Contents of October 2003

EDITORIAL
Forests, alien invaders and the Botanical Society

UPFRONT
News

TREES OF THE ISSUE
Trees of the Cape’s Afromontane forests

IDENTIFYING INVADERS

FEATURES

The 2003 IAIAsa National Premium Awards

Biological control of alien invaders

What value heritage?

Empowering public space

Renewing the Newlands Forest

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EDITORIAL

Forests, alien invaders and the Botanical Society
News from the international financing organisation, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), released during the World Forestry Congress held in late September in Quebec City, Canada, reports that $777 million dollars in grants have been provided by GEF for nearly 150 environmental projects to promote the conservation and management of forest ecosystems, in an effort to address pressing environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss and climate change. Forests are the most threatened of the Earth’s ecosystems. In the 1990s, more than 90 million hectares of forest were lost at a rate of nearly 25 000 hectares a day.

One of the projects GEF is supporting in a developing country is the ‘ecomarkets’ project in Costa Rica. This project supports the government’s progressive forestry laws by giving forest owners in buffer zones and interconnected biological corridors market based incentives to protect forest related ecosystem services. A healthy forest ecosystem provides many ecological services that have great economic value, including nutrient cycling, flood and storm protection, hydrological services, climate regulation and soil maintenance.

Newlands Forest in the Cape Peninsula National Park has been targeted for an innovative rehabilitation project involving seed collection of forest species and propagation of plant material to plant back into degraded areas of the forest (see page 32). It is a highly ambitious project, as the rehabilitation of one hectare of forest is reputed to require the planting of about 1000 trees.

The Inaugural Research Symposium of the Working for Water Programme was held at Kirstenbosch, adjacent to Newlands Forest, during August this year and served to highlight ongoing research related to the multi-faceted nature of Working for Water’s work and to elicit responses from the broader research community in relation to the huge problem of alien invasive plants. This issue of UGF looks at the research area of biological control (see page 18), just one of six focus areas covered by the symposium.

According to environmental consultant Marlene Laros (now of ML&A Sustainability Matters) who presented the results of the external evaluation of the Working for Water (WfW) Programme, done by Common Ground (Pty) Ltd, the achievements of the social development aspect of the programme have included the provision of 12 000 person years of employment per year for the past seven years, while 60% of the jobs provided by WfW are allocated to women, 20% to the youth and 2% to the disabled. The evaluation also reported that WfW provided employment in areas where there were very few job opportunities, resulting in cash injections into local communities and largely poor communities. On average about 30% of the total budget was found to go directly to unskilled workers in the form of wages. Other achievements of WfW’s social development programme were found to be the provision of training, peer education and information on HIV/AIDS. The programme has formed partnerships to deliver improved health care, sponsor créches and reintegrate offenders into society. The evaluation cited WfW as one of the most successful poverty relief programmes in South Africa.

The opportunities created by WfW’s secondary industries (enterprises that make unique products from the vegetation removed during clearing operations), mentioned in the external evaluation, were elaborated upon at the symposium by Doreen Februarie of Nosipho Consulting. She reported on an evaluation carried out by a consortium, comprising KPMG, the Forestry Department of the University of Stellenbosch, Edward Nathan Friedland and Nosipho Consulting, which was appointed to act as a Transaction Advisor to WfW’s secondary industries programme. The consortium visited and evaluated sixteen small business initiatives. Subsequent to the evaluation, a programme of training and mentoring was initiated focussing on small business management, product development, technical skills, capacity building and marketing.

A small brochure put out by WfW reveals some of the products being manufactured and sold by these secondary industries: screens and blinds; décor items for lifestyle shops; indoor and outdoor furniture; fencing arches and other garden furnishings; wooden educational toys; and firewood, charcoal and woodchips. Februarie, in her talk, highlighted four small business that were making use of the products of clearing, namely: Invader Crafts, Planet Wise Products, Droomboom and Po Land Woodwork. Black Wattle and Syringa are two of the woods being used to make furniture. Februarie said that the ideal would be to be able to make use of the whole tree, not just the bark and the wood. (UGF will be looking at some of these industries in an article in a future issue.)

One of the fears related to the lucrative use of material from invasive alien plants is that this may set up a demand for the invader, thereby creating a conflict of interests (see page 19). The benefits, however, are the creation of extra jobs through the collecting and processing of the plant material; reducing the net cost of clearing, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the WfW programme; and minimising potential negative environmental impacts, such as fire damage, by leaving less biomass behind after clearing.

The Botanical Society of South Africa is celebrating 90 years of its existence this year and UGF would like to offer the society its congratulations. From its beginnings at Kirstenbosch in 1913, the ‘BotSoc’ has gone from strength to strength and now has a membership of 20 000 people in total and 16 branches, country¬wide. The branches associated with the eight National Botanical Gardens actively support these gardens and along with the others raise awareness and support the conservation of our rich floral heritage.
(For more information about the society contact: Dr David McDonald. Email: davemcd@botanicalsociety.org.za

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UPFRONT

Silvermine Flood Control Scheme wins Civil Engineering Award
The City of Cape Town’s Lower Silvermine Flood Control Scheme has been adjudicated the overall winner of the South African Institution of Civil Engineers (SAICE) Western Cape Branch Award for Excellence in Civil Engineering in 2003.

The result of the R6,2 million rehabilitation project has been the significant reduction of flood risk in the area, the removal of alien vegetation, the re-establishment of indigenous vegetation as well as the creation of a valuable recreational and educational amenity for the benefit of the Fish Hoek community. A diverse habitat has been created which can support a variety of fauna, making a tangible contribution to the conservation of the Lower Silvermine River.

An integral part of the project was local community participation. The initial concept and design went through a full public participation process as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Fish Hoek Northern Bypass Implementation Plan. An Environmental Liaison Committee was established to approve the final designs, resulting in regular contact with local residents and community organisations, enabling the local community to participate in the project from its inception.

With the project complete, the local community has taken up the day-to-day maintenance challenge ensuring that the area is kept free of litter and alien vegetation.

All casual and unskilled labourers were drawn from the local community. To assist with local job-creation, unemployed persons were employed to maintain the landscaping during the maintenance periods. These workers received horticultural and general environmental training, both formal and ‘on the job’, during the implementation of the project.

The award is just recognition for the holistic approach to river management being promoted by the City of Cape Town. This project also gained finalist status in the recent Green Trust Awards.
Contact Mark Obree, Head: Catchment Management, City of Cape Town. Tel: 021 487 2205

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
REEEP was initiated at the WSSD in Johannesburg by the UK Government and its main aim is to accelerate and expand the global market for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. REEEP is a multi-stakeholder partnership of progressive governments which will provide a vehicle for translating political commitments into concrete actions. It is open to all partners, including business and civil society organisations, working together to deliver their own sustainability objectives. A global consultation process is being carried out in eight regions around the world, which is focussed on specific actions in three key areas: policy and regulations, innovative finance and communications.

Sustainable energy benefits include: Energy Security – dependence on imported fossil fuels leaves many countries vulnerable, while increased use of efficient renewables improves energy security by developing local sources thereby avoiding dependency on imported fuels, and by diversifying energy portfolios and suppliers; Economic Development – lack of access to sustainable energy puts constraints on development opportunities and improvement of living conditions, while renewables and energy efficiency systems increase GDP growth by improving economic and environmental performance, enhancing technological innovation and creating new commercial opportunities; Social Equity – deploying distributed energy generation and modern renewable systems will help achieve more equitable access to energy services and create new job opportunities, especially in rural areas where they are most needed; Environmental Protection – most current energy generation and use results in serious health and environmental impacts at local, regional and global levels (which includes climate change) and these impacts threaten the well being of humans and ecosystems, whereas accelerating energy efficiency improvements and deploying renewables results in significantly lower or zero environmental pollution.  

A REEEP regional consultation meeting for Southern Africa was organised by Cape Town based AGAMA Energy and the REEEP Secretariat and held in the Magaliesberg in July this year. The meeting brought together prospective partners, discussed policy and regulatory priorities for advancing renewable and energy efficiency systems and developed a work programme for the Partnership in the region.
Contact Mark Harris at AGAMA Energy. Tel: (021) 701 7052. Website: www.agama.co.za  Website: www.reeep.org

The National Trust’s international initiative for heritage survival
Continually seeking to create closer links with conservation groups world¬wide and with more than 3 million members, the UK-based National Trust (the largest conservation organisation in Europe) has in its care more than 242 000ha of countryside, castles, historic houses and nature reserves. Ways of preserving treasured stretches of coastline that could be under threat from development rank high on the agenda of many countries.

For this reason specialist groups from Spain, Portugal, France and Finland have been going to the UK, under the auspices of the National Trust, to benefit from its wide experience of owning and maintaining 960km of coastline. Initiatives by the visitors have included the study of grazing, farm management and the likely role of communities in preservation. In exchange, three groups from the UK have worked on separate tasks in Spain, Portugal and Finland, including the possibilities of sustainable tourism, best methods of coastal protection, management of natural systems, water quality issues and planning of land use. 

