By Edward Molteno
Hangklip-Kleinmond Federation of Ratepayers
is challenging the Minister’s revised
Record of Decision on Arabella Phase 2.
They are contending that undue influence
was exerted on the Minister and are asking
for sight of the documents which substantiated
the revised ROD. Arabella and the Overstrand
Municipality are Second and Third respondents
respectively. Although the owner of Arabella
died recently, Arabella are determined to
go ahead with Phase 2 and it is Arabella’s
lawyers that are opposing the Federation’s
challenge.
The Federation of Ratepayers
is not against development per se, but as
ratepayers we should all be concerned about
the number of developers waiting in the
wings should Arabella win the case.
A draft report for CapeNature on the desirability
of extending the Rooisand Nature Reserve
to include the Lamloch Swamps and Wetlands
through to Kleinmond below the R44, has
drawn attention to the uncontrolled spread
of Invasive Aliens destroying the factors
that make this an area of exceptional conservation
significance!
Despite the serious threats
to its survival, this area contains, amongst
others, three of the world’s most
threatened vegetation types and more than
ten rare or endangered plant species (one
of which was thought to be extinct). It
is also home to eleven threatened animal
species (one of which is critically endangered
this unique combination of habitats on such
large scale and is still a functioning ecological
system. This begs the question:
why do land owners in
this area, including Arabella, allow their
undeveloped properties to become chronically
overrun with invasive aliens?
Most of those properties are in the KBR’s
designated buffer zone. One of the roles
of the buffer zones is to protect the neighboring
core zones from invasive aliens! How can
the KBR, in clear conscience, justify the
fact in its present compulsory ten year
review for UNESCO, that the conditions in
a significant part of the KBR have deteriorated
since the KBR’s inception. It is time
that we start looking at the steps available
to us, (e.g. CARA legislation and various
fire prevention laws) in order to enforce
compliance should offending landowners do
not start improving their buffer zone land
Edward Molteno
Chairperson.
March 19 (Thursday) 9h00 - WILD HORSES &
WATERBIRDS KLEINMOND.
We’ll start with a talk on the fascinating
history of the only wild horses in SA at
the Kleinmond Library Hall and then travel
through to the vlei to see if we can find
the herd and do some birding while we are
there.
April - Betty’s Bay Marine Reserve
Walk
Meet the new Marine Reserve manager and
enjoy an educational walk from one end of
the Reserve beach to the other. We’ll
learn about the terns, Oystercatchers, cormorants,
penguins, seals, and the marine life they
feed on. A great chance to ask questions
of the experts.
June - 4x4 trail - From Source to Sea.
Repeated due to demand, this is a rare opportunity
to drive the Palmiet River catchment valley
and the core of the KBR. As this is a 4x4
trail, please book with Liz Fick (028) 272
9800 djfick@mweb.co.za to secure your place.
(Please also advise if you’ll have
free seats in your vehicle for those without
a 4x4.)
September/October - Fynbos 101 Amida and
Mark Johns help us identify fynbos families
in the KBR core.
The
2008 KOBIO Fynbos Festival was a success
despite the economic downturn.
All the guided walks and hikes were fully
booked and Harbour Road traders enjoyed
increased turnover over all 4 days.
The tractor rides up Kastielkop Nek proved
a huge hit! A big thanks to KOBIO’s
Mike duToit for the tractor! We’ll
need it again this year, Mike!
But splitting the events between Harbour
Road and Mthimkhulu Village seemed to have
caused some confusion resulting in reduced
crowds in both venues.
For 2009 we are considering centering the
Festival at Mthimkhulu Village. Harbour
Road traders will undoubtedly enjoy a benefit
from the Festival and will be encouraged
to set up pavement stalls, etc. All the
”Green Living” stands, arts
and crafts stalls, talks, children's activities
and live entertainment will be at Mthimkhulu.
Target dates for 2009 are Wednesday16 December
(the Public holiday) and17.
KOBIO hopes that the Elgin
Grabouw Farmers Market will participate
more fully this year!
Anyone wishing to book
a stall or discuss participation should
contact Louise Fick 0f Hangklip-Kleinmond
Tourism : (028) 271 5657 or info@ecoscape.co.za
KBR submits ‘10
year Periodic Review’
Every 10 years UNESCO requires Biosphere
Reserves to complete a “Periodic Review”.
The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve was designated
in 1998 so the task of completing the 50
page review document fell to the KBR Company’s
Coordinator, Alison Dehrmann, assisted by
CapeNature’s CUBES coordinator, Ruida
Poole, reserve manager Mark Johns and various
experts in required fields.
The final inputs were work-shopped in late
February by a team that included KOBIO committee
members, Dr Neil Fairall and Chris Burlock,
(both of whom also serve on the KBR Company.)
Reserves that are not functioning satisfactorily
can lose their Biosphere Reserve status!
However the KBR’s 2009 Periodic Review
looks extremely healthy.
The biggest concern is the continued low
awareness and low involvement by the previously
disadvantaged communities who have made
the KBR their home.
Both KOBIO and the KBR Company are working
on raising awareness of the KBR amongst
all residents with a special focus on Municipal
employees (through the KOBIO presentations)
and school children (through supporting
the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens’
educational programmes and OCF’s Eco-Schools
projects.
