely the route to go –
although the Western Cape Provincial Government is hoping that following Spatial
Development Frameworks might be the answer. Some sort of overall planning is clearly
essential.
The land
along the Garden Route is being parcelled up into enclaves for the very rich. Invariably
public access is precluded – this is, after all, private land – but some of it
includes natural assets of great value to tourism which should be in the public domain. It
will be interesting to see whether Pezula Private Estate in Knysna, owners of the
Sparrebosch golf course, follows through on its promise to allow the public access in the
form of a walking trail through an area of indigenous forest on the estate. We will also
have to follow up on the report in this issue (although not involving a golf course, still
a housing estate for the very rich) that Dainfern Valley (see page 32) is willing to
consider formulating a plan to allow controlled public access to its river frontage.
It seems as
though golf course estates are never turned down by the authorities. There was some chance
of this happening with the proposed Fynboskruin development near Sedgefield when the
Department of Environment, Cultural Affairs and Sport (DECAS) of the Western Cape
provincial authority commented negatively on the development stating huge concern about
the proposed scale of the housing development in its regional context. The Record of
Decision, however, was left to the national Department of Environmental Affairs (DEAT),
because the site was within the National Lakes Area, and DEAT, largely informed by the
DECAS comment, issued a negative Record of Decision. This was based on the
inappropriateness of Fynboskruin in its regional context and a concern about the possible
pollution of Swartvlei, on which it borders, with the additional number of homes. The
developers appealed and the national minister, who is of course also the minister of
tourism, is reconsidering the facts. Rumour has it that the development will be allowed to
go ahead because it will be of benefit to the economy and, ostensibly, to tourism.
We, at
Brooke Pattrick, were very pleased that Urban Green File won two Pica Awards in
recognition of the journal’s excellence at the recent 2002 Magazine Publishers
Association Awards. The journal was the winner in two of the Business to Business
categories: ‘Architecture, Building and Interior Design’ and ‘Environmental
Planning, Landscaping and Horticulture’. The judges’ appraisal in the
architectural/building category said: “Urban Green File is a gutsy magazine that
addresses current issues relating to the broader builtup environment in a direct and
uncompromising fashion.” One of the judges, Roger Fisher of the University of
Pretoria, added later when he commented to us personally: “I think it is the best
publication on architecture available to the local market and should be in every
practitioner’s office.”
The judges
in the environmental/landscaping category said: “Urban Green File is a well-packaged
and visually exciting journal, which draws the reader to it. Once inside, he/she finds a
good combination of short, to the point articles, balanced with informative and
well-researched articles that deal with relevant and pressing environmental issues. The
layout is crisp with catchy headers and other design elements that tie the magazine
together as a unit. The photography is of a high standard. For design professionals Urban
Green File is a must read!”
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UPFRONT
Braamfontein
Corporate Precinct Rejuvenation
Key members
of corporate SA have come out in strong support of the efforts of the City of Johannesburg
to rejuvenate Braamfontein. Liberty Life and Sappi are leading the initiative to create a
corporate improvement district in Braamfontein. This is to be run through a section 21
company in which all ratepayers are members and will undertake the ongoing maintenance and
upkeep of the district. It will be involved in rejuvenation measures including urban
redesign and the greening of streets; improved lighting and signage; dedicated cleaning
and security; and improving public spaces. The first phase will concentrate on the area
between Ameshof and Jorrison Streets and from Jan Smuts Avenue to Simmons Street.
Sappi needed
to upgrade and modernise its head office and had to make the decision whether to move away
because of the problems facing Braamfontein or to stay in an area that was particularly
convenient because of its central location and easy access to public transport for its
staff. If Braamfontein was to decay, investing in it was clearly not justified and Sappi
approached the City and other corporates and property owners in Braamfontein with a
proposal to rejuvenate and redevelop Braamfontein. The responses were positive meaning
that Sappi will remain in Braamfontein and work has already started on the upgrade of its
head office complex.
The City’s
support was crucial to Sappi’s decision. There is an agreement to close portions of
two streets (Ameshof and Simmonds) to create a pedestrian zone and piazza between Sappi’s
head office and the Civic Theatre. The City will also provide a new 300 bay underground
parkade which Sappi will construct – and which will provide parking for Sappi during
the day and for Civic Theatre patrons at night and over weekends. The parkade will have
direct escalator access to the theatre. Sappi has committed to redevelop and maintain the
public park in front of the Theatre as a gift to the people of the City.
The project
has the personal commitment of the Executive Mayor, Councillor Amos Masondo. He commented
as follows: “We have always maintained that the inner city regeneration can only be
achieved and sustained through partnerships between government and the private sector. I
am pleased that our programme has begun to leverage such significant private sector
reinvestment in the inner city.”
Contact Andre Oberholzer of Sappi Ltd. Email: Andre.oberholzer@za.sappi.com Tel: (011) 407
8044.
Toro celebrates
30 years in SA
Members of
the turf and landscape industry gathered at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of Toro turf equipment in South Africa. Organised by Toro’s
southern African distributors, Smith Turf Equipment, this landmark occasion highlighted
the role Toro machinery has played in the South African turf maintenance market.
Toro today
lists most of the top golf courses in southern Africa amongst its customers. Courses such
as Royal Johannesburg & Kensington, Houghton, Glendower, Reading, Killarney,
Johannesburg Country Club, Pecanwood, Royal Cape, Hans Merensky and Sparrebosch, and Belle
Mar Plage and Le Paradis in Mauritius. Tribute was paid to golf clubs, course designers
and contractors and other customers for their continued support, while the staff of Smith
Turf, which has been associated with Toro for the past ten years, also received their
accolades, with particular mention of Leo van Vuuren who brought the first Toro machines
into the country.
Contact Wally Bergmann Tel: (011) 970-3200 E-mail: mail@smithturf.co.za
Richards Bay
centre point of avitourism route
A R2 million
donation to BirdLife South Africa from the Rio Tinto mining group and its local subsidiary
Richards Bay Minerals will see the city becoming a prominent international birding
destination at the heart of an avitourism route. Funds will also be used to train and
equip local community members as bird guides. Dr Aldo Berruti, director of BirdLife South
Africa, said: “Many people do not realise the diverse array of birding opportunities
the city environs have to offer. On my last visit, I saw as many Lesser Jacanas in this
region as I have throughout South Africa over the previous 15 years.
“Currently,
birding in SA is worth about R300 million a year, so the opportunities this programme will
create in Richard’s Bay are tremendous. We also hope to make the city the centre
point of bird outings for the BirdLife International World Congress, which will be held in
Durban in February 2004.”
The Eskom
Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland prepared by UCT’s Avian
Demography Unit and published by BirdLife South Africa in 2000 is available from BirdLIfe
SA, PO Box 515, Randburg 2125. Website: www.birdlife.org.za
CMA Awards for
Excellence 2002 for Retaining Block Walls and PavingAt the
Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) Awards this year, four Bayer trophies were given
to the top four national winners – Terraforce, Smartstone, Watson Concrete and Marley
Roofing in their respective CMA categories of Concrete Retaining Block Walls, Concrete
Block Paving, Concrete Masonry and Concrete Roof Tiles. There were 208 entries countrywide
and, in addition to the four trophies, there were 13 national winners, two special
commendations and 18 regional winners. This year saw the CMA celebrate its 30th
anniversary.
Terraforce
won the prestigious Bayer Trophy in the Concrete Retaining Block Walls category for a
private estate in Constantia, Cielo Nel Capo. This extremely rugged site, which presented
difficult access conditions, required a number of creative earth retaining and stabilising
measures. Plant supportive terraces were built
at the lower end of the property to create a large, level garden platform. A stormwater
retention pond was lined with Terrafix blocks. Due to a high clay content and, at times,
waterlogged soil conditions, additional geofabric reinforcement of the backfill was
required.
Elsewhere on
the site, a 6m high composite retaining wall was constructed with an innovative design.
The project was completed with several earth stabilising and toe walls, using L11 blocks
in smooth round-face and split-face elevations.
Commenting
on the entry, the judges said that the use of shaped blocks in various applications was
combined with an innovative engineering approach. They said the design was balanced and
the complementary use of colour in the stonework was found noteworthy. Good attention to
drainage and ‘hidden engineering’, well integrated ‘hard’ and ‘soft’
walls and good interface between walls and buildings, were other aspects which impressed
the judges.
Smartstone,
Midrand won the coveted Bayer Trophy in the Concrete Block Paving category for the paving
of roads and sidewalks at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. Tuscan pavers were chosen for the
road surfacing and these were bordered by Smartstone’s Victorian cobble, which helped
to create a ‘city within a city’ ambience. Shepstone pavers were used
extensively on the pavements. The judges were impressed by the attention to detail and
combination of colours and textures. They noted how the paving linked with and
complemented the design of the buildings and the village-like atmosphere of the
development.
Corobrik was
a national winner for the paving of Palm Boulevard at the Gateway in Umhlanga,
KwaZulu-Natal. Concor Technicrete, Polokwane won a regional award for the use of Zig-Zag
Paving Blocks at Residence Hetherington on the banks of the Ebenezer Dam in Limpopo
Province. Infraset was a regional winner for retaining elements in the form of Terrace
Bloks on the lower cut faces of the mountain above the Kingsway Maseru Bypass in Lesotho.
Infraset also won regional awards for paving at Villa Fiori in Morningside, Sandton, and
for roadways flanking Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, where G Blok pavers
provide interlocking advantages.
Blouberg
Conservation Project: Audi Terra Nova Nominee
The final
nominee for the 2002 Audi Terra Nova Award is the Blouberg Conservation Project founded in
1993 by Peter and Janine Snyman. The project strives to contribute towards the protection
and conservation of the environment, ecosystems, biodiversity and endangered species of
the Blouberg Mountain and surrounding areas in Limpopo province, through environmental
education programmes and community based conservation projects that benefit the involved
communities, together with the collating of information gathered through associated
research.
The
objective of the Audi Terra Nova Awards is to discover and encourage those dedicated
people who are quietly working, often against overwhelming odds, to save the earth. In
thanking Audi for its acknowledgement of their efforts, Peter Snyman said “Conservation
is about people and the Award is for the community, not for us as individuals.” He
described the Blouberg Vulture Project which saves vultures, largely endangered Cape
Griffons, from the muthi-trade, as being something that the established conservation world
did not approve of but that was having extraordinary results.
On the
southern cliffs of the Blouberg is the largest breeding colony of the endemic Cape Griffon
Vulture in southern Africa. The Snymans discovered that grounded Cape Griffons were being
killed by youths and sold to traditional doctors for Muthi. With the support of the
Vulture Study Group, a reward system was implemented, in conjunction with an awareness
programme, and the R 50 paid for each bird that is rescued is the average price paid by
witchdoctors – their prices range between R20 and R70 and can go up as high as R300.
To date, out of the 280 vultures that have been rehabilitated at Blouberg (including
fledglings, poisoned and injured birds), 247 have been brought in by local people.
The
co-operation of the local community has been of such a nature that the soccer club has
adopted the vulture for its logo and name: the Blouberg Vultures. The farming community
having initially felt that vultures were a direct threat to their stock has through an
awareness programme largely changed its attitude and these positive results are evident in
the large number of vulture restaurants that are now located on farms in the Blouberg
area.