The European Exchange Program¬me is a key element of the National Trust’s international initiative, offering heritage practitioners the chance of gleaning valuable experience from other countries. Visits have been paid to gardens in the county of Cornwall by conservation experts from the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. They learned ways in which gardens could be managed to cope with increasing visitor numbers without losing their essential character. As a result of meeting staff from several gardens and nurseries, participants felt that education initiatives and facilities for the disabled could well be duplicated in their own countries. National Trust staff went on a similar quest to the countries of their guests and learned ways to encourage visitors to stay on well-surfaced paths or to view gardens from boats on specially constructed waterways.

The love of gardens is a particular British characteristic and an estimated 27 million people in the UK engage in some form of gardening with a significant number of these being attracted to National Trust holdings – an impressive array of 200 gardens and landscaped parks. The National Trust is setting up a conservation project to monitor wildlife in its gardens. The intention of involving domestic gardeners in protecting the natural environment is shown by the Trust’s plea to avoid using peat. In a bid to stem the deprivation of peat bogs, the Trust has come up with a viable peat free compost that sells at its plant centres and through independent nurseries.

There is recognition that the UK climate is likely to change significantly over coming years with a profound impact on the Trust’s properties. Heritage gardens might be particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, drought and more frequent storms. Because of such factors, the National Trust is keen to investigate effective water conservation measures such as soil mulching and rainwater harvesting.

Country estate commended in greening and architectural awards
The Arabella Country Estate near Hermanus in the Western Cape has been awarded a special commendation for corporations and corporate foundations in the Mail & Guardian’s Greening the Future 2003 awards.

Its eco-friendly policy to preserve the existing environment and continue monitoring and managing the fragile ecosystem of the area satisfied the panel which was looking for projects that make a difference.

The Arabella Country Estate comprises the 5-star Western Cape Hotel and its AltiraSpa, as well as the internationally top-rated Arabella golf course and residential development. It is located within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (Transition Zone). It is also situated on the sensitive Bot River estuary adjacent to the Rooisand Nature Reserve which will be cleaned up and managed by Arabella under a mandate from Western Cape Nature Conservation authorities.

“The status quo of the environment is critical,” says Jasper van der Westhuizen, manager of the Arabella Country Estate. “We take our position very seriously, not only because we are probably the only estate in a UNESCO-recognised Biosphere Reserve in the country but because we believe in the principles of conservation and sustainable development.”

The estate and Rooisand area provide a home to endangered species like the Micro Frog as well as other animals like wild cats, wild horses and buck, and to unique fynbos with numerous endemic species.

Arabella SA Holding was recently awarded ISO 9001 for the Western Cape Hotel & Spa, the Arabella Golf Course, the Paulaner Microbrewery and Restaurant and Blaauwklippen Hospitality; while the Arabella Country Estate was awarded ISO 14001 for the second time.

Van der Westhuizen says this is as a result of its continuous adherence to aspects of the Environmental Management System covering sewage, water, fertilisers, herbicide and pesticides, as well as waste management and landscaping. Environmental controls also apply to residents, visitors and contractors to ensure that the estate does not pollute the environment. Concern for the environment extends to the Helderberg Wild Animal Rescue Centre for abused animals which Arabella Country Estate assists by releasing rehabilitated animals onto its grounds.

The Western Cape Hotel and Spa was awarded a regional commendation by the Cape Institute of Architecture and nominated for consideration in the South African Institute of Architecture’s national merit awards. GAP Architects and Urban Designers were briefed to design a building to blend into the environmentally sensitive reserve.
Website: www.sheraton.com 

Silvermine Nature Reserve launches boardwalk for disabled
The well-utilised Silvermine Nature Reserve on the Cape Peninsula, which has a series of hiking, horse riding and mountain biking trails, recently launched a new boardwalk that is accessible to people in wheelchairs. The 650m long boardwalk traverses the popular trail around the Silvermine reservoir, which is fed by the Silvermine River and was constructed in 1898. The reserve attracts an average of 53 000 tourists every year and, in the entire area (both West and East Silvermine, which fall within the Cape Peninsula National Park), almost 900 fynbos species have been recorded. A number of these are endemic and some, like Mimetes hirtus, are rare and threatened possibly to the point of local extinction.

Speaking at the launch, Maxwell Moss who is a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and who is wheelchair bound, enjoyed the fact that he could actively participate in the environment at Silvermine. He said that he hoped the project would help to promote universal access to tourist attractions across the country. He was delighted that mobility impaired visitors could now also enjoy the experience of Silvermine and commended SA National Parks for the work that they had done, but added that a marketing campaign would be needed to ensure that people were aware of the accessible facility at Silvermine. 
Contact CPNP. Email:  capepeninsula@parks-sa.co.za Website: www.cpnp.co.za

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TREES OF THE ISSUE

Trees of the Cape’s Afromontane forests
Instead of our regular ‘Tree of the Issue’ column, this issue takes a visual look at five of the trees that grow in the indigenous Newlands Forest patches. Some of these also grow in biomes other than the Afromontane forest but they are featured here to illustrate the kinds of trees the Seed Collection project is growing to help restore the Newlands Forest. All of these trees were photographed in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden which is adjacent to the Newlands Forest and are likely to be of the same genetic stock as those in the Forest (see Seed Collection article on page 32 of this issue).

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IDENTIFYING INVADERS

Acacia cyclops
This shrub or small tree which is invasive in the western and southern Cape, where it forms large stands that eliminate indigenous vegetation, is commonly called Rooikrans. It invades fynbos, forest gaps, dunes and watercourses. The seed, which is long lived and produced in large quantities, is very distinctive, resembling the single eye of the Cyclops, outlined in red seed stalks. The leaves have an upright growth habit. Rooikrans is a Category 2 invader which was introduced from Australia in the 19th century to stabilise the shifting sands of the Cape Flats. Category 2 plants may not occur on any land surface except in specially licensed demarcated areas, where they are being cultivated for commercial purposes (usually as a fodder plant, for firewood or for the production of charcoal) and reasonable steps are being taken to control their spread.

Melanterius servulus is a seed-feeding weevil which was successfully released in 1994 and established as a biological control agent on Acacia cyclops. It has done considerable damage to the weed. Dasineura dielsi is a gall midge which was released less than a year ago and has proved to be an extremely efficient disperser as it is already widespread over the Western Cape. The midge curtails seed production effectively as it cripples the seed pods of the Rooikrans.

Acacia longifolia
Commonly known as the Long-leaved Wattle, this tree from Australia, which is now widespread through the eastern half of the country, was first introduced in 1827 but only became evidently problematic in the mid 1940s. Acacia longifolia invades fynbos, woodland and water¬courses. It has cylindrical, bright yellow flowerheads. It is a declared Category 1 weed and forms dense stands transforming natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Category 1 weeds need to be eradicated on any land surface.

A substantial degree of biological control has been achieved with the bud galling wasp, Trichilogaster acaciaelongifolia released in 1982 that is causing extensive damage to the weed. The smooth galls are large and green turning brown and they replace the leaf and flower buds, reducing seed set. Although the wasp has devastating effects (including tree mortalities) at coastal sites, it has limited effectiveness in the cooler, elevated inland regions. Substantial control has also been achieved with the seed-feeding weevil Melanterius ventralis introduced in 1985. The seed feeder is apparently especially useful in destroying seeds on plants along riverbanks where in spite of the presence of T. acaciaelongifoliae, the Long-leaved Wattle is able to produce almost six pods per branch, compared with the one pod per 10 branches on drier mountain slopes.

Acacia saligna
This shrub or tree is commonly called the Port Jackson Willow and it is seriously invasive in the western and southern Cape, where it forms large stands that eliminate indigenous vegetation. The leaves are pendulous. It invades fynbos, woodland, coastal dunes and watercourses. Veld fires stimulate germination of the large quantities of long-lived seeds, which are dispersed by birds animals and human activities. Clive Bromilow reports (Problem Plants of South Africa) that the seeds are transported in sand used for roads and building purposes and these seeds have even germinated on painted concrete walls. Port Jackson, which was introduced from Australia as a stabiliser of loose sand, is a Category 2 invader and may be planted in demarcated controlled areas, as it is still considered to have commercial value as a stabilising agent and source of fodder and firewood.

Partial success has been achieved with two biocontrol agents on Port Jackson which has reduced it by 15-20% in importance. The plant is generally considered to be less vigorous and the seed bank has been reduced. Large brown galls caused by an introduced rust fungus, Uromycladium tepperianum, are invariably evident on Port Jackson. It appears that in combination with environmental stress (drought) this biocontrol does extensive damage to the weed causing populations to collapse and in some areas the weed can be considered to be under complete control. It has been suggested that the complete removal of all the dead trees from an area where the population has been decimated, because of a potential fire hazard, is working against the success of the biocontrol, as some spores are needed to re-infect emerging seedlings.

Invasive but not declared
Eucalyptus gomphocephala
According to Robin Adair, a researcher from the Keith Turnbull Research Station, Department of Primary Industries in Victoria, Australia, who has been seconded to the PPRI for the past three years to carry out research on gall midges (see Acacia cyclops) that reduce seed production in Australian Acacia species, this Eucalypt, commonly known as Tuart, is very invasive in South Africa. He expresses surprise that it is not a declared invader.