KOBIO is an Association dedicated to the formation
and continued positive existance of the
Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. The KBR Section
21 Company, on the other hand, is the official
UNESCO designated management body. It is important
that KOBIO members join as members of the
KBR Company as only KBR Company Members will
have one vote at general and annual meetings,
and as such be able to involve themselves
fully in the affairs of the company and be
eligible for election as a director of the
KBRC.
For the sake of the KBR,
it is vital those directors are people we
trust with the furture of SA’s first
biosphere reseve. Soon, the current ’interim’
directors will make way for a new board...
a board only KBR members will be able to
vote in. So please join now!
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Fax to fax2e-mail: 086 611 5900 or e-mail
back to cminnaar@kingsley.co.za
NAME / COMPANY: ……………………………………………………………………...
POSTAL ADDRESS: …………………………………………………….CODE…………….
E-MAIL ADDRESS: ..…………………………………………………………
CONTACT No.: …………………………………………………………………
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY (Please mark with an
x)
Individual membership Small and micro business
Family membership Intermediate business
Institutional membership Provincial/National
business
Signature:……………………………………..
Date: ………………………
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Can you spare R100 pm to help promote environmental
awareness amongst children in the KBR?
-
- The Overstrand Conservation Foundation
is doing such great work promoting Eco-Schools
in the Overstrand, but are not able to extend
it through to the KBR unless it can raise
a salary for a coordinator for the area.
All donations and sponsorships are tax deductible.
- If you believe, like
we do, that the future of the KBR lies with
today’s children, please contact the
OCF or make a monthly deposit of R 100 (or
more) to: OCF, Nedbank Hermanus, Branch
code: 134 512, Account No.: 134 502 0716
- and fax the transaction slip with your
name and address to the OCF office: 086
695 0046
Wildfires are going to
become an increasing threat as a result
of climate change: hotter, drier summers
with stronger wind effects.
The KBR villages of Pringle
Bay, Betty’s Bay and Rooi Els were
the first in SA to adopt Working on Fire’s
”FireWise” initiative and are
encouraged to see tangible evidence as a
result of the distribution of ”FireWise”
booklets and posters. Large Rooikrans trees
that property owners have stolidly refused
to cut down are now being felled. A large
number of erven are being cleared of many
years’ worth of dead plants”,
said Ian Cushny, Chairperson of the joint
FireWise Committee.
In Pringle Bay, the Ladies Club direct traffic,
provide food and drink to the fire-fighters
and assist at evacuation points.
Betty’s Bay has held jam-packed public
meetings to develop an “Emergency
Plan” reinforced by information sheets
with “fire tips” do’s
and don’ts and fridge magnets giving
salient points on what to do in case of
fire. Their volunteer fire-fighting team
are receiving regular training. Other volunteers
have been enlisted to provide refreshments
for fire fighters, do traffic control, arrange
alternate accommodation, deal with trauma,
etc.
The villages are awaiting Municipal funding
for a 4x4 fire truck with a 5 000 litre
water tank, (the existing volunteer fire
fighters’ bakkie with its 500 litre
tank simply cannot cope). Plus the Municipality
needs to clear road verges and public spaces
of accumulated dead wood… perhaps
it will need to partner with the villages
to do this?
Despite
heavy winds, a sleek new boat was launched
at the Stony Point slipway in February.
“It’s the first part of a dream
come true,” said SeaWatch’s,
Mike Tannett. “Although to be used
primarily to patrol and research the Betty’s
Bay Marine Reserve, the boat will also be
able to investigate poaching activities
elsewhere along the KBR coast.”
Powered by two 75 hp Honda engines and equipped
with Garmin GPS and echo sounder (with radar
soon to be added), this Falcon inflatable
is a R325 000, state-of-the-art anti-poaching
and research vessel purchased through C.A.P.E.
acquired funding as part of a WWF project.
The terrestrial part of the Kogelberg Biosphere
Reserve is divided into 3 zones…the
conservation core zone, the protective buffer
zone and the transition zone, where we work
and live. But all the marine component of
the KBR is currently zoned “buffer”.
In order to stop the rapid depletion of
its marine resources and to actually rebuild
the fish, abalone and other marine life
stocks to sustainable levels, we also need
to create ‘conservation core’
areas along our coast where marine life
is free to feed and breed without human
interference. These planned Marine Protected
Areas (MPA’s) will be “No Take”
zones and will ensure there are fish and
marine stocks for generations to come!
“The first step is to make the Betty’s
Bay Marine Reserve a “No take”
zone” said WWF’s Dr Allan Heydorn,
“… followed by 2 or 3 more along
the KBR coast.”
Terrence Coller is the newly appointed manager
of the Betty’s Bay Marine Reserve,
reporting to Patrick Chadwick, of head of
the WWF/Honda Marine Parks Programme.
KOBIO wishes the Marine Working Group continued
success.
ITEMS FROM THE ELGIN GRABOUW AREA MOST WELCOME
Please send news to the editor, izulu@mweb.co.za
© KOBIO NEWS
is published by KOBIO NPO 006-257 PO Box
805, Kleinmond, 7195
Editor: Chris Burlock (028) 273 8278 izulu@mweb.co.za
The views expressed in this publication
do not necessarily reflect those of KOBIO.
Articles may be reproduced without permission
provided the source, KOBIO NEWS, is acknowledged.
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