Contact Janine Snyman of the Blouberg Conservation Project. Email: eagle1@pixie.co.za
Cell: 083 302 3581. Website: www.blouberg.org
Southern African
Plant Red Data Lists
The World
Conservation Union’s Regional Office (IUCN-ROSA, Zimbabwe) based in Harare
commissioned SABONET (Southern African Botanical Diversity Network) to compile plant Red
Data lists for its ten member coun¬tries in 1999. A Red Data List is a catalogue of
species whose future survival in nature hangs in the balance. The book in which these
lists are combined is edited by Janice Golding with a foreward by Craig Hilton Taylor,
co-funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations
Development Programme. Each country’s Red Data List forms a separate chapter starting
with a fact sheet and an overview, followed by the country’s red-listed taxa arranged
in three sections: Extinct & Threatened, Lower Risk and Data Deficient. The book
contains information on ± 4 100 assessments and the text is interspersed with photographs
of red-listed plants and hotspots.
Orders for
the book which is being distributed free of charge or a CD with the complete Red Data List
database should be placed by email: reddatalist@sabonet.org or fax: (012) 804 5979.
Website: www.sabonet.org
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LETTERS
Funding for Haenertsburg Townlands
Further to
your excellent article in the May/June issue of UGF, I thought you would be interested to
know that the National Lotteries Distribution Fund has awarded the Haenertsburg
Development Foundation an amount of R 278 520, 00 which covers exactly what we requested
to allow us to undertake all the work in Phase 1. This is fantastic news – and we
will now be able to do something positive to conserve the Townlands and to utilise them in
a sustainable manner.
Michael Gardner,
Haenertsburg Development Foundation
Should this go
unchallenged?
Our company
moved into new office premises in a popular business node on the banks of an urban river
in Sandton. There was a distinctly toxic odour present in our offices. I began sneezing
helplessly and my nasal passages blocked up. Fellow workers said they were experiencing
sore throats, runny eyes and congested sinuses. I know my rights concerning a safe working
environment and my constitutional right to breathe clean air. I asked for tests to be run
and was brushed aside by management.
I had
recently begun work, fired up with childlike enthusiasm to practise the environmental ways
taught in the degree that I had done at university. I
watched one lunchtime as the construction team needlessly felled trees in their efforts to
“clean up the river banks” – many indigenous trees got axed while a stand
of invasive Grey Poplars was left alone. They raked all the cut wood and litter together
into piles and burnt this on the river banks. My distrust made me call in a conservation
officer. It took some diligent sleuthing to get hold of the right person but once
contacted he responded promptly and carried out a site inspection. An angry MD told me
that I was placing his lease at risk and that on no account was I to speak to any outsider
without express permission. Despite my complaints nothing happened and when I finally
found the right official to speak to, the MD announced that he was getting a consultant to
give an opinion on the air quality.
The
consultant did his inspection and was dismayed at what he found. No fresh air intake on
the air con system; filters already filthy from building dust; an odour that could not be
identified; air conditioning condensate being discharged directly into the river –
the list of violations grew! The MD refused to follow up on his report, although I tried
to point out that it was the developers who were at fault and we were all victims.
Soon after
the first rains I noticed the embankment on the river had collapsed – the development
had encroached onto the floodplain. The whole site is paved with no allowance for the
absorption of runoff in the form of grassed areas. We were flooded. Water even ran from
the ceiling in one office. The builders had failed to put drainage into the roof patios.
I had to
weigh up the results of taking my company to the CCMA. Could I live with myself if the
company was liquidated due to the prohibitive costs of rectifying the situation? How can a young environmentally concerned employee
ever bring about change in the workplace while the old guard mentality is in control? Do
we let the attitude of our fellow humans remain unchallenged? Please join me in motivating
business to change a very damaging mindset.
All is not
doom and gloom, however. I remember this area many years back when the river was so foul
that the stench prevented one from walking along the banks. Today, I often spend my lunch
break wandering around the rocks. I have seen birds, butterflies, a water monitor,
mongooses, two crabs and strings of frogs eggs. We need to support this river
rehabilitation, to help overcome the damage we have caused and go out and help small
industries that claim they can’t afford corrective measures. Each one of us can make
a difference and we need to begin NOW!
This is an abbreviated
version of a much longer letter by someone who does not wish her name to be revealed for
fear of losing her job.
“Suburban
Veld Reclamation Project”
Your item on
page 43 of the Sep/Oct issue of Urban Green File, ‘Remnants of Nature in Urban Areas’
deserves a standing ovation.
I live in
Bloubosrand outside Johannesburg (just off Witkoppen Road, between Fourways and the Dome)
on a property of 1 580m2 which is divided diagonally almost in half by a terrace, sloping
from south-east down to north-west, and bordering on veld. For the last 6, 5 years, since
I have been here, the top terrace has been kept reasonably clean and tidy and the bottom
one has been encouraged to recover its veld life.
Thanks to
the lie of the land, it has been possible to develop a natural water course ending in a
(still to be fully dug out) pond. There seems to be rock fairly close to the surface
because trees don’t do well, mostly getting to a certain height, dying and sprouting
again from the roots. I use horse manure only to feed the plants and use no pesticides, so
the place is now pretty well in balance. Spiders and scarabs are the pride of the wildlife
population. The lower terrace now carries about seven different wild grasses, some groups
of Wahlenbergia caledonica and some heavily persecuted aliens.
My entrance
gate carries a notice “Suburban Veld Reclamation Project, April 1996 to…..”,
so that people understand why the place is not a tidy showpiece. I have caterpillars so
that the neighbours can have butterflies!
My family
has a 10 acre property in Honeydew, which is run along similar lines – the homestead
area is carefully looked after and the remaining six or so acres are carefully left alone.
The stand carries some lovely wild flowers, including Boophane disticha.
It would be good to know how you feel about such ventures.
Jean Young (aka McCallum), Targeted Information Management Services
Ed: We feel
that everyone who can do so should put aside a piece of land and leave it alone to come
back naturally. Invasive aliens and other exotics should obviously be removed and the area
can be supplemented but only with species that grow in our highveld grassland and along
our ridges, naturally. Allowing the veld to come back entirely of its own accord will be
very rewarding in the long run and will help to conserve at least a small area of our
rapidly vanishing and invaluable grassland biota. Well done and thank you for writing in
and telling us about your project!
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BOOK REVIEWS
Gardening with Indigenous Trees; Gardening with Indigenous Shrubs
Authors: David and Sally Johnson in conjunction with Geoff Nichols on shrubs
Publisher: Struik Publishers
These two
books have introductions describing the value of indigenous trees and shrubs in creating
bird, bat and butterfly gardens and pointing out the importance of concentrating on
species suited to the local climate and conditions. The list of symbols provided for each
tree and shrub gives this information at a glance: indicating, for example, that Nuxia
floribunda (UGF’s Sept/Oct 2002 Tree of the Issue) grows best in full sun, survives
moderate frost and grows best in areas with good rainfall.
Very
interesting ecological facts abound throughout both books, such as the fact that smaller
insects that are enjoyed by robins, shrikes and warblers tend to concentrate on white
flowers with a strong scent, such as those produced by Nuxia and Ziziphus. Rough barked
trees, especially species that have loose, overlapping layers of bark attract spiders and
mantises and other predatory insects which lurk there, and these hiding places are
searched by woodpeckers, barbets and woodhoopoes. The majority of our bats are insect
eaters and respond to the quality and quantity of insect life. They roost in hollow trunks
or branches of big old trees or under large pieces of loose bark. Fruit bats are best
encouraged by planting their favourite fruit trees such as Bridelia micrantha, Chaetacme
aristata and Ekebergia capensis (there are numerous others in the books all indicated by a
simple bat symbol).
Horticultural
tips can be found at the bottom of each page, along with general tips such as the
importance of buying trees that have been grown by a nursery in your area, because they
are adapted to the conditions of that area, or the idea of placing trees that naturally
share a habitat together to copy a natural community.
David
Johnson lectured in ecology at Wits University and worked as an ornithologist with the
Natal Parks Board for 20 years, while Sally has been designing gardens all her life –
grassland flowers are her speciality. Geoff Nichols worked in the Durban Parks Department
for 21 years where he pioneered the growing of indigenous traditional medicinal plants. He
established his own horticultural consultancy in 1996.
Contact Struik. Tel: (011) 280 3014
Win a set of Struik’s
two new books
Struik has generously offered readers of Urban Green File two sets of David and
Sally Johnson’s new, easy to use, colourful books on gardening with indigenous trees
and shrubs. One set will be given to an existing subscriber who answers the following
question: “Which is the most floriferous of the two Rothmannia species, chosen as the
Trees of this Issue?” (Latin Name). The answer with your name, address and phone
number should be sent to Carol Knoll by not later than 31 January.
Email: carolknoll@brookepattrick.co.za Fax: (011) 616 7196
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TREE OF THE ISSUE
Dugal Bennie chooses two Rothmannia
species
Rothmannia
Globosa and Rothmannia Capensis
September Bells and the Cape Gardenia
Landscape
designer and contractor Dugal Bennie of Cedara Scapes has chosen two of the Rothmannias,
R. globosa and R. capensis as the Trees of the Issue. He favours R. globosa which is
commonly called September Bells or the Bell Gardenia because of its mass display of
bell-shaped, scented flowers in September and because it grows faster than R. capensis,
the Cape Gardenia. He adds that the latter, however, has exquisitely beautiful flowers,
with a bell shape that is slightly shallower, and is also very rewarding although it
requires patience. He says they are both neglected as landscaping subjects, possibly
because they are not always available commercially. He is in the process of growing a crop
from seed which he hopes will be ready to sell in two years time.
Dugal says
that the prolific flowerer, September Bells, has a delightful perfume which fills the
garden, particularly as the temperature cools down after sunset. It is a small, slender,
evergreen tree of the forest margin which flowers for up to three weeks. He points out
that the foliage is also very attractive, as the new leaves are almost translucent against
sunlight. He says it is appropriate for every part of the garden, although it might be
best suited to entertainment areas, positioned where the prevailing winds will waft the
scent into the house or office boardroom of an evening. He planted September Bells at
First National Bank’s Training Centre in Grayston Avenue, Sandton, about 2m above a
walkway, tucked away so you had to look for it, but the fragrance was in the air. He was
often asked by intrigued trainees what the source of the perfume was.
Asked how to
treat this special plant, Dugal replies that he creates the effect of the forest floor at
root level by mixing compost into the soil at planting stage (at least one third of the
volume of the planting hole), by mixing bark chips in with the soil to help the drainage
and by establishing a thick layer of leaf mulch to keep the roots cool. He says that about
25mm of water a week through the summer months should be adequate to allow R. globosa to
put on about 0,5m of growth in a season.
Rothmannia
capensis with its dark green glossy leaves is largely a forest tree of the coastal forests
and grows naturally right down into the Western Cape. It is also found on rocky hillsides
in the bushveld and on the highveld. Dugal has seen it in the wild on Bryanston Ridge and
in North Riding outside Johannesburg – low down in areas that are frost prone –
and it is fairly prolific on the natural ridge in the Pretoria Botanical Garden, where it
is found in bush clusters. He says that although it is slower growing than September Bells
and takes longer to flower, it is a somewhat larger tree with a nice shape and very
attractive flowers (although there are fewer of them) against the dark foliage. The
horticultural procedures he uses are the same as those for R. globosa.
