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www.thevillagenews.co.za
5 August 2020
MY ENVIRONMENT
R.I.P. Hermanus Bypass? By Dr Anina Lee
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ost people in Hermanus are aware of the saga of the CBD bypass road. It has now reached a critical point. If the provincial environmental authority (DEA&DP) gives the project environmental authorisation, the way will be open to build a provincial road that will cut a swathe through a very special section of our own Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR).
You may well ask how that is possible. Surely Fernkloof is a protected nature reserve? Yes, it is. South Africa has laws in place that are designed to prevent the loss of conservation-worthy land. But there is a caveat. If the supporters of the road can prove that there is no feasible alternative and that the need for the incursion into the reserve is critical, then a so-called “biodiversity offset” can be motivated to make up for the loss of protected land.
themselves in the feet, their aim could not have been better. Authors of the offset report Let’s first look at who wrote the “Biodiversity Offset” Report. No, not an “independent biodiversity specialist”, but a trio made up of an employee of the Overstrand Municipality (hardly independent) and two members of the consulting team that is trying to justify the bypass in the first place (who are neither independent nor biodiversity specialists). Who are the specialists who reviewed the report? They are none other than an engineer connected to the company that stands to gain if the road is built, and an employee of the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works who wants to build the road.
And there seems to be no budget specified for the alien clearing, even for the five years specified, let alone after that. For many years the Onrus Estuary Forum has been asking the municipality to clear water-sucking trees and to repair damage to the Onrus River watercourse caused by previous failed attempts at clearing, which resulted in large trees being felled into the river, to no avail. Attempting to rectify this under the guise of a biodiversity offset can charitably be called disingenuous. As Whale Coast Conservation Chair, Dr Pat Miller says: “The offset plan is supposed to provide an environ-
mental compensation for the loss of land from a formally protected area and the loss of wetland protected by a previous Environmental Management Plan. These are extremely serious issues. This Offset Plan does not even begin to approach the gravity of the issue. It should be rejected out of hand.” However, it is not quite the end yet. If you would like to have a voice in the outcome of the bypass saga, please fill in an easy-to-use online form that you will find at: https:// forms.gle/1rR9WB8mESPoQ2NB8. As of this weekend, the Whale Coast Conservation campaign has already elicited over 1 000 responses.
Is the proposed exchange a fair one?
What is offered as fair exchange? So what is being proposed in exchange for running a road through the most vulnerable and biodiverse section of FNR? What piece of land is so biodiverse that it is a suitable exchange for land in Fernkloof?
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Is there another piece of land so special that it can be exchanged for a slice of Fernkloof’s unique fynbos? Whether DEA&DP approves a route through Fernkloof hinges largely on this issue. DEA&DP instructed the road consultants to appoint an “independent biodiversity specialist” to conduct a study to see if such a piece of land can be identified. This study had to be included in the Amended Final Environmental Impact Report. Drum roll for the big reveal… If the consultants had wanted to shoot
Even if it were cleared, have the private property owners been involved in this offset proposal? Again, no. None of them have been consulted on this plan, nor has the Onrus Mountain Conservancy with which the properties are associated. No consultation has been held with any of the conservation organisations in the area, nor has it been put to the Fernkloof Advisory Board. Add to this the fact that in any case the municipality has an existing legal obligation to keep its property – especially in a riverine area – clear of aliens, offset or no offset. This has not been done in any significant way. So not much gain for Fernkloof there.
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After the recent rain storms, the Overberg is decked out in glorious fields of yellow canola. In the foreground is Deon Steenkamp of the Hermanus Photographic Society. PHOTO: James Luckhoff
As the offset, the Overstrand Municipality has offered to clear portions of the Onrus River catchment area between the De Bos Dam and the R43 of alien invasive vegetation for a maximum period of five years. Well over 70% of the affected land is in private ownership, over which the municipality has no control and which the nature-loving public would not be able to access. The rest is owned by the Overstrand Municipality (and a negligible portion is public land).
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Whale Coast is open Writer De Waal Steyn
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usinesses and accommodation establishments are readying themselves for what is expected to be the first bumper tourism weekend since the national lockdown started on 27 March. With Women’s Day being celebrated on Sunday 9 August and Monday being a public holiday, this will be the first time in more than 125 days that accommodation establishments across the area will be allowed to welcome guests, albeit under strict lockdown conditions. According to the new regulations, accommodation establishments are permitted no more than two people per room, except for a nuclear family (parents and their children). Establishments are also legally obliged to require and keep a copy of proof of identity of visitors. Tour operators can conduct guided tours in
What is a “biodiversity offset”? It’s supposed to be a fair swop. The proposers can identify a piece of land that is equally conservation-worthy, that can reasonably be incorporated into the FNR, and will be protected and maintained forever – just like the rest of FNR. DEA&DP has asked the project to propose such an exchange of like-for-like fynbos as compensation for land that will be lost to the road in FNR.
www.thevillagenews.co.za
5 AUGUST 2020
You be the judge. Above is a photo of the pristine fynbos next to Mountain Drive. The finished road plus pedestrian walkway would cut a swathe 30 metres wide through the vegetation (photo below). Of course, getting to that point would entail a far wider area of impact, as the current Hermanus to Stanford roadworks make clear. The photo at the bottom shows what the Overstrand Municipality offers in exchange.
PHOTOS: Whale Coast Conservation
open safari vehicles, subject to provision for both social distancing and maximum ventilation.
reserves are ready for rediscovery. And so is the irresistibly beautiful countryside surrounding the towns.
Visitors to Hermanus will be welcomed by a tablecloth-and-bedding banner, displayed in the Old Harbour. This ‘hospitality flag’, stitched together from squeaky-clean linen by tourism business owners, is a warm invitation to visitors from across the Western Cape. The banner, which will be put up on Friday, will bear the hashtag #HermanusIsOpen.
“Hospitality establishments, business owners and their staff have used the Covid-19 lockdown period to implement hygiene and safety protocols that enable visitors to enjoy the diversity and natural beauty of the region safely. And the town’s famous champagne air is an immune booster in its own right.
“The banner signals that Hermanus is collectively open for business. It also symbolises the town’s commitment to offering visitors the best of the Whale Coast in a safe, hygienic environment,” said Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd. With the annual whale season at its peak, she said visitors from across the province are expected to visit the Whale Coast. “Our restaurants, art galleries, adventure activities and nature
“The doors and hearts of Hermanus are wide open. We can’t wait to welcome you!” said Lloyd. “We rely on Capetonians and residents of surrounding towns to take up the open invitation we’ve extended. We have missed you and look forward to welcoming our loyal friends back!” Lloyd said indications are that all the towns across the area will be busier than they have been since the lockdown started. “Accommodation bookings are looking favourable and several establishments are reporting bookings
for the rest of the year. With our towns reporting busier weekends over the last few weeks, the upcoming long-weekend is just what we need to give our economy a much-needed boost.” With inter-provincial travel restrictions still in place, this is the perfect opportunity for visitors from over the mountain to explore beyond their neighbourhoods and remind themselves why Hermanus is one of the premium tourist destinations in the world. David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities said the lifting of restrictions on leisure travel is welcomed by the provincial government. “This finally ends months of flip-flopping which has caused immense financial damage and significant jobs losses that could have been avoided if a common-sense approach had been taken from the start. We call on all people who can, to book a holiday or even just a night away, to support the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape,” he urged. Continues on P2
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