The photographs of these capsules were taken at the Saldanha Naval Base where these trees have been ring-barked as part of a programme to rid the site of invasive species.

Information in UGF’s regular column to help with the identification of invasive species is obtained from the ARC – Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), the African Entomology Memoir of June 1999 – Biological control of weeds in South Africa (1990-1998), Lesley Henderson’s Alien Weeds and Invasive Plants and Clive Brom¬low’s Problem Plants of South Africa.

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The 2003 IAIAsa National Premium Award
The Skorpion Zinc Project (winner); Kenilworth Racecourse precinct (runner up); N3 Toll Road (runner up).

The 2003 IAIAsa National Premium Award
The Skorpion Zinc Project
Last year the International Association for Impact Assessment South African chapter (IAIAsa) reinstated the annual National Premium Award (previously awarded by EPPIC) to recognise excellence in southern 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 (see article on winner in UGF Nov/Dec 2002).

This year Anglo Base Metals’ Skorpion Zinc Project was judged to be the winner, out of three finalists. The Skorpion Zinc mine and refinery is located on a greenfields site in a remote area of south western Namibia, northwest of the previously unproclaimed village of Rosh Pinah. The virtually pristine area of the site falls into the Sperrgebiet which is at the southern limit of the Namib Desert – a tract of land that has not been developed, with the intention of protecting diamond mining interests. The land hosts the Succulent Karroo biome – the only desert biome on the IUCN’s list of the top 25 biodiversity hotspots.

The other two finalists that were eligible for the award were the N3 Toll Road – Heidelberg to Cedara submitted by Cave Klapwijk & Associates and the N3 Toll Concession (Pty) Ltd; and the office development adjacent to Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town submitted by the Kenilworth Racecourse Environmental Advisory Committee.

The Environmental Assessment (EA), both the Construction and Operations Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) and the Environmental Management System (EMS) of the Skorpion Zinc Project were carried out by the consultants WSP Walmsley (formerly Walmsley Environmental Consultants). Michele Kilbourn Louw was appointed environmental manager for the full duration of the project from feasibility to commissioning stage, while the on site environmental co-ordinator Michelle Yates was appointed to ensure EMP compliance, and was responsible for setting up and implementing the waste management plan. She was provided with a dedicated environmental team of six labourers and a driver to aid her in her task.

The entire environmental assessment process was conducted according to steps outlined in the Namibian EA Policy and was produced to World Bank standards. Throughout the project a strong and highly transparent relationship was maintained with various members of the Department of Environmental Affairs within Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). Approval was given by the MET in June 2000 and the decision to go ahead with the project was made in September of that year. The Skorpion Zinc Project has been used by the MET to illustrate best environmental practice in the country.

In the written submission drawn up for the IAIAsa Award, Skorpion highlighted certain aspects of the environmental assessment and management stages of this extensive project and went through an exercise of self-criticism (in addition to six external audits of the Construction EMP and one of the EMS) to produce a ‘lessons learnt’ aspect to their award entry. ISO 14001 was awarded to the mine and ancillary services in August this year, after the award submission was made. Some of the many highlights, in the assessment and construction phases, are mentioned below.

Environmental management highlights
•            The transparent public participation process at assessment stage developed a sense of trust between government, scientists and the public that remained in evidence throughout the construction phase.
•            The sponsored plant relocation, rescue and propagation trials done by the Namibian Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) provided important information on the vegetation of the area which was used to guide the rehabilitation process. Plants from the relocation and propagation trials were used in the desert house at the NBRI.
•            Responsibility was shown towards conserving Namibia’s heritage. This was exemplified in the mapping of the hunting blind found during the archaeological survey of the site, the investigation of sites on the limestone outcrop and the excavation of potential burial cairns. The project also sponsored the excavation of a cave on Eccles Ridge overlooking Skorpion’s airfield and uncovered hundreds of empty baked snail shells. The use of land snails as a food source for hunter gatherers is the first documented finding of its kind.
•            Conservation of water in this arid area was taken into account in the design of the process to produce dry tailings, and the entire refinery process strives to re-use and recycle as much water as possible. The dry tailings are enclosed within waste rock walls to reduce potential dust.
•            A dome encloses the ore stacker reclaimer and this keeps the desert sand out and prevents ore from being blown away.
•            There was concern about the potential impact of SO2 gas on the diverse and protected succulent vegetation and this resulted in the design and construction of a state-of-the-art, 5-stage catalytic conversion sulphuric acid plant, the stack of which was constructed based on recommendations of the air quality specialists that were part of the EA team.
•            The problem of job seekers was addressed at EA stage and the Skorpion Zinc Project made a decision not to recruit casual labour. All contractors were obliged through the project labour agreement negotiated with various unions to comply with this. This helped to curb the potential influx of aspirant job seekers to an area with few long term job opportunities.
•            Environmental articles were included in virtually all issues of the project’s highly readable monthly newsletter, the Skorpion’s Tale, which was sent to all Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs). The Stings and Stars awarded for environmental misdemeanors and commendable behaviour were sometimes contentious issues but had the desired effect of helping to reinforce required behaviour. Companies who had transgressed or achieved were named, and the number plates of vehicles seen speeding, littering or driving over rehabilitated areas were cited. Highlights mentioned in the newsletter were the paramedic who chased after a vehicle guilty of littering and asked the driver to go back and pick up the litter, and the rescue of animals, including venomous snakes, that were trapped because of construction activities.
•            In an attempt to reduce plastic litter, green cotton canvas shopping bags were made for the project by women’s self-help groups and issued to every household in Rosh Pinah and the informal settlement, all contractors and the Project’s employees.
•            The Project has sponsored a major portion of the refurbishment of the old pont at Sendlingsdrif which will improve access to the Trans-frontier Conservation Park.
•            The Project has been actively involved in regional and local environmental issues such as workshops on the Land Use Plan for the Sperrgebiet, the Succulent Karroo Ecosystem Plan, the Transfrontier Conservation Park, the Huns Ai-Ais Nature Reserve, etc.
•            The Rosh Pinah Environmental Forum (RPEF), which was set up by the Project as an informal body to help mitigate collective construction impacts and to which IAPs could report their concerns, proved to be very useful and even organisations not directly related to the project, such as the Roads Authority, attended meetings and made efforts to conduct their activities in a more environmentally acceptable manner. The RPEF provided input into and raised objections to certain proposed developments in the area.
•            The landscape architects DDV Design Group and the landscaping contractor Greenacres Landscapes produced what was considered an “amazing” desert landscape for the administrative buildings and street intersections in the Skorpion village section of Rosh Pinah, in compliance with the environmental policy which required indigenous vegetation and local materials to be used, and the reduction of water usage through the use of drought tolerant vegetation. Douw van der Merwe of DDV commented that the endemic feature plantings at the admin complex had created an interesting watering dilemma, as every endemic plant had a different water need and had to be maintained accordingly. The turf valve irrigation system allowed certain plants to be watered at certain times only and others to be watered by hand.
•            According to the landscaping policy, rocks and pebbles for the landscaping had to be sourced from bona fide areas and Skorpion’s project manager Norman Green was personally responsible for negotiating the use of pebbles that were the by-products of Namdeb’s diamond sorting, from diamond bearing deposits in former river channels.
•            The Skorpion Zinc Project with over 4 000 workers achieved what was considered a “phenomenal” lost time injury free number of man¬hours of over four million on 15 July 2002. The project had no fatalities and this was considered “even more remarkable” as many of the Namibian labourers had no previous work experience.
•            The project purchased specialist environmental monitoring equipment to support comprehensive monitoring programmes such as air quality monitoring and the monitoring of vegetation to establish the effect of dust and SO2 emissions on the sensitive desert plants.  Some of the vegetation monitoring, which is required by the EMS, is being done by expert scientists from Potchefstroom University by means of a technique that measures plant chlorophyll fluorescence.

Judges’ comments
The panel of judges comprised the consultants Sean O’ Beirne (President of IAIAsa at the time of judging), Andrew Duthie (a past President of IAIAsa) and Santi Meintjies (a past committee member of the IAIAsa Vaal Branch). The judges thought that all the submissions were of a high standard, although some were considered to be somewhat lacking in innovation. The Awards Convenor Nigel Coni commented that the submissions had covered a wide spectrum of EIA related activity and that choosing one winner had not been an easy task.

The Skorpion Zinc Project was adjudged the winner for a number of reasons. One comment was “…the project has applied considerable resources and effort to integrating sustainable development principles into all aspects, both on and off site”. Mention was made of the offsite energy efficient staff housing, the durable replacement shopping bag that all those involved with the project were requested to use and the development of a small business to make furniture from packing cases. Another comment supported the latter observations: “Especially commendable is the follow-through into the daily life of the community, in the form of recycling projects and the exposure of environmental offenders in the newsletter.” Furthermore, the strong evidence of implementation of the EMP that was presented in the submission, along with monitored data, was considered impressive, as was the fact that where EIA recommendations were not working these were adapted to ensure effective implementation – and that both the successes and failures of the EIA and EMP had been honestly evaluated and acknowledged.