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WORDS ON WASTE
New leachate lagoon curbs waste spillage risk
A new
hazardous waste lagoon designed by consulting engineers Knight Piésold to draw off excess
volumes of leachate from EnviroServ’s Aloes II landfill site in Port Elizabeth has
removed potential pollution dangers and allowed routine landfilling at the site to resume.
Landfilling
operations had been suspended because high levels of leachate had accumulated in the
landfilling cell, rendering the main waste body unstable. Normal landfilling operations
could not continue until the excess leachate (about 80 000m3) was removed and
the waste body stabilised.
The proposal
for a specially designed storage lagoon, scientifically lined and sealed against leakage,
was finally decided upon, after a number of options were mooted, and accepted by the
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. Today, the 100 000m3 lagoon,
extending over an area of over 2,3ha, and located about 500m from the existing Aloes
landfill site, accommodates overflow leachate pumped from the landfill.
Reporting on
the project, Knight Piésold director Stan Jewaskiewitz said: “We decided to use a
nearby disused quarry for the lagoon, which was constructed from existing clay materials
in the quarry, using a cut-to-fill earthworks process. Then a complex arrangement of
protective composite liners was placed on the lagoon floor and anchored in the crest.”
The system
of liners was designed to prevent any further leakage of the leachate once it had reached
the lagoon. A secondary 1,5mm thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner was overlaid by
a leakage detection system and a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL – bentonite placed
between two layers of geofrabric), with a primary 2mm thick HDPE liner. The liner system
was installed by specialist contractors, Engineered Linings.
“The
purpose of the composite liner system is to form a durable engineered lining seal to the
lagoon,” says Jewaskiewitz. “However, in the unlikely event of a leak through
the primary liner, the bentonite in the geosynthetic clay liner will activate, swell up to
eight times its normal size, and effectively seal the leak.”
Should a
leak develop beyond the bentonite liner, it will be captured within a leak detection
system and drained off towards a collection sump.
Contact Knight Piesold. Tel: (011) 806 7111.
Sorting and
recycling: a beginning
Comment
by Ken Bromfield of Onyx SA Waste Management Services
Recycling is
a term that has been bandied about for decades in SA, and has come even more to the fore
since the recent World Summit. However, most households do not practise recycling or even
sorting of their waste. Sorting and recycling need to become part of the nation’s
everyday modus operandi and government, in particular, needs to look at ways of dealing
with this problem at source. The introduction of new legislation – such as the
economic incentive of lowering the refuse removal levy of those willing to separate –
would go a long way to stimulating a change in behaviour patterns.
The
Polokwane Declaration on Waste Management, promulgated at the end of September 2001,
states that government wishes to promote recycling opportunities that are sustainable and
to engage in activities that will grow the recycling industry by 30% by 2012.
Supportive
of this stance is the fact that recycling has become a boon in the informal sector.
Thousands of previously unemployed people have realised that waste has an economic value.
Buy-back centres have been established (see article on waste buy-back centres in UGF’s
WSSD issue, Jul/Aug 2002, page 218) across the country with the purpose of creating
employment and cleaning up the environment. These buy-back centres purchase all forms of
recyclable waste and sell this on to recycling companies.
According to
the Packaging Council of SA, there has been an increase in packaging recycling of 564 694
tonnes (or 116%) over the 15 year period between 1984-1999, compared with the 65% increase
in the tonnage of materials converted into packaging over the same period. Additionally,
the Packaging Council states that packaging and related industries have recycled over 1
million tonnes of material, yielding a direct cost benefit to the authorities of more than
R200 million per annum – while at the same time creating employment for an estimated
100 000 people.
However, one
of the only problems with recycling is that it does not reduce the amount of waste being
generated. It is important to minimise the local populations’ production of waste by
providing guidance in the purchase of products with the least possible packaging waste
(re¬fills, bottles with a deposit, bulk, carton, ‘family sizes’, products in
glass, etc). Although recycling is a crucial part of Integrated Waste Management, it is
necessary to place it in the order it is given in the three Rs – reduce, reuse,
recycle. Recycling must happen at the end of the waste stream but, initially, it is
essential to reduce the amount of waste generated at source. The control and management of
waste needs to be seen as a whole and not the sum of its parts. No part is a standalone
solution.
To be
successful, a ‘cradle to grave’ approach has to be taken in the area of waste
management. The promotion of clean technology and clean production is the key to waste
minimisation at source. Sorting is at the beginning of the end of this waste stream, and
both the public and private sector need to play active roles in this process. If this does
not happen, government will have to enforce a sorting system as part of the Integrated
Waste Management regime.
Essentially, commercial and domestic waste needs to be thoroughly sorted in order for it
to be recycled.
This sorting
may be carried out at a collection point such as a bottle bank, by local authorities,
waste contractors, industrial specialists, the unemployed or the private individual –
but it has to be sorted. Sorting and recycling are thus inextricably intertwined and the
public needs to be mindful of this fact.
For more information contact Ken Bromfield of Onyx. Tel: (011) 452 0789. Email:
kbromfield@onyxsa.com
Separating
grease from water
The SA
company FoodServ Solutions and FM Environmental Ltd of Northern Ireland have signed a
contract to manufacture and market FM’s Grease Guardian in South Africa. The contract
will include local manufacture for European markets.
This
environmentally friendly invention traps free-floating oils and grease from drains and
separates them from water. This allows ‘cleaned’ water to be returned to the
waste system and the solidified grease to go to a recycler. The Grease Guardian can be
used in a variety of applications from restaurants and food processing operations through
to many different industrial applications.
Architects
and facilities managers know that grease build-up within a building’s drainage system
is a major cause of drain line blockage problems and can jeopardise normal operations, as
well as creating health and safety hazards within the facility. The Grease Guardian
removes both grease and oils from the system. Because of its stainless steel construction
and compact size, the system can be installed where grease problems originate. There are
several models in the range that can process from 0, 75l per second up to 3, 5l /sec. The
system offers 92%-95% grease recovery (as opposed to the 20-40% of conventional grease
traps). The technology comprises no enzymes or chemicals and is self-cleaning and
therefore has no costly pumping and disposal requirements.
Wastewater
from the kitchen is directed, by way of the unit’s inlet pipe, through a removable
strainer basket that collects solid debris before it can enter the Grease Guardian. The
wastewater, containing the free-floating grease and oils, then enters a recycling chamber
where the lighter grease and oils immediately rise to the surface and remain trapped. The
wastewater portion of the flow then exits, by displacement, under the outlet baffle. A
heating system, located in the recycling chamber, is activated by a time mechanism and a
motor operated skimming wheel collects the melted surface materials and transfers them
into a collection container.
Contact Athol Stewart of FoodServ. Tel: (011) 616 5183. Email: foodserv@foodserv.co.za
Environmentalist
of the Year Award to Daimler Chrysler
Earlier this
year in Austin, Texas, the Environmental Research and Education Foundation of the USA
chose DaimlerChrysler Corporation, USA, as its 2002 ‘Environmentalist of the Year’.
Twenty four nominees vied for the Award and DaimlerChrysler was selected in recognition of
its extraordinary leadership contributions towards activities related to waste recycling,
processing, re-use and disposal.
DaimlerChrysler
demonstrates its care for the environment through the Chrysler Group’s CARE –
Concepts for Advanced Recycling and Environmental – Car II programme. The goals of
CARE are to increase the recyclability and recovery of vehicles to about 95% by weight and
to increase the use of recycled materials in the production of vehicles.
(From the
Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa’s newsletter ‘The Waste Paper’).
IWMSA congratulates DaimlerChrysler – the Corporation is one of IWMSA’s patron
members.
Websites: www.media.daimlerchrysler.com and
www.iwmsa.co.za
The European
water and wastewater market
News from
the organisers of Entsorga 2003, the global environmental trade fair taking place in
Cologne in September (23-27), is that the market research company Frost & Sullivan has
reported that Europe’s industry is continuing to invest in the maintenance,
modernisation and expansion of its water conditioning and wastewater treatment plants.
According to Frost & Sullivan however, it is not only industries but also municipal
authorities throughout Europe that will continue to increase their demand for water
conditioning and wastewater treatment plants.
Investments
that are required for the implementation of the EU waste¬water directive by the end of
2005 will have a considerable influence on this turnover increase. The directive requires
that every community with between 2 000 and 15 000 inhabitants has water purification
plants equipped with biological polishing by this date.
Website for Frost & Sullivan: www.frost.com
‘Ways with
Waste’ – educational booklet
The
Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa has published a booklet entitled ‘Ways
with Waste’ which has been compiled by Liz Kneale and Mary Chettle as part of a waste
awareness raising campaign amongst schools and communities. This basic booklet,
illustrated with simple cartoon-like sketches, covers aspects such as how to avoid
creating unnecessary waste – by buying wisely, using wisely and repairing; reducing
waste that has already been created through re-use and recycling; relating the story of
waste to landfill to discourage illegal dumping; and explaining who is responsible for
waste collection.
Contact Liz Kneale at IWMSA. Tel: (011) 675 3462. Email: iwmsa@iafrica.com \
-----
Is demolition the best solution?
The
Mall in Rosebank
At the end
of October the daily press reported a high court decision ordering the demolition of the
newly completed entrance to The Mall and adjacent space occupied by Café Nescafe and
Clockwise, on Cradock Avenue in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The court order also affects Mimmo’s
restaurant, on the east side of the street, which has extended its trading space into
Cradock Avenue under a steel canopy.
The Mall
entrance, a glass enclosed tower, extends towards the cafés and restaurants on the other
side of the street and the walkway which leads through The Zone and offers access to other
components of the Rosebank retail and office precinct.
All
indications are that the public is enjoying this well-conceived urban space and the
amenities it offers. The cafés are well patronised. Musicians, mime artists and others
make use of the paved open space along this pedestrianised stretch of Cradock Avenue to
entertain passersby. In Urban Green File’s opinion, the ordered demolition would
destroy the convivial hub that has been created at this pedestrian intersection.
The action
was brought against The Mall by Le Roith & Associates, owners of nearby Cradock
Heights – an office building located on the south west corner of Tyrwhitt and Cradock
Avenues. The company also holds an option to develop the open Council-owned site between
Cradock Heights and The Mall. Although Stephen le Roith could not at first be reached in
his London office, Urban Green File later received a press release that confirms the
objections raised by Le Roith & Associates as reported here.
Charles
Ryan, a director of Property Fund Managers, the management company of property fund
Cenprop which owns The Mall and is part of JHI Real Estate Limited, explained the
situation. He made the point firstly, that the development plans for the refurbishment of
The Mall, of which the new entrance and sidewalk cafes form part, had been approved by the
City Council. The argument from Le Roith & Associates dates back to a 1995 agreement
that was signed by a number of Rosebank property owners and consultants – including
Cenprop and Le Roith & Associates. The agreement formed part of a plan to arrest
degeneration in the precinct and to invest in an upgrading programme that would draw
people back to Rosebank. The pedestrianisation of part of Cradock Avenue, the construction
of the African Craft Market, the development of The Zone and the refurbishment of The Mall
can all be seen as aspects of this plan. The agreement specified (amongst other things)
the building line that was to be observed along Cradock Avenue and the extent of the
pedestrianised street that should be reserved for public use. The new entrance tower and
adjacent cafés are built beyond this line and seating in the cafés spills into the
street (in a very comfortable and unintrusive manner, it must be said, contributing to the
vibrancy of this node).
While it is
clearly important that the law should guard against such transgressions, Ryan says that
Cenprop had assumed the agreement to be null and void after a number of the signatories
withdrew from it in the later 1990s. When construction began on the entranceway just over
a year ago, Le Roith & Associates raised their objections to it in terms of the 1995
agreement. Cenprop sought legal counsel on the matter and was advised that it could
proceed – on the basis that the agreement could no longer be considered valid.
In the
action brought by Le Roith & Associates, it was apparently argued that the new
entrance to The Mall and its flanking cafés, obscure the line of sight from the open
parking square, at the south east of this node, to the Absa Bank, which occupies ground
floor space in Cradock Heights, and that they encroach on the pedestrian thoroughfare that
was set aside for public use. It was also argued that the extended entrance channels
pedestrians into The Mall.
Ryan says
that Cenprop will appeal against the court order. Apart from the fact that the current
decision cuts across the rights of tenants and ignores the obvious success of the
development, it will cost Cenprop a considerable sum to demolish the entrance and the
Rosebank public and tenants will again have to endure the disruption of demolition and
reconstruction.
Le Roith is
reported to have said that a compromise could be worked out to accommodate tenants in the
disputed area but that the entrance will have to go. Demolition is apparently a
precondition to any possibility of an out-of-court settlement being considered.
-----
The 2002 IAIAsa National Premium Award
Hillside
Aluminium Smelter Expansion
The
International Association for Impact Assessment South African chapter (IAIAsa) has
reinstated the Environmental Planning Professions Interdisciplinary Committee (EPPIC)
system of Awards (with the disbanding of the latter organisation) to recognise excellence
in South Africa for those activities developed, planned and managed for the sustainability
of human society and the environment, through the application of the principles of
Integrated Environmental Management. The National Premium Award will be presented on an
annual basis and in 2002 the Hillside Aluminium Smelter Expansion project in Richards Bay
won the prestigious Award. Hillside Aluminium is owned and operated by BHP Billiton. The
group of three environmental consultants led by CSIR (Environmentek) and including Manyaka
Greyling Meiring (now Golder Associates Africa) and ACER (Africa) entered the Hillside
project into the first IAIAsa Awards. Hillside was chosen as the winner from three
finalists – the other two were Cape Town’s Integrated Metropolitan Environmental
Policy (IMEP) and the Macassar Dunes Management Plan.
Unique features of the
EIA process at Hillside
Hillside Aluminium Smelter, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, was
commissioned to produce aluminium, principally for the export market, in Richards Bay,
KwaZulu-Natal, in 1995. The original project won the EPPIC National Premium Award in 1997.
In order to ensure that the company remained internationally competitive, an expansion of
current operations at the smelter was proposed through the construction of a half-length
potline to add to the two existing potlines. The metal aluminium is produced by the
electrolysis of alumina (a fine white powder) in reduction pots, arranged in long
buildings called potrooms – two potrooms constitute a potline. The production of
additional metal volumes and a reduction in operating costs would result in continued
international competitiveness due to economies of scale.
Prior to the
commencement of the expansion, Hillside Aluminium had to undertake a comprehensive
feasibility study to ensure that the expansion was environmentally and socially
acceptable, economically viable and technically feasible. The EIA process was conducted to
the highest possible standards by reason of the fact that stakeholders in the Richards Bay
area are not only genuinely concerned about industrial environmental performance but are
fully aware of their environmental rights and the environmental authorisation process. At
the time, air quality issues, a significant potential impact of the Hillside expansion,
were receiving media attention, largely focussed on the contentious Durban South Basin.
CSIR
Environmentek co-ordinated the EIA, undertaking various specialist studies, while Manyaka
Greyling Meiring and ACER were responsible for the public participation programme.
Project Charter
Given the anticipated level of debate amongst the well informed IAPs, the
project team conceptualised the development of a Project Charter to define due process and
to provide measurables against which due process could be tested. The formulation of the
Charter was done with key stakeholders, authorities and the development proponent, to
determine criteria for the EIA that would allow for time efficiency and cost effectiveness
and ensure a productive, transparent process. The Project Charter was finally ratified
during a public meeting convened to discuss the Draft Scoping Report.
Another
feature highlighted by the assessment team in the award entry was the framing of the
assessment within the concept of sustainability – in terms of trade-offs to establish
a project specific balance between economic growth, social equity and ecological
integrity.
Schools’ programme
The public participation programme was extensive and the inclusion of
environmental education as part of this programme, in the form of briefings to eight
schools in the area, proved to be a valuable mechanism in assisting learners to understand
environmental legislation, including their rights and responsibilities. The project team
benefited greatly from the fresh perspectives to issues taken by the learners, at matric
level, who were in fact receiving instruction in the EIA process as part of their
curriculum. The insight and interest created by the school briefings resulted in many
pupils, of their own initiative, continuing to participate in the assessment process
through attendance at public meetings.
Extraordinary
efforts were made to facilitate access to information and assistance was provided so that
the material, including the implication of alternatives, could be understood. Invitations
to attend public meetings and background information documents were produced in English,
Afrikaans and Zulu and publications such as ‘You and Your Environmental Rights’
and ‘User Guide to NEMA’ were widely distributed. Public information desks were
hosted at the start of the Scoping Phase at Richards Bay and Esikhawini. A constructive
interface was facilitated between representatives of different lead sectors – the
development proponent, authorities, key stakeholders, the project team, specialists and
members of the public.
Key contributory factors
According to the assessment professionals, the key factors that contributed to a
successful environmental impact assessment process were the following.
*
A development
proponent committed to responsible environmental management and continuous improvement.
*
Attention to detail
and the setting of exacting standards by the lead consultant (CSIR).
*
Comprehensive public
participation underpinning and facilitating decision making.
*
Ongoing guidance from
and participation of the authorities
*
culminating in the
issuing of a comprehensive Record of Decision, taking into account all important
environmental aspects.
*
Knowledgeable
stakeholders who were prepared to engage in debate in the interests of informed decision
making, even when their own views did not prevail.
The
construction of the third potline and ancillary infrastructure is well under way and it is
being undertaken in accordance with a well formulated and documented Environmental
Management Plan. Furthermore, good progress has been made with integrating the operations
of the expanded facility into the existing Environmental Management System currently
applied at Hillside Aluminium.
Finalist: Cape Town’s Integrated Metropolitan
Environmental Policy
Cape Town spans an area of 2 487km2 with a population of over 3, 1 million
growing at 3, 5%, and with an unemployment figure of 25% and historical inequalities from
the apartheid era, the City faces severe challenges in terms of sustainable development.
These challenges extend to Cape Town’s unique assets: spectacular scenery, 307km of
beaches and rocky coasts, inland waters, abundant plant life, animal diversity and
cultural heritage.
The local
authority, the City of Cape Town (CCT) has adopted a three-tiered approach to sustainable
development based on Agenda 21: a vision and environmental policy framework;
implementation partnerships, tools and strategies; and Information Systems to empower
residents and decision makers by providing feedback on progress. The strategy process was
initiated in 1998 and included community capacity building and public policy workshops, a
broad based Stakeholder Review Panel, annual State of Environment reporting and the
creation of interdisciplinary teams to drive the process within the municipal structures.
The
resulting Integrated Metropolitan Environmental Policy (IMEP) and strategy were approved
by the CCT in 2001 as an overall policy, which guides the formulation of all other City
policies. In approving IMEP, six priority issues were identified from public input: litter
and illegal dumping, air pollution, biodiversity, the coastal zone, noise pollution and
quality open spaces for disadvantaged communities. Strategies and targets for these will
be completed within two years, whereas principals and tools of the policy are already
being applied.
In the
opinion of the Environmental Management Department of the CCT, progress since the adoption
of IMEP has been encouraging, and a number of programmes and projects were showcased at
the World Summit. Although there are success stories, the CCT has not shied away from
highlighting the enormous challenges that remain (see article by the City of Cape Town
‘On the road to a sustainable future’ in UGF’s WSSD issue, Jul/Aug 2002,
page 248) and the need to build further partnerships for sustainable progress.
Finalist: Macassar
Dunes Management Plan
The submission of this project was made by the planning team of Chittenden Nicks de
Villiers, environmental planners and landscape architects, and Coastec, environmental and
coastal planners. The Macassar Dunes system was identified by the Botanical Society as one
of 37 core flora conservation worthy areas on the Cape Flats and the City of Cape Town has
subsequently committed itself to the conservation of these key environmental assets.
Amongst other assets, the area is the most extensive dune system remaining on the Cape
Flats and has nine major habitat types, eight plant species on the Red Data List, a high
bird species diversity and a good representation of Cape Flats mammals.
The need for
a management plan for the Macassar Dunes was evident because of years of lack of
management in the area which is, inter alia, subject to sand mining, use of off-road
vehicles and scrambler bikes and because there was a need to respond to the applications
for further sand mining; along with the identification of the site as one of high
botanical significance. The study looked at the biophysical, economic, land use planning
and development of the area as a whole.
The study
was informed by public comment obtained from a series of bilateral meetings with groups of
the public, mining companies, specialist and other IAPs such as the Botanical Society. A
general public meeting was held which helped with the understanding of issues and to
formulate a vision. A number of alternative proposals were formulated for the management
and land use of Macassar Dunes and a preliminary cost benefit analysis of sand mining
versus alternative “green uses” was done.
The final
proposal for the mining area is the result of the “balancing” of development,
mining and conservation objectives. A number of measures were proposed to minimise
possible negative environmental impacts such as, amongst others, the “pulling back”
of the southern coastal setback line for mining to preserve more of the coastal dunes and
the “pulling back” of the conservation dune buffer area to preserve more of the
lateral extent of the western dune, and dune toe, to create a continuous conservation
corridor.
Management
strategies included: the creation of formal conservation status for the eastern and
western dunes, including the coastal zone, river and estuary, to form part of a “multi-purpose
community resource area”; redesign of Macassar beach township, upgrading of Monwabisi
and restoration of Eerste River estuary to public use; establishment of final mining
extent and levels and further consideration of after-use options in the consolidated
mining area.
The
proposals of the Plan have already helped to inform a number of other activities including
the development around the Kramat in the area; a feasibility study for an eco-trail on the
western dune and an off-road vehicle trail; the Monwabisi Development Frame¬work; a Coast
Care Demonstration project in the Dunes; and the Plan has influenced the revision of some
of the Mining Environmental Management Plan Reports.
Judges’ comments
The judging panel comprised Gerrit Marais (previously an EPPIC Awards judge),
Benita Olen and Sean O’ Beirne. A key principal of the adjudication was that if there
had been any previous involvement (even peripheral) by a judge in a project entered, the
judge recused him or herself from the individual judging of that project.
Three broad
categories were used in the judging: excellence, innovation and effective implementation.
In the Hillside expansion project there was clear evidence of all three criteria. The
concept of the Project Charter used by the assessment professionals was considered to be
innovative and very effective in dealing with high levels of scepticism amongst the
stakeholders (Interested & Affected Parties) in the Richards Bay area – also
giving them formal recourse as the project is implemented. In its own right, the Charter
adds substance to the implementation side and complements the Record of Decision. Through
this mechanism the client has made a clear commitment to the IAPs. The schools’
programme was another original aspect of the extensive public participation programme
which not only served an educational function but broadened the IAP base and introduced
fresh perspectives.