The Kenilworth Racecourse office development, one of the runners-up, was considered to be “a good example of a thorough EIA and EMP (both with a high level of detail) for a property development project in a sensitive area requiring rehabilitation and conservation management”. The project was considered to “...illustrate how proper consultation can result in different interested and affected parties working together for the conservation of our natural heritage while simultaneously achieving sustainable development”, in other words “how a highly controversial development was effectively managed to achieve a win-win outcome”.

The N3 Toll Road project, also a runner-up, was adjudged to be: “A good example of best practice in environmental management of major road construction”. Judges comments included the following: “Good execution of EIA and EMP implementation.” “The structure and approach were very good and it was obviously a very well managed project.” The protection and amenity enhancement of the pan adjacent to the road was considered innovative (see article on the conservation of Grootvlei pan in UGF Jan/Feb 2003).

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Biological control of alien invaders
Excerpts from Working for Water’s Research Symposium
The Working for Water Programme is a public-funded initiative of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry aimed at controlling the spread of invasive alien plants in South Africa. Since its inception in 1995, it has grown into a dynamic and extensive programme with an annual budget of R480 million. Working for Water (WfW) helps to conserve our water resources and unique biodiversity – and aims to provide sustainable employment for about 15 000 of SA’s rural poor on an annual basis. It is considered by some to be South Africa’s most successful poverty relief programme.

The multi-faceted nature of the work that the programme is involved in has given rise to six research focus areas which were covered in WfW’s recent Inaugural Research Symposium held at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden’s Old Mutual Conference Centre. The broad research themes are: hydrology, social development, biological control, ecology, natural resource and development economics, and operations management. This article looks at the value of WfW’s focus on biological control

Biological control involves the use of safe effective natural enemies from the weed’s country of origin to reduce its aggressiveness to a manageable level – to bring the weed under control. It has the advantages over chemical and mechanical control of being environmentally benign, affecting only the target weed and causing no pollution or disturbance; and it is a sustainable control method that keeps the target weed under permanent check, without further inputs being required, except possible redistribution of the control agent.

Biological weed control has an excellent track record, particularly in South Africa, where it has not resulted in any unforeseen undesirable ef¬fects. It is a profitable investment, as the annual savings to the country, re¬sulting from just a few of the biocontrol successes of the past, exceed the total cost of the present investment in further research projects by several orders of magnitude. The prospects of biological control giving a lasting cost reduction are very good. The average clearing cost of invading alien trees, using conventional methods, is about R 850/ha (ranging from R 300/ha for sparse stands to R 4 000/ha for dense stands of major problem species). The total cost of clearing the major invading plants in SA, over a period of 20 years, would amount to about R 5,4 billion, when adjusted for inflation and other factors. Biological control could reduce these costs by between 20-30%.

The Foreword of WfW’s Biennial Research Report 2001-2003 states: “We have made significant strides in the field of biological control, where five new biological control agents have been released against some of the worst invasive alien plants, joining the 81 that have already been released, and offering a very real prospect of bringing these species under control in a sustainable way.”

During the symposium, a three-year contract was signed between WfW and the Plant Protection Research Institute of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC-PPRI), in which WfW has agreed to further fund PPRI research into biological control of specific alien invasive plants: with R8 million going towards the control of the subtropical weed spe¬cies, Lantana camara, the Triffid Weed (Chromolaena odorata) and the Barbados Gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata); another R5 million per year will fund research on tree species such as Prosopis spp, certain Eucalyptus species and Jacaranda mimosifolia; while R 6 million per year has been allocated to research into emerging weeds such as the Pom-pom Weed (Campuloclinium macrocephalum), the Balloon Vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum), American Bramble (Rubus cunei¬folius), Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) and Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans). The Weeds Research Division of the ARC-PPRI was recently awarded the NSTF trophy for the organisation that has made the most significant contribution to science and tech¬nology over the past ten years. This was based on its research into weed control.

The CSIR was awarded WfW funding for two biocontrol projects – for selective invasive species in the fynbos region and aquatic weeds, while PPRI staff will also be subcontracted to these projects. Research teams will include scientists and students from Rhodes University and UCT, as well as experts in the countries of origin of the weeds. WfW continues to be the main funder for research into the biocontrol of invasive alien plants in SA.

In his opening address at the symposium, Minister Ronnie Kasrils of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry expressed a strong hope that an effective biological control would be found for the ornamentally valuable Jacaranda, so that it could continue to be utilised. He referred also to the removal of pines from a well known picnic spot, saying that the intention had never been to alienate the public on such issues. (WfW, in consultation with the forestry industry, has funded research mainly in France to find suitable agents to reduce the seeding of invasive pines in SA. Cone feeding weevils are presently in quarantine in the country, undergoing further tests.) Dr Christo Marais, who is WfW’s executive manager: scientific services and one of the leaders of the WfW research team, emphasised the value of biological control by pointing out its successes, saying that the research was so expensive because researchers could not afford to make a mistake and the control agents had to be both suitable and safe.

The keynote address for the section on biological control at the symposium was given by Dr Helmut Zimmermann, Weeds Division Manager – PPRI, who pointed out that the first biocontrol agents had been introduced into SA for various cactus species as far back as 1913. He spoke about the predominance of woody invaders that had been targeted for biological control, saying that because these had originated as forestry and agro-forestry introductions there had been a relatively high incidence of conflicts of interest. He added that plants that could be brought under 100% seed control would be obvious choices for the woodlots of the future.

He explained that no weed had ever been eradicated – but that ways were being found to reduce the impact of invaders so that they did not interfere with ecosystem functioning and agricultural resources. He said that 25% of the biocontrol projects had been complete successes, while 32% had achieved substantial control and only 18% had produced negligible results. He said once an invader had been brought under complete control, mechanical and chemical control measures could be stopped and the money tied up in those measures could be spent elsewhere.

He added that to tackle weeds when they were at the emerging stage was the most cost effective time, as the plant could be brought under control more easily. He cited the total success of the project carried out in the ’70s which had brought St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) under complete control at an early stage of invasion, so that most people would not recognise the weed if they saw it today. He expressed his approval of WfW’s acceptance that research on emerging species made sense and for their provision of the funding to address weeds such as the Pompom Weed, an exploding invader of the grasslands of SA. Cats Claw Creeper (Macfadyena unguis cati), for example, had been considered a good target for biocontrol, as it was very difficult to control by other means, and the work that had been done on it could well stop the weed before it became uncontrollable. He said an agent was due for release on the creeper within the next year.

Zimmerman said that the inception of the WfW Programme in 1995 had significantly enhanced biological weed control in SA through sustainable funding; a well organised implementation programme that had increased the impact of biological control in the field; and improved international co-operation, particularly with other African countries – where assistance was being given with the control of Pan African weeds such as the Water Hyacinth, West Africa’s problem with the Triffid Weed and Parthenium which was appearing all over Africa.

He commented that the mass rearing schemes for insects and other biocontrol agents undertaken by WfW were unique worldwide. He said that biocontrol improved the chances of rehabilitating areas that had been infested, as it curbed regrowth – that it was the only long term insurance policy. He concluded by saying that co-operative efforts with other research institutes, including teams of entomologists, plant pathologists, plant ecologists and resource economists, and partnerships with industry and government, were the way forward, emphasising that one should never compromise on good science and safety.

Dr Martin Hill of Rhodes University specialises in the biocontrol and management of aquatic aliens. He mentioned that there were effective agents available for Kariba Weed (Salvinia molesta), Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and the Red Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides) – commenting that the control achieved in SA on the latter was a world renowned success story (see UGF WSSD 2002 issue). He spoke about the variable success that had been achieved in SA with initiatives against Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes), despite the establishment of six natural enemies between 1974 and 1976. By contrast, successful biocontrol had been achieved in a relatively short time frame (four years) on Lake Victoria. Huge reduction in the weed had been achieved using only two insect agents. He ascribed the relative lack of success in SA to variable climatic conditions; eutrophication of the aquatic ecosystems providing fertiliser for the plants; and interference from integrated control operations, pointing out that no herbicide had been sprayed on Lake Victoria. It is, however, believed that biocontrol is more successful on larger water bodies where wind and wave action aggravate the mortality of agent stressed plants.

In SA, several courses of action have now been adopted concerning the Water Hyacinth: mass rearing and re-releases of agents that previously failed to establish; evaluation of the impact of the combination of agents already established; development of strategies in which biocontrol can be integrated with existing control operations (such as the use of more benign herbicides – so that the biocontrol agent is not killed off in the process); and the search for additional agents that are more effective in temperate climates.

Hill made the point that the success of these initiatives would ultimately rely on the extent to which water authorities and policy makers came to accept the principles of biological control.

In the abstract to his paper, Professor John Hoffman of the University of Cape Town said: “The scope for using biological control against Australian Acacias in SA has been constrained by the conflict between groups who exploit the plants for commercial purposes (timber, pulp, tannin and firewood) and those who are affected by invasions of the plants. As a result, most of the agents that have been used so far have been insect species that primarily damage or destroy the reproductive parts, while not affecting the plant’s vegetative growth or survival.