The judges
said that the element of excellence was evident in the submissions of all three finalists
but that Hillside’s “total package” was considered to be the best. All
three finalists were commended for their thorough attention to detail in the public
participation process. The closing date for entries into the 2003 IAIA National Premium
Award is 31 May 2003. Nominations should be made to the Secretariat in advance of the
closing date. Contact Glaudin Kruger at the IAIAsa Secretariat for more information:
kruger@jaywalk.com Tel: (028) 316 2905 or access the IAIA website: www.iaia.za.org
-----
Green electricity on the market
A total of
854 MWh of green electricity was supplied to Ubuntu Village and the Expo Centre during the
recent Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. This represents a
breakthrough in delivery of green electricity on a commercial basis in South Africa.
The project
to supply green electricity to key Summit venues (see Urban Green File, WSSD edition,
Jul/Aug 2002) was co-ordinated by AGAMA Energy, working with the National Electricity
Regulator (NER), Johannesburg’s City Power, and a number of small-scale generators of
green power. The initiative was implemented under the auspices of the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism and was supported by funding from the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID).
Reflecting
on the achievement, Glynn Morris of AGAMA Energy says: “What was seen initially as an
almost outrageous vision became a reality. We have uncovered South Africa’s green
electricity capacity. More than double the amount consumed by the two venues was
available, which included a small proportion from other countries. And, in spite of a
number of perceived obstacles, the preliminary mechanisms that enable the delivery of
green electricity to the market have been put in place.”
When Urban
Green File first reported on the planned supply of green electricity to the Summit venues,
expectations were that four of the five main venues would participate. However, after
initial discussions, Eskom withdrew from the project. As the utility also handles
distribution in some areas of Johannesburg, including parts of Sandton, its decision to
withdraw excluded the Sandton Convention Centre and the Hilton Hotel (the other two venues
that were initially part of the supply programme) from the scheme.
Kevin
Nassiep, energy research operations manager in the Resources & Strategy unit at Eskom,
said that at the time the discussions took place, Eskom did not have any green power
available. “The imported (large-scale) hydropower that we proposed to bring to the
programme was not accepted,” Nassiep explained, “and the mini-hydro that we do
have on the grid could not be made available as it is reserved for emergencies and to
boost quality of supply when necessary.”
He went on
to say that Eskom could not, then, guarantee delivery from the green power projects that
it is working on, some of which were brought on stream just prior to the Summit – the
25kW solar dish pilot plant in Midrand and the new 3,5MW wind power research facility at
Klipheuwel in the Western Cape. “In any event, the solar dish is not grid connected
but feeds directly into the supply network of the Development Bank of South Africa, where
it is sited.”
Nassiep
expressed some reservations about the range, scale and vali¬dity of the green power
producers sourced in the project and said that it would not have paid Eskom to buy green
electricity from those producers, at such a premium, for onward sale to the Summit venues
that it supplied.
Nonetheless,
the pilot project that was implemented lays the foundation for a broader, longterm
framework to be developed for the delivery of green electricity.
Defining green energy
The differentiation and certification of ‘green energy’ for this
project was based on criteria that are generally agreed internationally. While the
criteria do vary from country to country, they are based on two fundamental requirements:
firstly, green energy must come from a renewable source (as distinct from non-renewable
fossil fuels) and secondly, the conversion of energy into electricity must be done in a
sustainable way.
Energy
sources that generally qualify as green energy, taking account of the respective power
generation systems that they feed, include wind, solar, biogas and geothermal energy, as
well as water when it is used in small-scale hydropower and run-of-river schemes.
A trading framework
Morris comments that the NER’s acceptance of and participation in the
project was crucial to its success. From an initial series of discussion documents,
prepared by AGAMA Energy and distributed to key stakeholders – the regulator, Eskom
and other power distribution companies, an operating framework was formalised with the
NER. This established a workable licensing, certification and trading system. A purchase
price for green energy, at 50c/kWh, was agreed with City Power. City Power in turn applied
to the NER to obtain a licence to trade in green electricity at the agreed price.
This price
is based on current costs of electricity supply from wind power and is about double the
average selling price of coal-generated electricity. Morris points out, however, that this
cost is likely to reduce in real terms over time, as economies of scale in green energy
generation come into play. By contrast, the price of coal-generated electricity is on the
increase – as evidenced by the above-targeted-inflation tariff increases implemented
by Eskom in the past two years. Morris predicts that in ten years time there will be a
crossover that will see green energy priced below fossil fuel energy.
An increase
in green energy generation is supported by government’s White Paper on Renewable
Energy, which is due to go before parliament soon. The White Paper targets 10 000 GWh
(about 5% of South Africa’s current generation capacity) as the proportion of the SA
energy economy to be derived from renewable sources and green energy technologies by 2014.
With an
operational framework and pricing policy established, AGAMA Energy posted public
advertisements calling for participation from generators of green energy. Interested
parties were invited to apply to the NER to become licensed generators of green
electricity. The NER evaluated the applicants. Those that qualified as green energy
producers were issued with licences for a limited period (ending 30 November 2002) and
with green energy certificates to the value of their production capacity over that period.
The certificates function as a tradable commodity and, for the purposes of this project,
the NER set up a web-based trading site. Thus, City Power could purchase green energy
certificates online, from the various licensed producers, to match the consumption levels
at the two Summit venues that had agreed to buy green electricity from it. Although the
power source cannot be distinguished in distribution from grid transmission, the green
electricity certificates confirm the trade of a certain capacity of green electricity at
the given price and so stand, in effect, as an offset against the equivalent amount of
coal-powered electricity (see Urban Green File Sep/Oct 2002, page 25).
Green energy generation
The green energy for the Summit venues was sourced from seven licensed
generators, which represented a spectrum of the alternative energy sources available.
International players were also involved, since climate change – which is caused to a
large extent by greenhouse gas emissions from coal, gas and oil-fired power plants –
is a global concern.
Tongaat
Hulett Sugar operates bagasse power generation plants, producing electricity from the
burning of sugar cane waste. Traditionally these plants have been used only to serve a
proportion of the company’s own electricity needs. Through the Summit project, this
green electricity was made available to a wider market. Tongaat Hulett Sugar produced the
largest share of the green electricity used in this project.
*
BP Service Stations,
of BP SA (Pty) Ltd, have installed photovoltaic panels on the canopies of a number of
service stations, which provided a source of solar energy for the green electricity
project.
*
The Greenhouse Project
also contributed electricity from a solar system that was installed temporarily – for
the duration of the Summit – at its offices in Joubert Park, Johannesburg. The system
was manufactured by Solar Fabrik.
*
The Witzenberg
Municipality contributed green electricity from the small hydropower scheme in Ceres.
*
Freidenheim
Irrigation, based near Nelspruit, was another of the producers licensed for the green
electricity it generates from its run-of-river hydropower scheme.
*
Italian company Enel
Green Power generates electricity from geo-thermal sources and was one of the foreign
organisations registered by the NER to contribute to this project with a symbolic donation
of 25MWh of green power.
*
Tierras Morenas, based
in Costa Rica, also contributed 25MWh of wind-powered green electricity.
The future for green
electricity
Morris says that this pilot project has established a springboard for
development of the renewable energy industry. It will serve to stimulate investment in
alternative energies and the roll out of green energy supplies to a wider market.
He points
out that green energy certificates provide a very flexible common denomination for trade.
For example, individual households or commercial businesses that install solar energy
systems, or even solar water-heating systems, could accrue green energy certificates for
the capacity that they generate directly. The certificates represent a tradable value that
could be offset against total energy costs or sold. At a different scale, and where parity
exists between different countries’ definitions of green energy, green energy
certificates could provide an instrument for regional and international trade. “In
future, South Africa could become an exporter of green energy,” says Morris.
-----
Jewel of the Flats: Edith Stephens
Wetland Park
Cape
Action for People and the Environment
The Cape
Flats of 200 years ago displayed a rich tapestry of pristine seasonal wetland interwoven
with stretches of colourful lowland fynbos: the
air heavy with bird chatter, insect frenzies and the smell of sun-soaked restios.
Almost
overnight, in evolutionary terms, this landscape has vanished, giving way to monotonous
strips of tarmac, sand-mining, industry and the spawn of the apartheid machine – mile
upon mile of informal development. This urban
onslaught has been accompanied by a relentless green cancer – invasive vegetation.
These threats have successfully pushed indigenous lowland fynbos into ever shrinking
pockets.
Near
Phillipi, not far beyond the City of Cape Town, lies one of the few remaining fynbos and
wetland areas on the Cape Flats – a veritable jewel in this sea of disturbance.
This 30ha
triangular site, bordered by three busy roads, comprises a combination of semi-natural
open land, seasonal wetland, a vlei area of high conservation value, stormwater detention
ponds and low-lying disused farmland.
In 1955,
Edith Stephens, a senior botany lecturer at the University of Cape Town, had the foresight
to purchase 3,7ha of land, which soon became known as the ‘Isoetes Vlei’.
Recognising the rarity and exceptional diversity of the wetland fauna and flora, she
donated the land to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Of particular interest to her
was the vlei’s namesake, the Isoetes capensis – a sedge-like endemic and one of
the few remaining species from the coal age.
Since the
early 1980s, scientists and planners had been talking about the area as a potential
conservation park, ideally positioned to serve local communities for recreation and
environmental education. In 2000, the dream became a reality and the City of Cape Town, in
partnership with the National Botanical Institute, purchased an adjoining stretch of
private land (including a disused farm house and outhouses), which had separated the
stormwater detention pond from the wetlands and the Edith Stephens reserve. The Edith
Stephens Wetland Park was born.
Says Sandra
Hustwick, project manager of the Edith Stephens Wetland Park for the City of Cape Town:
“Our intention with this project is to demonstrate how biodiversity conservation can
be achieved in metro¬poli¬tan Cape Town and, at the same time, improve quality of life
on the Flats by creating a space for environmental education and recreation”. Edith
Stephens is one of four pilot projects of the City of Cape Town’s Mainstreaming
Biodiversity initiative – along with the Macassar Dunes (see page 24), the Wolfgat
Coastal Area and Harmony Flats Nature Reserve.
Incorporating local
needs
For the conservation of sites in such urban contexts to be a success, it is
critical that surrounding communities are sufficiently informed and concerned to take
action. Recognising this, in early 2000, the City held a visioning workshop with the
community to identify their needs for the park. A range of key stakeholders were invited,
from local NGOs, school representatives and environmental groups to RDP fora and
politicians. Facilitated by another of the project partners – WWF’s Table
Mountain Fund – the workshop participants came up with a vision for the project.
“What
has been so unique and ground-breaking about this project, is that there has been a
tremendous level of political buy-in from the start,” says Clare Burgess, the
landscape architect who put together the first landscaping masterplan. Her challenge was
to take all the ideas put forward by the community, to assess the constraints and
opportunities and then to rationalise them and translate them into practical landscape
features for the park.
Says
Burgess: “This was not always easy. When the community requested a waterfront
development for the detention ponds, or boating activity, we would have to highlight the
impracticalities or safety issues.” For the most part, however, the requests were
more than applicable – from food and herb gardens to a recreational area and
education centre.
In the past
two years, words and sketches on flipcharts have been translated into action on the
ground. Following the workshop, a site analysis was carried out to assess constraints and
opportunities such as microclimate, noise, wind and drainage.
The stage is set
“Both the land near the farmhouse and the wetland area around the
detention ponds were badly degraded and neglected,” says Hustwick. “People were
living in the man-sized concrete pipes on the site and the natural drainage line was
seriously hindered by the large piles of builder’s rubble and other rubbish.”
A massive
clean-up of the site was initiated and this formed the basis of a successful job-creation
project for the area. The City went to tender to seek contractors to clear aliens and
rubble off the site and appointed a community liaison officer, Leon ‘Mzwandile’
Peter, to ensure that labour was drawn on a representative basis from the surrounding
communities.
Says
Mzwandile: “I was tasked with the sourcing of workers from Gugulethu, Nyanga,
Manenberg, Hanover Park and Philippi – dodgy, crime-infested areas at the best of
times”. However, Mzwandile has lived in the communities around Edith Stephens for
much of his life, and as an active member of the Nyanga RDP environmental committee, he
was able to recruit a team of people to assist with rubble removal. Stands of Port Jackson
and other invasives were cleared and the old farmhouse was completely renovated into an
Environmental Education Centre. In addition, ablution facilities were constructed, an
activity area was fenced and the entire area landscaped, with over 400 indigenous trees.
At about the
same time, George Davis of the National Botanical Institute managed to secure funding from
DWAF’s Working for Water’s Working for Wetlands initiative, in partnership with
the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. An amount of R850 000 has been put
towards the successful removal of both terrestrial and wetland invasive species for the
period 2000-2003. Mzwandile was made the project manager for the Working for Water
programme in 2001.
A botanical gem
A staggering 39 invasive alien species have been recorded in this relatively
small area. Says Nick Helme, a botanist who has worked extensively on the site: “Alien
invasives present the greatest management challenge, with the seasonal wetlands being
particularly vulnerable to invasion by species such a Port Jackson, Purple Vetch,
Nasturtium, Kikuyu, rye, oats and fennel.”
The site is,
however, home to an astounding diversity of indigenous flora. It has the largest known
viable population of Gladiolus quadrangulus – a species which has virtually
disappeared. Eight of the plant species recorded on the site are of sufficient
conservation concern to be listed in the Red Data Book. “This is an extremely high
figure for such a small site,” comments Helme.
“Central
to the healthy functioning of the system is the water supply”, says Helme. “The
water table level needs to be kept high enough, the natural flow needs to be maintained
and the water to remain uncontaminated,” he observes. “Just as an example, the
recent removal of rubble near the cement factory adjacent to the site, has resulted in the
proliferation of 30 indigenous plant species in a space of six months.” In this
instance, the natural underground water flow had evidently been blocked by rubble.
Edith
Stephens’ bird population is also noteworthy. In a single visit, a specialist only
recently added another 15 species to the already 100 strong tally. When the detention
ponds were built, artificial islands were created in an effort to attract birds and
encourage nesting sites. From the Cape Canary, Yellow-eyed Canary, Cape Teal and
Yellow-billed Duck to the Stilt, Avocet and Ethiopian Snipe, the range was significant
enough to justify the construction of another of the park’s innovative features for
such an area – a bird hide.
“The
hide was constructed earlier this year,” says hide designer and landscape architect
for the City, Diekie van Nieuwenhuizen. “The response has been terrific, particularly
from the youngsters who come here.” For the first time in their lives, some of the
children from the surrounding communities are within an arms reach of nesting birds.
A large
section of land adjacent to the Education Centre has been landscaped and transformed into
a maze of indigenous water-wise plants, all of which have been selected for their
educational value. A path zigzags through the garden and children are walked through with
an interpretation officer who tells them fascinating stories about fynbos/ insect
interactions, useful plants and other fynbos intrigue.
A little
further away from the centre, towards the bird hide, is a field planted out with yellow
nitrogen-fixing Lupins. This will become another new venture for the park – a
demonstration food garden serving as a skills transfer initiative for the community, which
will be set up by award winning ‘Abalimi Bezekhaya’ – a community food
garden project based in Khayelitsha.
Meeting the challenges
When asked what the key issues and challenges have been working on the project
over the past year or two, Mzwandile enthuses: “It was all about creating an
awareness and appreciation for the beauty of a site which to most people in the area is
nothing more than potential living space. I think we have succeeded in getting people to
recognise that we are sitting on a real treasure box – a gold mine – right here
on our doorstep”.
The City of
Cape Town has to date contributed well over R2,7 million to the Edith Stephens Wetland
Park and efforts are being made to secure more funding from the private sector. Says
Hustwick: “We will know that we have done our job well, if we manage to create a
focused value for those living around these key conservation areas. This is one of our
greatest challenges in an area where the concept of biodiversity is so very far removed
from the everyday reality of survival.”
“The
project is a very real example of what CAPE sets out to achieve throughout the Cape Floral
Kingdom,” cites CAPE Coordinator Trevor Sandwith. “It is a biodiversity
conservation project – driven by a suite of partners including government, NGOs and
communities – which presents economically embattled communities with the opportunity
to drive social development through environmental empowerment and in so doing a globally
significant resource is protected forever.”
Enquiries: Cape Action for People and the Environment – Karoline Hanks of Alex
Hetherington Media. Email: karoline@ahmedia.co.za Tel:
(021) 702 3225/6
Cape Action for People
and the Environment (CAPE)
Between 1998-2000, a team of scientists and conservationists joined forces and
drew up the ‘Cape Action Plan for the Environment’ – a strategy aimed at
the identification of conservation priorities in the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK) – the
smallest, yet richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms.
With initial
funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this ground-breaking process generated
a series of maps and a vast amount of valuable research, which highlighted the extent of
habitat transformation across the CFK.
The strategy
helped inform the selection of 38 Core Flora Conservation Sites – which have been
identified as the minimum set of sites necessary to conserve the unique flora of the Cape
Flats. These core sites comprise not only
declared nature reserves but also areas with no formal conservation status at all, such as
freeway interchanges, private land and racecourses.
The Edith
Stephens Wetland Park is one of the core sites and is a true microcosm of the CAPE vision,
incorporating people, the environment and conservation action components.
-----
Access to an urban river
Improves
lifestyle potential at Dainfern Valley
Bordering on
the original Dainfern, the well-known golf course estate to the north of Sandton, is a
residential estate with a difference. Gauteng Province not only has a dirth of rivers but,
in urban areas, these are usually degraded or canalised – mostly, development
nervously turns its back on these rivers, as typified by the newly built ‘mixed use’
urban node, Melrose Arch (see article in May/June 2002 issue of UGF). Dainfern Valley,
however, having realised the value of rivers in an urban setting, has incorporated a
natural stretch of the Jukskei River as an amenity into the estate – an area for
passive recreation with grassed expanses next to the river, simple winding pathways,
benches and discrete lighting, along with patches of riverine vegetation that have been
cleared of invasive alien species and wooden bridges traversing drainage areas. There is
easy access to this stretch of river frontage from all parts of the development for
residents and their friends.
Urban Green
File would like to commend the developers, Dainfern East Joint Venture, on this bold
project which has created an area of open space that will, with ongoing careful
management, conserve the riparian zone including the floodplain up to the 100 year
floodline and the majority of remaining faunal and floral species in this area, and hopes
that the project will serve as a benchmark triggering other developments to take the same
action.
Landscape
architect John Drummond who worked on the project from concept stage, in conjunction with
the town planners APS PlanAfrica, said that the developers considered the riverine area to
be a major asset to the estate and were determined to rehabilitate it and keep it as
natural as possible.
The
feasibility of providing the public at large with access to the river corridor was
discussed during early planning stages and the possibility is still on the table, but
there needs to be a balance between public access, security and conservation and this
would best be served in terms of a policy created through discussions with other
landowners along the river. Limited public access to groups of interested and concerned
individuals such as walking and bird watching clubs which would not put the indigenous
flora and fauna under risk may well be granted sometime in the future. Dainfern East Joint
Venture has confirmed its willingness to be part of a process that will create a policy
framework for dealing with the issue of public access.
In some
parts the apportioned open space is wider than the 100 year flood line, which has been
used to demarcate a minimum conservation area and as a rule of thumb for stand boundaries
– some of these boundaries, depending on stand configurations, are set back from the
edge of the floodplain leaving a generous expanse of common land along the river. All rock
outcrops adjacent to the river and in other areas of the site have been conserved with an
adequate buffer zone of vegetation.
When the
proposed bridge site was found to threaten a number of mature Celtis africana (White
Stinkwood), the developers immediately saw the importance of translocating these large
trees to areas where they could be preserved, and prior to the construction of the bridge,
landscape contractor Top Turf Contracts moved the trees to road islands in the
development. The developer’s action was strongly supported by the vegetation survey
in the Scoping Report.
The Scoping
Report which assessed the impact of the strip of parkland (phase 2) at Dainfern Valley was
done by Rob Taylor and included the identification of alternatives, all of which were
found to be less viable in the light of the developers clear commitment to conserving the
riverine area. Input was given into the Scoping Report by specialist consultants in the
form of a vegetation survey, a herpetological and faunal survey, reports on the geology,
stormwater, traffic and heritage, and a landscape plan. Issues raised by the specialists
were taken into account and recommendations based on these issues were carried though in
the form of an Environmental Management Plan for both the construction and the post
construction phases of the development.
For example,
the vegetation report done by Enviroguard Ecological Services recommended that certain
medicinal plants/bulbous geophytes be recovered, in a search and rescue operation, and
re-established in selected areas within the site. Hypoxis hemerocallidea (Star Flower) has
been retrieved from areas scheduled for housing and planted out on road islands near the
entrance to the development – the corm of this species is in high demand amongst
traditional healers because of its much publicised ability to strengthen immune
deficiencies, and the status of the plant will need to be reviewed periodically (see story
in UGF’s special WSSD issue, Jul/Aug 2002, page 125).
The Record
of Decision authorising the approval of the application for development was issued subject
to certain conditions being met and one of these stated that the recommendations of the
herpetelogical and faunal survey done by Clayton Cook had to be implemented. Most of these
were included in the EMP and involved such aspects as the minimising of disturbances to
the remaining faunal species during the construction phase by limiting workers to the
areas under construction to prevent poaching and the gathering of firewood, particularly
along the riparian zone, and any artificial lighting was required to be directed away from
the river and other sensitive habitats in order to minimise the potential negative effects
of the lights on natural nocturnal activities.
Soil
stockpiling had to follow environmentally sensitive practices and be situated away from
seepage zones and the river, and there was to be no dumping of any materials in
undeveloped open areas and buffer strips which served as biological corridors. It was
recommended that termitaria should be conserved wherever possible and all the termitaria
on site were demarcated on a plan by the landscape architect, who also played the role of
manager of the EMP. Termitaria form vital habitat (refuge) sites and are a valuable food
source to certain insectivorous faunal species. The report also recommended limited
irrigation and limited herbicide and fertiliser use for horticultural activites.