“This constraint has sparked debate about the effectiveness of seed feeding agents. Critics argue that, theoretically at least, very few seeds are needed to sustain or replenish populations of the weeds. However, if expectations are tempered, benefits of seed feeding insects include reduced rates of dispersal and reduced densification of the plants which can translate into substantial savings if integrated sensibly with other control measures.”

Terry Olckers of the PPRI spoke about the targeting for biological control of emerging weeds (plants in an early stage of invasion), pointing out the benefits of utilising successes scored in other countries. He again cited the example of the preemptive approach taken against St John’s Wort in SA, when the highly successful biological control programmes in Australia and California were transferred to this country and the weed was literally halted in its tracks. The plant was targeted with the release of an agent in 1963, a mere 18 years after its arrival.

He also mentioned the transfer of the successful biocontrol for the Kariba Weed from Australia to SA, where the control of the plant was achieved at a minimal cost, and how SA had relied on Australia’s success with the control of Water Lettuce. Both successes were achieved at early stages of invasiveness. He then spoke particularly about two of the emerging weeds that WfW funding (the first initiative of its kind to be launched anywhere in the world) was now going to enable research into – saying that there was a fear that the Pompom weed was going to become the Chromolaena of the Highveld, while Parthenium, which had proved to be a huge problem elsewhere, was a human health hazard because it was a skin and respiratory tract irritant. He said that SA would, once again, not have to reinvent the wheel as Australia had been targeting Parthenium for 20 years. He said, in reference to the Cat’s Claw Creeper which has a propensity for strangling forests, that the problem had also arisen in Queensland and that in this case Australia was relying on South African technology.

Olckers pointed out the importance of being able to predict new invasions and said that these should be ‘red flagged’ at an early stage. He acknowledged WfW saying that because of their incentive the rationale of targeting emerging weeds had now achieved formal recognition.

The last of the speakers on biological control was Llewellyn Foxcroft of South African National Parks who is responsible for the alien research and monitoring programme in the Kruger National Park. He said the Sour Prickly Pear (Opuntia stricta) had been introduced to the Park as a garden ornamental and with baboons and elephants acting as major vectors of dispersal, the plant could now be regarded as the greatest invasive species problem in the Park – resulting in serious habitat reduction. He explained how with the assistance of WfW and partnerships with the PPRI and UCT, the development of management strategies had progressed through a chemical control programme, to a partially integrated (biocontrol and herbicide treatment) programme and on to a programme dominated by biocontrol (with the cochineal insect), as this was regarded as the only viable option of sustainable management for the plant. Sour Prickly Pear is considered to be approaching complete control and the impacts and limitations of the cochineal insect are being carefully monitored.

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What value heritage?
Heritage Impact Assessment on Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project
A Record of Decision regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project is expected soon from Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment & Land Affairs (DACEL). The EIA, conducted by Bohlweki Environmental, entailed a number of subsidiary studies in various phases, one being a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of the recommended Gautrain route. Leigh Darroll spoke to architect Henry Paine, member of the HIA team appointed to conduct this study, about the process – considering that we have no precedent on such a study at this kind of scale in SA – and about the findings of the HIA.

The first phase Heritage Impact Assessment involved an evaluation of alternative routes proposed for the Gautrain project from a heritage perspective. Together with other specialist studies that formed part of the draft EIA Report, the initial HIA indicated a preference for an underground route alignment in Pretoria. However, the costs associated with this led to the recommendation that Route 6FD – the so-called Refined Muckleneuck Route alignment – should be investigated further. Traversing Pretoria above ground, this alignment largely follows an existing Metrorail corridor between Pretoria and Hatfield Stations, but with some deviations. The HIA Phase Two investigated, in depth, the potential impact on heritage resources of this recommended route.

The team appointed to conduct the second HIA included heritage specialists – Johann Bruwer, Mauritz Naudé and Henry Raath, as well as architects with a special interest and expertise in conservation – William Martinson and Henry Paine.

According to Paine, the real challenge of HIAs (a relatively new field in South Africa – see UGF Sep/Oct 2002), is: How do we value heritage? “Heritage, culturally, is essentially irreplaceable. And it encompasses tangible and intangible aspects – which make it difficult to quantify. How do we weigh up something of irreplaceable value – against the projected value of the new that will displace it or change it in some way.”

Scope of study
•            The second phase HIA sought to move beyond the linear approach taken in the initial study and to consider the potential direct and indirect impacts of the proposed railway alignment within a wider radius.
•            In terms of Section 38(3) of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999, (NHRA) the requirements of the Phase Two HIA were determined as follows:
•            identify and map all affected heritage resources within the area of the recommended Gautrain route alignment;
•            assess the significance of such resources in terms of the heritage assessment criteria prescribed in the NHRA;
•            assess the impact of the recommended route alignment on such heritage resources;
•            evaluate that impact relative to the sustainable social and economic benefits to be derived from the project;
•            consult with affected communities and other interested parties regarding the potential impact on heritage resources;
•            consider alternatives where such heritage resources might be adversely affected;
•            and recommend appropriate mitigation measures against any such adverse effects during construction and after completion of the project.

The terms of reference for the study were agreed with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and meetings were held with Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs). Ongoing discussions took place be¬tween the HIA team and team conducting the Environmental Resource Economics (ERE) study.

The scale of the study and its dynamics presented a sharp learning curve to the HIA team as well as the stakeholders and I&APs. The absence of an official policy and of regulations regarding the implementation of the HIA provisions of the NHRA (both of which, in terms of the Act, are due to have been introduced by the Heritage Authorities) raised additional challenges. Nonetheless, the process adopted and lessons learnt from the study can contribute to strengthening HIA practices and to the interpretation and implementation of the relevant provisions of the NHRA. This is particularly so with regard to the evaluation of impacts on heritage resources, the difficulties inherent in quantifying conservation values – relative to the overall potential social and economic benefits to be derived from a development project, and the implications of perceived impacts, and their mitigation, for the sustainable management of heritage resources.

The study area – defined by the rail corridor associated with the recommended route between Park Station, Johannesburg and Hatfield Station, Pretoria and including the east-west alignment between Sandton and the Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) – was divided into seven zones which were addressed as separate sections in the HIA Report. Particular attention was focused on heritage resources in the areas identified in the Phase One HIA as potentially vulnerable: the old Modderfontein Village on the Sandton-JIA route; at Randjesfontein Farm in Midrand on the Johannesburg-Pretoria route; and between Salvokop and Hatfield in Pretoria. The latter section proved the most significant in terms of potential heritage impacts and the following divisions were assessed in detail:
•            the area of the former Salvokop railway precinct and of the proposed Freedom Park national legacy project, at the intended entry point of the recommended route into Pretoria; the area of the Pretoria Station, where the new route would cut across existing railway lines and would be elevated, with a new station to be built above grade;
•            the area between Pretoria station and the suburb of Muckleneuk, including the Berea Park recreational facility, UNISA’s Sunnyside campus and, east of Berea Park, the so-called Mandela Corridor and the Apies River;
•            the Muckleneuk residential area, proclaimed as a township in 1896 and recognised for its mature residential character and sense of place as an integral part of the wider cultural landscape of Pretoria;
•            the area between Muckleneuk and the proposed new station at Hatfield, Pretoria, including Magnolia Dell park and recreational facility, the University Road spine and the educational and academic precinct comprising Pretoria Boys High, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, Pretoria High School for Girls and the University of Pretoria.

Assessing cultural significance
According to the NHRA, the cultural significance of a heritage resource must be determined in order to measure its conservation value. Cultural significance means “aesthetic, architectural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic or technological value or significance”. In terms of the Act, such resources include buildings, structures and associated equipment, townscapes, landscapes or natural features of cultural significance, archaeological and palaeontological sites, graves and burial grounds, and their interconnectivity where relevant.

The “60-year clause” of the NHRA, under which any such resources older than 60 years are protected, served as a filter in the HIA process. However, the HIA team also investigated places and structures of a younger age, not protected by the 60-year clause but potentially worthy of conservation.

The general criteria specified in Section 3(3) of the NHRA for assessment of cultural significance were used in the HIA study, providing a basis for the scoring system that was developed to rate cultural significance or other special value of the affected properties and places. However, the HIA Report makes the point that the detailed criteria anticipated in the Act are yet to be developed. As a result, heritage resources cannot be officially graded in terms of national, provincial or local significance.

One of the difficulties in the study was that of how to address the many ‘soft’ issues relating to impact evaluation. The demolition of a tangible heritage resource is a definite ‘hard’ issue. The HIA team was faced also with assessing the impact of the proposed railway alignment on view lines and visual axes, noise levels, the concept of the ‘spirit of place’, the integrity of a cultural landscape, and the long-term indirect effect on the sustainable conservation and use of heritage resources.

In addressing these soft issues, the team defined a series of specific values – aesthetic, historic, scientific and social value – and the aspects they encompass. These served as reference points within the broader concept of cultural significance,

The team also used the Burra Charter, 1999 (the Australian ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance) as a reference and, in evaluating indirect impacts, worked from the premise that ‘cultural significance finds embodiment in the place itself, its fabric, setting, location, use, associations, meanings, records, as well as related places’. The Burra Charter is internationally recognised by heritage practitioners and has been adopted by the National Heritage Committee of the Institute of Architects in SA. The HIA team also made use of it in refining their identification and assessment methodologies and in ensuring that the study would meet the requirements of good practice.

Another complex consideration relates to the concept of authenticity and how it may be defined and judged according to various aspects, such as form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions and techniques, location and spirit, amongst others.

Categories of investigation
The study encompassed the following research components which were undertaken by or sought from respective specialists.

A title deeds survey, with supporting information, on the affected properties and/or heritage resources.

An architectural assessment of structures within the Refined Muckleneuk Route alignment. Properties that would potentially be affected were investigated, assessed, documented and photographed. The point is made in this assessment that only those buildings listed in the brief from the project proponent were surveyed – covering mainly residential properties in Muckelneuk and residential and business properties in Hatfield. Other buildings potentially affected directly or indirectly by the proposed rail alignment – such as the many conservation-worthy buildings in the old Salvokop railway precinct (which dates from 1892), the Pretoria Station, and buildings on the school grounds and university campus in Hatfield – were not included in the survey.

Community information, sourced via a questionnaire circulated to the owners of potentially affected properties.

Additional information of historical, social, spiritual or other relevance, extended from the Phase One HIA.

Archaeological information, sought from specialists where relevant, notably regarding the Modderfontein Dynamite Factory site.

Contributions from I&APs, which were especially useful in identifying and assessing culturally significant places, particularly in Pretoria.

Findings and recommendations
The findings of the HIA are assessed by zone, in terms of direct and indirect impacts, and specific mitigation measures are stipulated accordingly, where applicable. In addition, general mitigation measures are noted and include the recommendation that a Heritage Management Plan (with due resources allocated to it) should be included in the Environmental Management Plan for the Gautrain project. The findings are summarised below.
•            There would not be any direct impacts on heritage resources between Park Station in Johannesburg and Salvokop in Pretoria. Any potential indirect impacts in the Randjesfontein area could be mitigated.
•            There would not be any substantial impact on heritage resources between Sandton Station and JIA. Pending the modification of the route alignment, it would be possible to mitigate impact on the physical heritage in the affected area of the former Modderfontein Dynamite Factory.
•            Along the entire route in Pretoria there would be severe direct and indirect impacts on heritage resources. Unless the design of the alignment can be amended to avoid the cumulative effect of these impacts, it would not be possible to mitigate them.
•            In view of these impacts and the resultant loss of heritage resources, it is proposed that the route alignment 6FD should be avoided.

The question of evaluation
Paine comments that while the key questions in the HIA revolved around the evaluation of heritage resources and whether or not any impact on them should be avoided, the recurrent question posed by the proponents of the project was: Is it fatally flawed? This is a different question and one that cannot be answered by the HIA in isolation of the broader EIA studies.

The HIA team found it impossible to compare the loss of heritage resources quantitatively with any social or economic benefits of the Gautrain project. The general intended benefits of the project are noted – improved public transport and the promotion of heritage tourism amongst them – and the point is made that these benefits would extend to some of the institutions and places that are otherwise impacted negatively by the proposed Gautrain route. Nonetheless, the loss of historic fabric, of whatever level of significance, cannot be made good. Heritage resources are irreplaceable and, if lost, it is not only to the present generation but also to future generations. The question remains: How do we quantify the greater value or significance – of the past or the future – of history or progress?

The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project
The Gautrain project, announced by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa in February 2000, envisages an 80km rapid rail link connecting Johannesburg and Pretoria as well as Sandton and the JIA. It is one of a series of projects in the multi-billion rand Blue IQ programme initiated by the Gauteng Provincial Government to invest in strategic economic infrastructure that will support the development of smart industries, high value-added manufacturing and tourism in Gauteng.

Two bidders – Bombardier Consortium and Gauliwe Consortium – met the prequalification criteria for the project and tender documents were released to them in November 2002. The prequalified bidders are due to take note of DACEL’s Record of Decision (RoD) before submitting final tenders to the Province. The preferred bidder is expected to be announced in January 2004 and, following negotiations, construction could begin in mid-2004. Proclamation of the route and expropriation of land can only begin after the preferred bidder is announced, but will happen before construction starts.

The EIA, begun in late 2001, included a biophysical and socioeconomic evaluation process to recommend a route alignment that would ensure the least environmental impact and would remain technically and financially feasible. A draft EIA Report was issued in October 2002, to allow for public and institutional comment.

At ten locations, alternative route alignments arose from the public participation process. These were incorporated into the EIA and studies conducted respectively. In eight of the cases the alternatives were accepted into a revised alignment.

Further substantive comments from I&APs prompted additional studies: an extended ERE study in the Tshwane area to investigate issues surrounding affordability, welfare costs and environmental externalities; and an extended Heritage Impact Assessment for the whole route, with particular emphasis on the Pretoria section. These studies were released to the relevant I&APs for comment. All study reports, comments, and responses from the EIA team were included in the EIA Report that was submitted to DACEL in March 2003.

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Empowering public space
The Braamfontein Regeneration Project
Braamfontein’s location on the cultural arc envisaged to link the Newtown cultural precinct in the inner city, the University of the Witwatersrand and Constitution Hill, makes it a pivotal component in the regeneration of Johannesburg.

The Braamfontein Regeneration Project constitutes a strategic public investment in the upgrading of the public environment in the area. It aims to stimulate further investment from the private sector and promote public-private partnerships, to support new economic opportunities and create the space to enable  “a multiplicity of ways of being in the city”. This initiative has already seen a positive response from the corporate sector and other landowners in the area.

Leigh Darroll spoke to Monica Albonico of Albonico & Sack, Architects & Urban Designers, and Mphethi Morojele of MMA Architects, about the process of formulating the urban design framework for the project and the current implementation of the first phase of a proposed package of plans.

The Urban Design Framework describes Braamfontein as “a dense, mixed-use, urban environment, located on the northwestern edge of the central city. In the 1960s and ’70s it became an extension of the vibrant CBD, the seat of local government and home to various education institutions and business corporations. Like the rest of the central city, over the last decade it has seen an exodus of institutions, business and related uses and the influx of a less formal and less sustainable economy. This has translated into high vacancy levels in office and retail space and a concomitant degradation of the public environment.”

Albonico explains that the Johannesburg City Council initiated a process of consultation with various stakeholders in the area about three years ago, with a view to understanding the issues at hand and seeking input from the private sector and other players regarding the best way forward.

In 2002, the Council, through the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), issued a call for proposals on an urban design framework for the regeneration of Braamfontein. The project was awarded to the team of Albonico & Sack in association with MMA Architects – a win which Albonico attributes to the innovative, multi-layered approach they proposed.

Braamfontein accommodates diverse interests – local government and a host of non-governmental organisations, the corporate sector as well as smaller busines¬ses, retail outlets and restaurants, entertainment venues, including the Civic Theatre and the Wits Theatre, numerous public and private educational institutions and a relatively small residential component.

“Our approach in formulating the urban design framework,” says Albonico, “was to bring these stakeholders together in an interactive forum which would allow for divergent and overlapping interests to be explored and, we hoped, for consensus to emerge on shared issues. The intention was to promote an understanding relationship among the different sectors rather than reinforcing distinct clusters, to promote a revaluing of the rich existing infrastructure in the Braamfontein environment and a recognition of their common interests in it.”

Considering the pivotal role that Braamfontein must play in articulating the relationship between the central city and the main institutions located around and within it, the urban design team has sought to co-ordinate its work with that of other designers involved in related and overlapping regeneration projects – including Newtown, the Wits Cultural Precinct and the overall spatial development framework for Wits, the Sappi Precinct (see UGF Nov/Dec 2002 – page 5), and Constitution Hill. The Braamfontein Regeneration Pro¬ject forms part of these initiatives and needs to be understood in the context of the metropolitan system.

Furthermore, the point is made that “the urban design framework should be seen as an instrument for change and not a blueprint dictating a single path to success”. It needs to be adaptable, resilient and accommodating to emerging needs and changing demands.

An interactive approach
The multidisciplinary team appointed to the project by JDA enabled the broad-based stakeholders participation programme to be conducted effectively, supported by a comprehensive analysis of key issues.

Initial consultations were held with all representative groups, continuing from the exploratory consultations undertaken by the City Council. Subsequently, a series of focus group meetings, facilitated by ICDA, brought together property owners, agents, businesses, the University, government institutions, taxi organisations, other educational institutions and non-governmental organisations, to discuss the regeneration project and elicit their main concerns, interests and commitment.

During the same period, a design workshop was co-ordinated by Lindsay Bremner, senior lecturer and former Head of the School of Architecture at Wits, to explore a conceptual framework for the project. This involved students of architecture, planning, fine arts, journalism and urban geography from the University. They were invited to observe and record the existing environment and how it functions – day and night – and to put forward a future view of how they would want to see it. Argentinean architect and urbanist, Miguel Angel Roca, was invited to consult in the workshop – bringing with him his experience of the dynamics of Latin American and other international cities.

Albonico comments: “Latin American cities confront similar complexities of poverty, disinvestment and degeneration to those we encounter here. This kind of international input is more relevant to the South African context than the European idea of ‘the city’ so often referred to.”