The impact
of the proposed bridge leading from the southern to the northern portions of the estate
was taken into account in a specialist study by Stephenson & Associates and the
concerns about the impact of the bridge expressed by the Dainfern Homeowners Association,
during the public participation phase, were put to rest. Prof David Stephenson commented
in his report that the backwater effect of the bridge would push back not more than 200m
upstream of the bridge and this was still within the Dainfern Valley site. The report
recommended that rip-rap or another suitable lining be used on the river bed to guard
against erosion immediately downstream of the bridge. It was stated that downstream,
instream and ecological water requirements would not be affected by the bridge and that
aeration caused by turbulence through the bridge would, if anything, improve the oxygen
concentration of the river, while the opening sizes under the bridge would be sufficient
to pass debris which washes down the river.
The clean-up
of the river started when the impact assessment was approved or the so called Record of
Decision was made in late winter of 2001. Jonathan Ferguson of Top Turf did a detailed
walk-around with Drummond to establish the nature of the alien vegetation invasion which
was severely degrading the riverine area. This comprised stands of Grey Poplars (Populus X
canescens – category 2 invader), Syringas (Melia azedarach – category 3
invader), Mulberries (Morus alba – category 3 invader), Morning Glory (Ipomoea
purpurea – category 3 invader), Moth Catcher (Araujia sericifera – category 1
weed), the Match Poplar (Populus deltoides – not yet declared but under consideration
for declaration on the proposed Table X) and Kikuyu grass which is invasive and needs to
be kept under control but is not a declared invader. He said that there was surprisingly
little Lantana camera (category 1 weed) and that Syringas had been the main problem.
The invasive
trees were chopped down and destumped and the timber was sent for recycling to a nearby
composting operation. The Syringas that continued to resprout from the roots had to be
chemically treated and this was done with the environmentally friendly, systemic
herbicide, Viro Axe, which has triclopyr as its active ingredient and is directly
translocated to the roots with no residual action in the soil. Some of the bigger
indigenous trees had been relying on exotics for support and when the latter were cleared
out branches split away and some of the smaller Combretums fell over. Large Combretum
erythrophyllum (River Bushwillows) that were top heavy and could not sustain their own
weight with the removal of the invasives had to be pruned back.
Bags and
bags of refuse were collected from the river banks, anything from dead wood to plastic
bags to old Volkswagen bodies, and early season flash floods brought down more debris
which meant more rubbish removal. The feasibility of a debris trap was examined but the
erratic nature of the river with its flash floods precluded this possibility, and Drummond
commented that he hoped the Jukskei River clean-up being done by the environmental NGO,
the SOUL Foundation, would be ongoing and would continue to make the marked difference in
evidence after the first spring rains this year.
Once the
clean-up of the site was complete, the grasses recommended by consultant Susan Allen were
seeded according to the landscape architects layout pattern and a fairly rudimentary
irrigation system – a single row of sprinklers – was installed to allow the
grass to establish as rapidly as possible to guard against any possible washaways with
summer floods. Allen recommended the use of the All Seasons mix in the shade and Cynodon
dactylon in the sun. She explained that the choice of indigenous shade tolerant grasses
was limited and although LM grass (Dactyloctenium australe) was shade tolerant, the area
was too cold for it and it was very slow to establish.
All Seasons
comprises four different varieties of bunch-type exotic grasses which are non-invasive
because they do not tiller and they don’t produce viable seed in South Africa because
the climatic conditions are not suitable. They do have good bank stabilising properties:
All Seasons grown out to its full height, puts down a root system which is correspondingly
deep and this significant root mass is extremely good at holding banks. The grass
tolerates ‘wet feet’ – soil deprived of air – and yet is drought
tolerant. It is also cold tolerant which was important next to the river and remains
bright green throughout winter. Allen says that All Seasons suited her brief from Drummond
for a grass that would create the effect of a meadow, and not grow too tall and obstruct
the vista across the river.
The Cynodon
higher up on the flood plain was seeded at a high rate for quick establishment, while the
seed of the All Seasons was tracked in and fertilised with a reasonably high application
of super phosphate. Drummond explained that phosphate added to the soil promoted root
growth which served to bind the soil and did not leach, once it was taken up in the soil
chemistry.
Drummond
designed a simple winding pathway along the river and in conjunction with hard landscaping
contractor Alan Ralph decided that the path should be concreted to make it hardy, flood
proof and cost effective. Simple wooden bridges traverse the drainage areas and wooden
benches are placed in appropriate shady areas in the open space, along with a few picnic
tables and litter bins. Wooden bollards with low level lighting are placed at well spaced
intervals along the pathway to avoid any glare or over-lighting.
The
simplicity of the landscaping concept, in general, highlights the natural river corridor
with its large riverine trees and bush clusters. The planting plan supplements the
existing riverine vegetation, and planting in the public areas is required to be
indigenous – preferably with plants native to the area. The homeowners are provided
with a pamphlet produced by Drummond which recommends that local indigenous species be
used in their private gardens so as to extend the natural ambience of the framework
planting in public areas on the estate. Describing the benefits of planting indigenous,
Drummond points out that local plants provide habitat and food for local birds, insects
and small mammals and are drought resistant and generally hardy. A list of exotic species
is also provided to ensure that gardeners that choose to combine these species with
indigenous species steer clear of invasive aliens.
Drummond
said that the sewer line which was originally designed along the river frontage, according
to the standard practice of locating it within a meter or so of the lower stand boundary,
had been pulled back to the roadside. The pipe had to be laid in a deeper trench, at extra
cost to the developers, because it was rerouted higher up the slope.
Dainfern
Valley’s river boundaries are protected by a three-way security system recommended by
security consultant Gareth Land. There are static cameras that monitor the river area over
a 24 hour period and special pan, tilt and zoom cameras that are pre-programmed to ‘patrol’
the crossings and are linked to the infrared wall and electric fence which secure the
river area. The infrared security wall detects, monitors and records movement on both
sides of the river.
In
conclusion, Drummond commented that the river had been turned from a deterrent into an
attraction – it had become the primary focus of the development, and he said that he
hoped this project would encourage others to rehabilitate their areas of river frontage.
Project team
Client: Dainfern East Joint Venture (Pty) Ltd (partners – Hofmann Bray,
Wray Harris and Broll Properties)
Environmental assessment and EMP: Rob Taylor & Associates
Landscape architect: John Drummond Landscape Architects
Town planners: APS PlanAfrica
Consulting civil engineers: James Croswell & Associates
Civil contractor: P&R Construction
Landscape contractors: (river area) Top Turf Contracts (streetscapes) Tinus Gardens
Hard landscaping: Art Landscapes
Turf consultant: Susan Allen of Sakata Mayford
Security consultant: Gareth Land of Syd-e-Land
-----
Green open space in Alexandra
Seven
new parks in Alexandra, Johannesburg
Landscape
architects Outer Space Planning and Design are involved in the design of seven new parks
in Alexandra. These are just some of a greater number of sites identified for open space
development in the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) that was prepared by
Environomics as a base reference for the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP). Sam Mhlungu and
Alan Cooper of Outer Space spoke to Leigh Darroll about the plans for the different sites
and some of the challenges of these ongoing projects.
The seven
parks are located in various precincts of Alexandra, predominantly east of the Jukskei
River, and each is currently at a different stage of design, construction or completion.
The first two parks, on ‘island’ sites in the village of Tsutsumani in Far East
Bank, were commissioned on a design and build basis and are almost complete and already in
use. A sequence of four parks is to be established following one of the main tributaries
that runs through the East Bank into the Jukskei and extending along a stretch of the
river. The seventh park is a continuation of green open space already established in the
suburb of River Park in the southeast quarter of Alex, along another tributary of the
Jukskei.
Two parks in Tsutsumani
The client’s brief, informed by the EMF and related community
consultations, called for a children’s play park on a site accessed off Guinea Bissau
Street and, a block away on Nigeria Street, a passive recreation park for adults, also on
an island site bordered by roadways. Both these parks are already well used.
The play
park is designed to cater for young children living in the neighbourhood, providing play
equipment and a trim park or jungle gym. The park is fenced – for the safety of the
children – and is designed for low maintenance. Around the flat gravelled area where
the play equipment is installed, about two-thirds of the site is grassed, with
fast-growing kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), and the earth has been moulded into berms
to discourage older children from playing games like soccer in this park. Metal benches
provide seating for parents or caretakers while they watch their children at play.
The adult
recreation park is, in part, more formally structured and provides a natural gathering
place for the community. Concrete and timber benches are built around a giant chessboard,
cast in concrete at ground level. There are also built-in boards for other indigenous
games such as moraba-raba and moruba. Undulating grassed areas offer space to while-away
an afternoon with friends or family, or just to watch the passersby. A number of
indigenous trees have also been introduced to this park. The landscape architects selected
sturdy and fairly fast-growing species – such as Wild Olive (Olea europaea subsp.
africana), White Karree (Rhus pendulina) and White Stinkwood (Celtis africana) – that
could survive with minimal maintenance and in time will provide shade and a habitat for
birds and insects. The water supply point installed on site requires a hose to be fixed to
it and the trees and grass can then be watered by hand.
The
construction contract for these two parks was shared amongst five local contractors who
were selected from the ARP roster of contractors and service providers, also taking
account of the requirement that 80% of labour in all ARP contracts must come from
Alexandra. The contractors, however, were inexperienced in landscape construction and did
not at first understand the plans. This resulted in considerable time delays in
implementation. The trim park equipment remains to be installed in the play park.
Mhlungu says
that this experience has led to a different contracting procedure being adopted for the
other parks. At the East Bank park and River Park, where landscaping is currently under
way, a formal tendering process was followed and this will apply similarly to the parks
still to be constructed. The process encourages established contractors to team up with
emerging local businesses in partnerships or joint ventures and the 80% local labour
requirement – with an emphasis on employment for women and youth – is
maintained. Mhlungu notes that the desire for employment throughout Alex is so high that
in localities where renewal projects are taking place the people of that ward are actively
protecting the job opportunities for themselves and their neighbours.
A wetland park
A wetland park and bird sanctuary are planned for the upper reaches of the
Jukskei tributary which threads through further planned parks in the Far East Bank and
East Bank suburbs down to the river. The plans for this park, including an Environmental
Management Plan (EMP), are currently with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture,
Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs, for approval. The wetland exists, covering an
area near the N3 highway that forms the eastern border to Alexandra, but is in a poor
state – infested by alien vegetation. The water quality is also negatively affected
by the Linbro Park landfill site, on the other side of the N3. (Improvement of water
quality in the Jukskei and its tributaries is one of the concerns of the Spatial Planning
& Environment Team in the ARP. Water quality monitoring points have been set up at
five sites along the Jukskei and its tributaries and baseline measurements have already
been taken.)
The
intention is to clear the alien vegetation and rehabilitate the wetland with the
construction – along the course of the tributary – of a silt trap, a rocky patch
to aerate the water, a sandy bank with reeds for filtration and a small dam. The
surrounding land, bordered by houses on the south and Skeen Primary School on the north,
slopes gently to the watercourse and will be grassed, to encourage people to spend time
here – with a picnic, or strolling along the circular footpath which is to be built.
A timber and thatch bird hide is also planned and it is envisaged that the wetland could
be used as an educational facility by the neighbouring school and others in the vicinity.
The park will be fenced, to keep unattended children away from the dam, to signal that it
is a protected area and prevent it from being used as a thoroughfare, and to prevent
illegal dumping along the waterway.
East Bank park
Below the wetland park and separated from it by a north-south road, is the East
Bank park. The intervention in this open space is minimal. This is partly a result of
budget constraints but is also driven by a desire simply to upgrade the environment and
encourage its use for various recreational activities, rather than imposing a specific
use.