Roca was also involved in a second, week-long, design workshop to which all stakeholders were invited. This process produced a number of ideas and scenarios which, after debate in the public forum, were taken forward into the urban design framework.

“Processes like these, involving students from different disciplines and diverse stakeholders, reversing roles and breaking conventional linear methodologies, produce more ideas, greater understanding and better tools to work with,” says Albonico.

In addition, a thorough planning study was conducted, covering the area of some 150ha, from Empire Road on the north, the M1 motorway on the west, Rissik and Joubert Streets on the east, and the railway land on the south – along the boundary between Braamfontein and the central city. This entailed an analysis of transportation and accessibility; a socio-economic profile – addressing operational market niches, identifying strategic economic opportunities and highlighting social issues that require attention; and a comprehensive land use survey including proposed action in terms of respective uses.

This intensive programme informed the urban design framework that was presented in September 2002 to a gathering of all sector stakeholders and the city councillors concerned. The framework was approved by the Council in October, with the focus areas of defined districts within Braamfontein and interfacing areas of opportunity agreed, together with proposed key interventions, in terms of “project packages”. Through a phased programme, the next steps involve their refinement, detailed planning and implementation – with the first already under way.

The urban design framework
Looking at “the city as a system of interconnected places”, the urban design framework for the regeneration of Braamfontein builds on and seeks to celebrate the area’s connections with the city centre and with the key initiatives surrounding it that constitute the cultural arc. It is considered as “the glue that holds the parts together”. While Braamfontein must work at many levels, it must also function as a unique place. In this regard, and in view of its relationship to Wits, the Civic Theatre, the new Constitutional Court, and the strong presence of research organisations, private colleges, schools and NGOs in the area, it is envisaged as the “knowledge centre of the smart city” – a place where culture and education become the focus of activities.

Within this broad concept, the framework identifies seven distinct districts – each with its own characteristics where different land uses predominate. The interfacing zones between these districts are identified as areas of opportunity where urban design interventions can optimise functional connections and support opportunities for interaction and collaboration among stakeholders.

Stiemens Street, for example, is identified as a potentially important night-time pedestrian route, linking the Civic Theatre, the Alexander Theatre and the Wits Theatre along an east-west promenade. This component now forms part of the Corporate District upgrading project. In the so-called Heartlands District, south of Wits and bordering the railway yards, the possibility of developing rental accommodation for students and lecturers is proposed. As well as answering to a need of the University and increasing Braamfontein’s resident population, this would respond to the Brickfields residential development across the railway lines in Newtown.

The urban design framework is based on a series of simple principles – aiming to enhance accessibility, connectivity and mobility, to create functional spaces and engender a sense of place in the public domain, and to accommodate diverse economic opportunities.

Key components

A number of catalytic projects were identified as key components of the urban design framework.

The Wits Gateway
The first of these to be implemented includes what is referred to as the Wits Gateway, and the recovery of Jan Smuts Avenue/Bertha Street and Jorissen Street as communal urban rooms.

Bertha Street, as the continuation of Jan Smuts Avenue from the north, is bordered to the west by the Wits campus, and provides the link into Newtown and the city via the Nelson Mandela Bridge. It is one of the most important vehicular and pedestrian routes in Braamfontein. One of the main pedestrian entrances to Wits is located at the junction of Jan Smuts Avenue, Bertha Street and Ameshoff. This node is defined as the Wits Gateway. Together with the widening and redefining of the pedestrian sidewalks along Bertha Street and the formalisation of pedestrian crossings at grade (doing away with a never-used pedestrian bridge), this gateway is being celebrated with the new landscaping of the open square on the southeast corner of the intersection.

Morojele of MMA Architects comments that this small square, which seemed previously to have been simply “left-over space” and largely neglected, will become a place for people, students, office workers, a gathering place where people can sit on the steps in the sun. “It is an open, transparent, optimistic place,” he adds. It offers an elevated view towards the central city. Hard landscaping and planting are specifically simple, robust and easy-to-maintain. Foundation plinths are currently being placed for a series of light sculptures for which a design competition is planned.

Albonico makes the point: “We want to invite people to engage with the public environment, not to be scared of using and enjoying it, to take pride in the public realm of the city.”

New paving, street furniture that offers pedestrians resting places, and new lighting are being introduced as thematic elements, defining legible connecting routes – from Bertha along Ameshoff and Jorissen Streets (and later, De Korte & Stiemens, Biccard & Harrison Streets). Care has been taken in the design of the streetlights to provide, warm direct light to the sidewalks and reflected light to the roadways. The bus-stop shelters that will be positioned along this route are designed at a scale that is intended, as Morojele says, “to dignify the use of public transport, to make space for its users and not to dismiss it as an inconvenient necessity.”

Along Jorissen Street, a key local east-west connector route, one of the problems encountered was that metered taxis had appropriated the on-street parking, using the road as a holding zone, which resulted in severe traffic congestion. Negotiations have led to an arrangement for Reserve Street, between Jorissen and Stiemens, to serve as a holding zone for the taxis. This street is also to be landscaped and lit appropriately.

JDA required that emerging contractors should be involved in the construction and landscaping work of the project and Morojele confirms that six small black contracting businesses were appointed to respective sections of this first key intervention. Although this presented some teething problems, the work is now progressing well. “Some of the contractors have already been awarded other, bigger jobs now that they have this experience,” says Morojele.

Civic Precinct
The second key component to be implemented in the overall regeneration programme concerns the site of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council premises and its relationship to Braamfontein, to the city, and to Constitution Hill. Detailed planning is currently being prepared for this project.

The Metro Centre is located on the southfacing slope of the Braamfontein Ridge overlooking the central city – a towering office block on an east-west axis with a more compact mayoral wing at the southern end of the north-south axis, all uniformly clad in concrete aggregate panels. It stands on an island site, surrounded by roadways, at the north end of Rissik Street. Although Rissik Street is one of the main city thoroughfares and defines a clear axis to the Metro Centre, the complex cannot be accessed from it. Vehicular access is restricted to the southeast corner – from Joubert Street, and the western edge – from Loveday Street. Pedes¬trian access is obstructed by these busy roads. Arriving at the Metro Centre, there is no clear route to the entrance, nor for pedestrians traversing the site. None of the existing landscaped public spaces function as such.

The intention in the redesign of the Civic Precinct is to transform the currently hostile, illegible and difficult-to-access area into a transparent, democratic, public space that works for the citizens of Johannesburg.

“One of the priorities,” Morojele explains, “is to improve the visual clarity of connections through the complex. We also aim to make the Metro Centre more inviting and Metro services more accessible to the public. Establishing some activities on the ground floor that meet the immediate needs of the people – reception, an information centre, public toilets, a place to buy a newspaper and a cup of coffee – will assist in this.”

He makes the point that there are no public toilets in Braamfontein; there is no city policy on this essential public amenity and no space is provided for them – clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.

Plans are also being developed to create a more symbolic presence for the mayoral wing and, significantly, for the remodelling of the Rissik Street interface. This would see Rissik Street terminating in a civic square, a raised platform which would introduce pedestrian access to the site from the city and create a forecourt to the mayor’s office – “a city living room,” says Morojele, “where the people can gather to present their case or to celebrate”.

A vendors’ bridge

A third possibility presented in the urban design framework proposes the conversion of the eastern side of the dual carriageway on Queen Eliza¬beth Bridge – a continuation of Bic¬card Street – into a safe pedestrian route, and to animate this connection between Braamfontein and the Metro Mall with the construction of an open market for street vendors. The bridge is currently much used by pedestrians, even though it is unsafe as there is no reserved walkway. There are many arguments that support this proposal but logistics and legalities still have to be investigated.

Numerous other opportunities for intervention are outlined in the urban design framework, including the need to increase green open space which is severely lacking in Braamfontein.

It should be noted that local government’s investment in the Braamfontein Regeneration Project has already drawn support from the corporate sector, other landowners, and from the University. The Sappi Precinct upgrading, which includes the re-landscaping of the public park south of the Civic Theatre, forms part of a broader upgrading of the Corporate District. The latter is being undertaken by a group of Braamfontein property owners, including Liberty, the JD Group, Sappi and others, who are committed to keeping their offices in the area and to creating a safe and hospitable public environment for their staff and visitors. They have also launched a local City Improvement District to manage the public environment.

Wits too has responded positively to the action in Braamfontein. It is reviewing existing campus access restrictions at the Wits Gateway and, within the Wits Cultural Precinct, is consolidating a range of cultural facilities – the art gallery, a museum, the Wits Theatre (and planned outdoor performance spaces) – facilitating public access to these amenities.