Existing
pedestrian movement patterns have been observed and footpaths are being formalised with
bricked edges and gravelled walkways. There has been some grass planting and new Celtis
saplings are taking root. Concrete bollards have been installed along the street edges of
the park and robust outdoor furniture – table-benches, seats, bins and braai stands
– are positioned in favoured gathering places around established trees.
On the banks of the Jukskei – Phase 1 & 2
The open space along the lowest stretch of the tributary (separated from the East Bank
park again by a roadway) and land southward edging the Jukskei, has also been set aside
for parks. This area has recently been cleared of shacks which had been built perilously
close to river.
The
designated parkland stretches from the tributary, along the east bank of the river, as far
as Roosevelt Road, one of the main east-west routes traversing Alex; this area constitutes
Phase 2. From the Roosevelt Road bridge it continues along the east and west banks to the
point where a pedestrian bridge crosses the river at the East Bank Clinic and Community
Hall, and thereafter it follows a swathe along the west bank as far as London Road, which
marks the southern boundary of Alexandra; this area constitutes Phase 1.
Although it
will be implemented in phases and by different contractors, this park has been designed
holistically, in a way that leads from a more structured landscape along the river’s
edge to one less structured along the tributary.
The
landscape plan includes gravel footpaths and a concrete track for cycling and jogging,
wide enough to admit two-way traffic. The ground surface is rough and difficult to work as
it contains a lot of loose rubble and construction and other waste. Budgets do not allow
for major earthworks and while some levelling will take place, planting of veld grasses
along the river’s edge and of a kikuyu and Cynodon mix on the ‘inland’
ground will, in the main, simply cover and knit the uneven earth. Tree planting, in
clusters, will be limited to a few indigenous species, as used in the Tsutsumani parks.
Some braai
areas with built-in furniture are envisaged, as well as equipped play areas for children.
One of the important aspects of this park is the aim to involve artists from the Alex
community. Although the word is out and preliminary discussions have been held, the way in
which these contracts will be managed is still to be decided with Johannesburg City Parks.
Entrance murals, sculptures, mosaics in the pathways and play areas, and artworks from
recycled materials are just some of the possibilities being considered.
At the
northwest corner of the park, below the Altrek sports facility north of the tributary and
abutting the fenced-off Alexandra cemetery, a memorial forest or garden is planned. While
some tree planting has already taken place here – organised by Food & Trees for
Africa during the World Summit – the details of this component remain to be
finalised.
River Park
The suburb of River Park in southeast Alexandra was built as a rapid housing
project in the early ’90s to accommodate residents who were displaced from their
homes in what had become an extremely violent zone – still known as Beirut. The
parkland here borders the southernmost tributary to the Jukskei in Alexandra and
landscaping currently taking place extends the park eastward from its initial phase
closest to the river. It is worth noting that this tributary is one of the cleanest in the
township, which can be partly attributed to the fact that formal housing has been
maintained in this area. The main pollutants come from upstream industrial runoff, outside
of Alex.
The
extension work continues the landscape design of the existing park in many respects,
keeping a consistent openness. Footpaths follow contour lines or clear destination routes
and pedestrian bridges are built to cross the tributary where this is indicated by
established movement patterns. The land has been minimally reshaped and manual labour
– employing men and women from the community – is being used to prepare the
ground for instant lawn, to level the pathways and to plant trees. The brick-edged
walkways will be grassed and gravelled – with the effect that the grass grows through
the gravel, knitting it together, to provide a softer tread than gravel alone.
The team
Client: Alexandra Renewal Project Johannesburg City Parks
Project managers: Asch Consulting
Consulting engineers: Simenya Furumele Consulting
Landscape architects: Outer Space Planning & Design
Landscaping contractors: R&D Contractors (East Bank Park) Tsems Investments (River
Park)
The Alexandra Renewal
Project
The ARP is a massive undertaking involving national, provincial and local
government, the Alexandra community, and private sector, non-government and
community-based organisations. Launched in 2001 it is to be implemented over seven years.
Alexandra
was proclaimed a native township in 1912 and today is home to about 350 000 people.
Unemployment rates are around 60% and poverty is widespread. A lack of urban management
has resulted in residents ignoring building regulations and zoning laws. There are high
levels of nonpayment for local government services and housing. Overcrowding and extremely
high densities place a major strain on engineering and social infrastructure, resulting in
unhealthy living conditions and high levels of social stress and crime.
With a
budget of R1,3 billion from national government and additional funding committed by
Gauteng and the City of Johannesburg, the ARP aims to change the physical, social and
economic environment of Alexandra radically.
Website: www.alexandra.co.za
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Surface water management on urban
golf course
Inanda
Greens, Johannesburg
“The
purpose of the surface water management scheme at Inanda Greens, which is a Classic 9 hole
Par 3 golf course situated within an office park development and serving as a recreational
amenity for the tenants, was to use the central water feature of the course, designed by
Rob O’ Friel, to achieve two complementary goals: to mitigate the environmental
impacts that development has on the stormwater regime in the catchment and to take
advantage of the fact that stormwater is a resource to be used, not a waste product to be
disposed of as rapidly as possible,” comments Chris Brooker.
Urban
development has numerous interlinked impacts on the surface and groundwater regime. Total
volume of run¬off is increased with runoff frequency rising from about once a year (in a
typical grassland catchment) to about sixty times per year (from hard urban surfaces).
Spate flows increase in magnitude and frequency and rare floods may increase in magnitude.
Water quality can deteriorate. Changes take place in the flux sediment regime, streams
become more erosive and capable of carrying more sediment, but the availability of
sediment from the catchment is often reduced, resulting in more rapid erosion of stream
channels. Stream base flow patterns change, ephemeral streams may become perennial because
of leaky water pipes or sewers but, more often, base flow is reduced. Rapid and extreme
temperature fluctuations can occur, putting severe stress on aquatic organisms.
Opportunities for groundwater recharge are reduced – a problem often exacerbated by
the use of borehole water for irrigation.
At Inanda
Greens, an environmentally conscious developer provided the catalyst for a surface water
management scheme that enabled most of these impacts to be minimised or totally avoided.
All
stormwater runoff from the upper part of the site is directed to the main pond in the
centre of the golf course. The top metre of depth of this pond provides temporary
detention storage to attenuate flood hydrographs to the predevelopment values. But, before
the detention storage is utilised, the stormwater has to fill the pond to overflow
threshold level, and it is this volume that provides the greatest environmental and
financial benefit.
The water
stored here is used to irrigate the course and landscaping around the buildings and,
because this use is continually lowering the level of the water, spill takes place very
seldom. The total volume and frequency of runoff from the site are maintained very close
to predevelopment levels, and irrigation water soaking down through the soil will help
recharge the local groundwater.
The very
efficient use of the small storage volume available has made an average yield of nearly 9
000 m3 of irrigation water per year possible from a catchment area of 3,2 ha. Careful
management of the irrigation system, to apply just the right amount of water at just the
right time, allows about half of the total irrigation requirement to be met by direct
rainfall, while about half of the rest is supplied by the stormwater harvesting system
with the balance being municipal water. The value of this harvested stormwater translates
into a considerable financial saving. At the current water tariff and sewage surcharge for
businesses in Johannesburg, the saving is about R100 000 per year, or a present value of
over R600 000 over a 20 year period.
The
construction of the pond itself is also unique in South Africa. The very tight space
required the pond to be deep with steep sides and because of the sandy soil, waterproofing
was imperative – however, the anticipated large fluctuations in water level made an
aesthetic treatment of the walls essential. An exposed smooth waterproofing membrane was
therefore not an option.
The solution
was to build geofabric reinforced soil walls faced with a plantable concrete block
retaining wall (Terraforce), inside a waterproofing membrane. A 1000 micron VFPE
(polyethylene) membrane was used for its ease of installation and resistance to puncturing
during construction. This membrane was draped down the near vertical faces of the pond
excavation, welded insitu, and locked into place by the mass of the soil gravity retaining
wall built up in the specially shaped keyway within the basin. A heavy needle punched
geofabric helped to prevent damage to the membrane during compaction of the gravity wall
while a sand drain in the fill will dissipate pore pressures as the pond water level
fluctuates. Careful selection of the soil used to construct the reinforced fill will
ensure that it re¬tains its shear strength under saturated conditions and is not flushed
out of the blocks as the water level falls.
Water
quality in the system is maintained by circulation and biofiltering. Water from the main
pond is pumped up though an upflow stone filter and allowed to cascade turbulently back
down along a rocky channel of about 100m in length. Anaerobic water pumped from the bottom
of the pond will be cleaned as it passes through the biofilter and aerated as it tumbles
down the cascade.
O’
Friel, who has designed a number of Classic Par 3 courses (see ‘Fourways Golf Park’
in Nov/Dec 2000 issue of UGF) comments that there is a definite set of principles that
characterise his short courses: quality playing surfaces, stormwater harvesting, USGA
specification greens, holes under 100m in length and careful shaping to create interest.
At Inanda, with office buildings in such close proximity, safety is an important
consideration and the mounding is very steep so that it will absorb golf shots. The kikuyu
surface has been kept to the minimum because of the difficulty of mowing the steep slopes,
and there are large areas of the veld grass, Eragrostis curvula (Weeping Love Grass),
serving as rough.
The narrow
course (50m wide and 600m in length) was carefully designed on paper and pegged out prior
to the start of the cut and fill process which involved a matter of balance, as expense
prohibited the importing and exporting of material, except the required amount of topsoil.
After the basic contouring had been instated, Ryan O’ Conner, a professional shaper,
was brought in to add the final touches to ensure the playability of the course. The steep
mounding, other than providing security, establishes the character of the course and
enables stormwater collection.
The overall
drainage of the site has been carefully calculated and because of the rapid series of
mounds and hollows, runoff on the course will not need to drain further than 20-25m. Turf
areas will therefore be protected from fast flowing water with its silt build-up which can
damage surfaces and destroy drainage functioning. The subsurface drainage system is
designed to catch as much runoff as possible for recycling purposes and a series of small
catch basins across the site are fitted with drainage inlets at their lowest points. The
subsurface network of pipes leads to the irrigation storage pond.
The aeration
of the greens is done by means of the so called Sub-Air vacuum and pressure unit, imported
from the USA, which utilises the subsurface drainage system. The unit allows the removal
of excess gravitational water from the greens, along with any toxic gas and salt build-up.
This process moderates the temperature of the root zone and saves water in summer as it
precludes syringing of the greens for cooling purposes. The regular aeration by means of
this unit, which is operated at least once a week, creates a state whereby the greens are
able to function under aerobic rather than anaerobic conditions – and are therefore
easier to manage. Thatch is kept under control because micro-biological activity is kept
high.
Website for Sub-Air: www.subairsystem.com
Project team
Client: Inclub Properties Pty (Ltd)
Project manager: Tiber Projects
Golf course architect: Robert O’ Friel
Golf Course Design
Water management engineers: CBA Specialist Engineers
Quantity surveyor: MLC
Civil engineers: Arup
Structural engineers: Ellmer Partnership
Electrical engineers: Rawlins, Wales and
Partners
Architects: Moross and Partners BK Architects (Pretoria)
Landscape contractor: Top Turf Contracts
Irrigation dam construction: Form Four Construction |