Professional Team
Client: Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA)
Project manager: Plan-It Solutions
Stakeholders co-ordination & community participation – Special activities: Lindsay Bremner, Wits University
Participation programme: Ismael Makabela, Interfaith Community Development Association (ICDA)
Urban design consultant: Miguel Angel Roca (Argentina)

Architects & urban designers: Albonico & Sack in association with MMA Architects
Landscape architects: Green Inc
Quantity surveyors: Hamlyn Gebhardt
Traffic engineers: De Leeuw Cather
Electrical engineers: Gama Gameze Electrical Engineers
Economics consultants: Urban Econ

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Renewing the Newlands Forest
CPNP Afromontane Forest Seed Collection Project
There are 164 forest patches, totalling between 500- 800ha, in the Cape Peninsula National Park (CPNP) which stretches from Table Mountain to Cape Point. These comprise high Afromontane and scrub forest and coastal Milkwood and scrub forest. The largest Afromontane forest complexes occur at Newlands, Kirstenbosch, Orange Kloof and Noordhoek. Based on a Conservation Management Plan which advocated a variety of rehabilitation options including gap restoration, a unique seed collecting and propagating project is underway in Newlands Forest, which has been severely impacted by illegal harvesting for medicinal purposes.

On a visit to the rehabilitation project, Carol Knoll spoke to the CPNP project manager of forest ecology, Carina Potgieter, and the project manager of the Seed Collection Project, Nosipho Pantshwa.

he main aim of the CPNP is to retain and restore biodiversity. The few remaining forest pockets in the Park have been under increasing pressure from high recreational usage, frequent fires along the forest fringes, invading alien plants and ruthless unsustainable bark stripping for the commercial trade in traditional medicine. Species diversity within the forest pockets is extremely high. It is believed that today the forests are the most endangered ecosystem on the Cape Peninsula, and not the internationally acclaimed fynbos biome. An attempt has to be made to ensure the long term survival of these forests.

In February 2000, a Conservation Management Plan, prepared by Coert Geldenhuys of Forestwood, was adopted for the Peninsula’s Afromontane Forest Pockets, recommending that a variety of interventions using innovative and affordable techniques was needed to counteract the negative impacts on the forest. The Seed Collection Project has emerged as a very successful pilot project and it is hoped that it will act as a blueprint for future partnership interventions.

The project, which was initiated in February 2002 with the appointment of a CPNP project manager, involves the collection and propagation of seeds from trees in the natural areas of Newland’s Forest by a team of three previously unemployed inhabitants of Imizamo Yethu, an informal settlement in Hout Bay on the outskirts of the Park. As preliminary training, the collectors were introduced to permaculture methodology and subsequent horticultural expertise was gained by working closely with staff from Kirstenbosch. An understanding of forest principles and processes has been inculcated in the team through the dedicated leadership of Potgieter and the knowledge transfer of the consulting forest ecologists from Forestwood and Forest Knowledge. So far, 6 000 saplings have been grown at a nursery in the Newlands Forest and 3 000 planted back into the forest. The planting has been done after the first winter rains between March and August.

The first part of the project was sponsored by poverty alleviation funds from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and it is now supported by the Santam/Cape Argus Ukuvuka: Operation Firestop campaign (see UGF WSSD issue, page 246). The intention is that the project will eventually become sustainable through commercial sales of excess plants and the CPNP is, at present, exploring such opportunities. These locally indigenous species are not freely available from commercial nurseries and are sought after. Further training for the team in business skills is due to commence shortly.

The project not only fits into Ukuvuka’s social upliftment programme, it serves as a long term measure to curb fires. The pockets of indigenous forest act as natural firebreaks, as they have a cooler microclimate and a higher moisture content than alien plantations, and pine trees catch fire more easily because they are fast growing, their wood is softer than the slower growing hardwoods of the indigenous forest and because they are oil rich.

Tree species that have been cultivated so far to supplement growth in areas of the Newlands Forest have been the following: Brabejum stellatifolium (Wild Almond), Canthium inerme (Turkey-berry), Cassine peragua (Cape Saffron or Forest Spoonwwood – see illustration in UGF Jul/Aug 2003, page 21), Curtisia dentata (Assegai), Diospyros whyteana (Bladder-nut), Halleria lucida (Tree Fuchsia – see UGF Jan/Feb 2002, page 17), Ilex mitis (Cape Holly), Kiggelaria africana (Wild Peach – see illustration in UGF Jul/Aug 2003, page 21), Olea europaea (Wild Olive), Podocarpus latifolius (Real Yellow¬wood), Rapanea melano-phloeos (Cape Beech or Kaapse Boekenhout) and Widdringtonia nodiflora (Mountain Cypress).

According to Nosipho Pantshwa, Ocotea bullata (Black Stinkwood) is proving difficult to propagate, possibly because it needs to go through the system of a bird before it will germinate, and some of the small seedlings which come up thickly on the forest floor are being bagged up for relocation to areas in need of rehabilitation. (Five of these thirteen tree species are illustrated on page 11 of this issue.)

Forest Knowledge taught the seed collectors different seed collecting methods. For some of the species, relatively little was known about germination and propagation techniques and these were learnt through trial and error, in close relationship with propagator Trevor Adams of Kirstenbosch. Trees need to be a certain age, depending on individual species, to be suitable for seed collection. Seeds of the Cape Holly are collected by hand from smaller trees, whereas seeds of the Boekenhout are collected by allowing these to fall naturally from selected tall trees into wide, shallow baskets placed under the trees.

Pantshwa explains that the seeds are collected in winter when the fruit ripens and drops, are cleaned and soaked in water for three days, treated with a fungicide and then planted out into trays. The soil mixture is rich in compost and the seeds are watered twice a week. It takes six to eight weeks for them to germinate and they are then planted into bags using a seaweed fertiliser to prevent root stress. The trees will be planted out into the forest when they are 15-30cm in height – no taller or they won’t survive. Potgieter says that once a tree goes into its second year in the nursery, its chances of survival out in the forest with no artificial watering are slim.

The collectors identify open patches in the forest where there has been clearing (either where plantation pines have been clear felled or invasive aliens removed) and the natural recovery has not been good, and they plant the propagated trees out into these gaps. Pantshwa relates that small stones are placed around the stems of the planted saplings to keep the soil moist and warm. This technique helps with the creation of topsoil, acting as a nutrient trap and facilitating water infiltration.

Potgieter says that the main reason for the choice of Newlands Forest for the pilot project was the bark harvesting that was happening at the time. Five species were being targeted – the Boekenhout, Wild Olive, Black Stinkwood, Assegai and Cape Holly and up to 400 trees a year were being stripped, about 80% of which were destined to die. The CPNP re-erected the fencing with the purpose of channelling public access through guarded entrances and preventing the access of medicinal plant collectors. In 2002, no trees were stripped but this year 20 were stripped of almost 100% of their bark in one night, when bark collectors cut a hole in the fence.

An attempt is being made to save trees stripped of less than 80% of their bark by painting on a tree sealant which keeps the trunk moist and stops the wood from cracking. Each of the treated trees is numbered and their progress, or otherwise, is known to management. According to Potgieter, this is the only programme in a South African forest which has a complete record of all its stripped trees and is monitoring their recovery. She says there is no way in which trees in this limited patch of indigenous forest can be harvested sustainably – only 105ha of the 250ha Newlands Forest is indigenous. 

One of the key needs is to rehabilitate land in the forest that has been cleared of invasive alien species. Potgieter points out that a reasonable amount of indigenous growth is sustained in the commercial pine plantations, in between the planted rows. Previous invasive alien removal methods that were based on fynbos clearing methods included the use of broad-leaved herbicides, ring barking and hand pulling. Potgieter says that problems were experienced largely because too many alien species were taken out at one time, allowing too much sunlight into the forest. She says a huge problem was experienced with brambles (Rubus sp.) infesting these cleared areas – and when the brambles were taken out, the exotic Pittosporum undulatum shot up in place of the brambles.

A new method of clearing areas by removing fewer invasive species at a time has been instated, so that the alien species that are left behind can be utilised to create microclimates that will afford protection to the indigenous vegetation. Once the indigenous species have started regenerating from the seed bank, the remaining alien species will be removed. School groups and other volunteers are coming in to do the clearing, taking out only five alien species in any one year.

Potgieter points out that it is essential to conserve the gene base of the Cape Peninsula Afromontane forests, as the genetic material is often slightly different from similar forests found in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. If this is conserved, the size of the existing forests can be increased, ensuring their long term survival. The Black Stinkwood found in the CPNP, for example, is not strictly endemic to the Cape Peninsula but it is genetically removed from other populations in the country. The closest afromontane forest to those in the CPNP is as far removed as Hermanus.

The perceived value of the CPNP Afromontane Seed Collection Project has already been acknowledged through its winning of the Natural Resources Conservation Award in this year’s Green Trust Awards (see UGF Jul/Aug 2003, page 16).

Two related projects will shortly be underway. The CPNP is looking into making use of the terraces on the Groote Schuur Estate for a garden of plants used in traditional medicine. The project will be undertaken in conjunction with Cape Town municipality, Kirstenbosch and the University of the Western Cape, and will be used as a facility for training people in the skills of growing these plants, to try to prevent their removal from the wild. It is envisaged that trees, bulbs and fynbos species used in traditional medicine will be grown there. Sponsorship is needed for this project.

The second project which will be funded with poverty relief money from DEAT will involve, amongst other activities, the removal of trees from the forest that have been damaged beyond repair by bark stripping. This will be known as the CPNP Forest Rehabilitation Project.